The moment she came down, Jin Woo was already waiting for her outside, standing by the front of the building. His hands were in his pockets, head tilted slightly like he'd been waiting a while but didn't mind. She gave Minji a quick hug, and they exchanged goodbyes before Minji got into a taxi and Na-ri walked towards Jin Woo's car.
As soon as she got in, she buckled her seatbelt and glanced at him.
"Where are we going?" she asked casually.
"My place," he said without looking at her, already starting the engine.
She blinked, a little confused. "Your house?"
He smirked a bit, catching the surprise in her tone. "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you," he teased.
Na-ri rolled her eyes, lips curling into a small smile. "You better not. I bite."
The ride was calm, a bit quiet, but not uncomfortable. When they arrived, she looked up at the house and quietly took in the view before following him inside.
As soon as they stepped in, he brought out two pairs of indoor slippers. One looked brand new—probably unused.
"Change into these," he said, setting them neatly in front of her.
She glanced down at them then at him. "New slippers, huh? How many girls have you brought here?" she teased without skipping a beat.
He just chuckled, not answering, and took off his blazer and tie. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing his forearms, then casually walked off to the kitchen.
Na-ri stayed near the entrance, her eyes quietly wandering around the house. It was simple, clean, and comfortable. Not too flashy, but definitely neat and spacious.
She followed him to the kitchen after a while and leaned against the counter, watching him. He was cooking pasta, moving confidently as if he'd done it a thousand times.
"You can cook?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "So the slippers and cooking… is this how you impress all your girls?"
He looked over his shoulder, a small smile tugging at his lips. "No girls. You're the first to see this side of me."
She tilted her head, clearly not buying it. "Uh-huh. I don't believe you. You're too smooth not to have a line-up."
He laughed softly, finishing up the dish, then brought out a bottle of wine and poured two glasses once the food was set on the table.
Na-ri took a sip and nodded. "Hmm. Not bad," she admitted.
"So, be honest," she said, leaning forward slightly, her tone playful but curious. "This engagement thing… it's not real. Right?"
He paused for a moment, his hand on his glass.
She continued before he could respond. "If you have someone you like, or someone else in your heart… you can tell me. I don't want to be in the way of anything real."
He looked at her quietly for a few seconds, then said, "There's no one."
She blinked, then leaned back. "Really? No one?" Her voice was teasing again. "Not even someone you like? Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell."
He sighed, finally confessing, "There's someone."
Her expression softened, lips parting slightly. "Oh? Then why'd you say no?"
"It's pointless," he replied, eyes fixed on his wine glass.
She tilted her head. "Pointless? Did she cheat or something?"
"No. She doesn't even know how I feel. She's happy with someone else."
Na-ri stared at him for a moment, then smiled softly. "Oh… so it's a one-sided love."
He nodded.
She raised her glass. "Then let's toast," she said, giving him a warm look. "To a new life—away from my cheating ex, and your unrequited love."
They both smiled and clinked their glasses together, a quiet laugh shared between them.
Then, his eyes lingered on her a little longer than usual, his expression growing a bit serious.
"What?" she asked, setting her glass down.
"It's good to see you laugh like that again," he said gently.
Meanwhile, Ji-a had just finished her work and needed to blow off steam. She headed straight to a bar. After just two shots, someone familiar sat beside her.
Tae Joon.
He ordered a drink without looking at her. The tension was instant.
"Did you tell Na-ri about us?" he asked, eyes fixed ahead.
Ji-a didn't say a word. She took another sip and stayed quiet.
He frowned, clearly getting frustrated. "Ji-a, I'm asking you."
She slammed her glass down and stood up to leave, but he raised his voice behind her.
"Yah, Jung Ji-a!"
She stopped in her tracks, jaw tightening. Then slowly turned around.
"Yes. I told her. So what?"
His eyes widened. "How could you…?"
"She made me snap!" Ji-a shouted. "I hated seeing her happy like that, okay? Don't blame me. Blame her."
She pointed at him. "It's not my fault she got engaged to Han Jin Woo. It's not like I'm not hurting too."
Tae Joon looked stunned. "I told you I was going to fix things. Why would you ruin it?"
She shook her head, bitter laughter escaping her lips. "You're the one who ruined it. The moment you started caring about Kang Na-ri."
He looked at her like she was someone he didn't recognize. "You're crazy," he muttered.
Back at Jin Woo's house, they had finished eating and were quietly cleaning up together.
Na-ri washed the dishes while he rinsed. The silence was calm… until she broke it.
"Is that why you said you wouldn't lose me again yesterday?" she asked suddenly, stacking the plates he handed her. "Because you thought I was her?"
He paused, his eyes flicking to her face.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, stammering a bit.
Na-ri turned her head, meeting his eyes. "Do I look like her? The girl you liked?"
He stayed silent.
She gave a small laugh, brushing it off. "Never mind. I'll stop prying."
Meanwhile, Ji-a finally got home. She was exhausted.
Her mother looked up from the dining table. "Why're you back so late?"
Ji-a muttered, "It was that bitch, Kang Na-ri," then walked past her.
"Go wash up and come eat," her mother called out. "Oh, and a package came for you. I left it on your bed."
Ji-a froze. Her heart skipped a beat.
She climbed the stairs quickly, eyes locked on the door to her room.
The box was sitting right there on the bed. She walked over slowly, opened it—
And there it was.
Na-ri's gift to her.
Her eyes widened, confusion flashing across her face. Then anger. Then something else—something deeper.
Her hands trembled slightly. Her eyes began to well up.
The sight of that gift shattered something inside her.