Seo-in parted ways with Ye-rin at the intersection where their buses diverged.
They waved goodbye with small smiles before heading in opposite directions — the kind of everyday farewell that felt both ordinary and quietly comforting.
The bus was half-full when Seo-in boarded. She found a seat by the window, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.
The city outside blurred into a collage of muted neon signs and autumn haze — people moving in hurried clusters, the hum of traffic blending with faint music from a nearby store.
Seo-in rested her cheek lightly against the cool glass, her reflection faint beside the streaks of passing light. Her expression was calm — almost serene — but her thoughts lingered somewhere far away, circling back to Luca, to Ye-rin's words, to everything she hadn't said aloud.
At one stop, an elderly woman climbed aboard, and without hesitation, Seo-in stood to offer her seat.
The woman smiled, murmuring a grateful "thank you," and Seo-in responded with a gentle nod.
It was a small thing — but that's how Seo-in moved through the world: quietly kind, without seeking notice.
The bus rumbled on, slowing at every red light. Outside, the sky deepened into violet and gold, the kind of twilight that seemed to soften even the hardest edges of Bremen's concrete skyline.
When her stop finally came, Seo-in pressed the bell and stood gracefully, smoothing the front of her coat before stepping off into the cool evening air.
The breeze carried the faint scent of roasted chestnuts from a nearby street vendor. Her steps were unhurried as she made her way down the familiar road — shoes clicking softly against the pavement, one hand loosely holding her tote bag, the other brushing against her coat pocket where her phone rested.
A young couple passed her, laughing about something trivial; a delivery man sped by on a scooter; somewhere, a child tugged at his mother's sleeve, pointing at a stray cat hiding under a parked car. Seo-in noticed all of it — not as distractions, but as quiet details of a life she still felt grateful to have.
By the time she reached the crosswalk near her apartment complex, the streetlights had flickered on, bathing her path in a gentle amber glow. She paused briefly, watching her reflection ripple faintly in a puddle near the curb.
Her mind returned, inevitably, to Luca.
Was he still awake? Had he eaten?
Ye-rin's words echoed softly:
"Feelings are messy. People are stupid. That's life."
Seo-in sighed — not out of frustration, but with the kind of weariness that came from caring deeply. Then, as the pedestrian light turned green, she crossed the street with quiet resolve, her figure blending into the soft hum of evening traffic.
***
However, Seo-in's steps faltered the moment she spotted her parents standing near her usual bus stop—too conveniently placed to be coincidence. Her stomach dropped as they immediately locked eyes with her, expressions unreadable but stance firm.
"Eomma ... Appa," she greeted cautiously, pulse quickening beneath skin like prey sensing trap before it springs shut entirely around them...
Her mother wasted no time cutting straight chase: "We need talk. Properly this time—no running away excuses."
Tone left zero room argument which meant? They weren't asking permission; merely informing what already decided without input from person most affected by decision itself…
Standing there under weight dual expectant gazes — Seo-in felt old familiar frustration rise up throat like bile because of course they'd ambush like this when vulnerable tired unprepared. Seo-in clenched her jaw but nodded stiffly, knowing resistance would be pointless right now.
"Fine."
Her mother huffed in satisfaction, while father said simply, "Let's get some coffee."
Seo-in followed numbly as they headed towards nearby café, feeling like puppet yanked forward against will. Each step heavier than last until finally they reached entrance where her parents led her towards secluded booth in back room.
Once seated, Seo-in's eyes darted nervously between them, bracing herself for whatever lecture she knew was coming...
Her mother wasted no time launching into tirade, tone sharp as ever despite pretense civility before.
"Seo-in-a, you're almost 23 now. You should be focusing on finding someone stable, someone who can take care of you."
Seo-in's grip tightened around cup coffee.
"Here we go." She thought bitterly but simply nodded, knowing better than argue with mother when she had her mind set…
Seo-in inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. "Mom, Dad—I appreciate your concern," she began carefully, choosing each word with precision, "but Luca is stable. He works hard. He's studying for a better future—"
Her mother cut her off with a derisive wave of her hand. "Hard work doesn't pay bills fast enough! Do you even realize the kind of life we could secure for you? The Kim family's son has already finished his degree abroad—he's set to inherit his father's company!" Her voice dripped with exasperation, as if Seo-in were deliberately ignoring some obvious truth.
Seo-in bristled but kept her tone measured. "I don't care about companies or inheritances," she said flatly.
Her father sighed and finally intervened before tensions escalated further: "Sweetheart … we just worry," he said carefully, because unlike mother who bulldozed through resistance head-on? Father preferred subtle approach instead. "We raised you wanting only best things possible — is so wrong want that still now when see throwing yourself away?"
And wasn't that most frustrating part? That they genuinely believed their actions came from place love rather than control.
Silence stretched between them before Seo-in exhaled sharply through nose like releasing pressure valve inside chest before speaking again quieter this time but no less firm: "You think happiness equals wealth dad ... But my heart already decided long ago what makes happy."
She met both their gazes unflinching despite shaking hands hidden beneath table because standing ground here meant more than just defending boyfriend—it meant defending right choose own path regardless expectations placed upon shoulders since birth…
"Seo-in-a, a woman's fate is determined when she gets married, and a man's character will emerge when he gets married. At least if he's not rich, he should be mentally stable. What if Luca hurts you?" her mother said with concern. "Some people with BPD are shunned by their families because they can be very dangerous when they explode. 어머 … 그건 상상도 하기 싫다," her mother added, rubbing her chest and shaking her head.
Seo-in fought the urge to scoff at her mother's blatant fear-mongering—as if Luca's mental health condition made him some kind of ticking time bomb waiting explode at any moment … But she knew better than engage that particular argument head-on, so instead she focused on only part she could actually disprove factually.