Min-woo was extremely cautious on the inside.
Anger burned quietly beneath his calm surface—anger directed squarely at Tae-won. He was so determined not to let it show that he monitored every breath, every movement, every shift of his expression. He refused to reveal even a trace of nervousness. Not a flicker. Not a crack.
He wanted Tae-won to see only one thing—
That he meant nothing.
That he had no place in his life anymore.
That whatever existed between them once was long gone.
At least, that was what Min-woo wanted the world to believe.
Because the truth was far more dangerous.
In reality, he could never erase Tae-won.
Tae-won had been his first crush.
His first love.
The first man who had ever made his heart race in a way he hadn't known was possible. Back then, Min-woo hadn't even understood what was happening to him—only that his thoughts kept drifting to one person, that his chest felt tight whenever Tae-won was close, that one careless smile from him could ruin an entire day.
Min-woo knew it now, painfully clearly—Tae-won didn't deserve that place in his heart.
And yet, no matter how hard he tried, Tae-won remained there.
Uninvited.
Uncontrolled.
It had been that kind of love—the crazy kind. The kind that comes only once in a lifetime. The kind you don't choose, the kind that crashes into you when you least expect it. Min-woo had fallen only once in his life.
And he had fallen hard.
Harder than he ever thought possible.
For a man he never imagined he would love.
So Min-woo sat there like solid rock.
From the outside, he was rigid, composed, unshaken. His face revealed nothing, his posture firm, his voice steady whenever he spoke. But inside him, emotions collided violently—anger, longing, resentment, memories, heartbreak—all reacting at once like uncontrollable chemical reactions.
He endured it all in silence.
Finally, as conversations wrapped up and chairs were pushed back, the meeting came to an end. People stood, gathered their belongings, exchanged polite words.
Together, they moved outside the cozy restaurant, stepping back into the cool night air.
And Min-woo walked with them—unchanged on the outside, his steps steady, his expression carefully neutral—while a storm still raged within him. Every sound felt louder than it should have been, every movement around him slightly distant, as though he were watching the night through a thin sheet of glass. He kept his gaze forward, refusing to let his emotions rise to the surface, refusing to give even the smallest hint of what was tearing through him.
Tae-won, on the other hand, was completely unaware of Min-woo's inner battle.
Or perhaps—he was aware of nothing else.
His eyes stayed fixed on Min-woo, following him without conscious effort. He didn't even realize how openly he was staring, how his focus never wavered. It was as if the rest of the world had faded into the background, reduced to blurred shapes and distant voices. Tae-won's chest felt tight, his thoughts scattered, his mind circling the same unspoken questions he didn't dare ask.
Nearby, Mr. Kim and Mrs. Kim stepped aside to call for a taxi. Mrs. Kim reminded her husband to check his phone properly this time, her voice light, trying to keep the evening warm and normal. Mr. Kim laughed softly, waving it off as they moved toward the curb, their figures slowly blending into the city lights.
At the same time, Mr. Park guided Mrs. Park toward their car. Mrs. Park said nothing—her lips pressed thin, her silence louder than words—but she followed. The car doors closed, the engine started, and soon they drove away, the red tail-lights disappearing into the night.
And just like that, the group thinned.
Only the two siblings remained—Soo-bin and Min-woo—standing under the soft glow of the streetlights.
Tae-sung lingered for a moment longer, glancing at Min-woo with an easy smile, clearly trying to smooth over the lingering awkwardness of the evening. "We should have a drink together sometime," he said casually, his tone friendly and sincere.
Before Min-woo could respond, Soo-bin laughed and waved her hand. "Don't," she joked lightly, nudging Tae-sung with her words. "Don't make my brother carry you home."
She smiled wider, teasing openly now, her voice warm and familiar. "Everyone knows Tae-sung gets drunk in just two shots."
The comment earned a few chuckles, the tension easing just a little. It was Soo-bin's way—always finding humor, always trying to protect the fragile balance around her.
But then her smile softened.
She turned her head and noticed Tae-won.
He was standing slightly apart, unusually quiet, his shoulders tense, his expression dull in a way she hadn't seen all evening. His eyes were lowered now, his earlier intensity replaced with something heavier, something unresolved.
Soo-bin frowned slightly, a quiet crease forming between her brows as concern slowly crept into her gaze. She had been smiling just moments ago, but now something about the stillness around Tae-won didn't sit right with her.
"Tae-won?" she asked gently. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Her voice cut through the moment like a soft tap on glass—not loud, not sharp, but clear enough to draw attention to the silence he had carefully wrapped around himself. Tae-won blinked, as if pulled back from somewhere far away, his thoughts abruptly interrupted.
At the same time, Min-woo's expression hardened, just a fraction. It was subtle—so subtle that anyone who didn't know him well might have missed it—but inside him, something tightened. The longer Tae-won stood there saying nothing, the more Min-woo felt his own restraint fraying.
Tae-won finally spoke, his voice low and controlled.
"I have a headache," he said simply.
It was an excuse—thin, rehearsed—but no one called him out on it.
Before anyone else could respond, Min-woo dropped his gaze and spoke abruptly, cutting through the fragile calm. "I have some urgent work," he said, his tone firm, almost clipped.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward the parking area.
Soo-bin opened her mouth as if to stop him, but Tae-sung gently shook his head, sensing that pushing would only make things worse. Instead, he turned to Tae-won. "Take care," he said, his voice sincere but cautious.
Moments later, Tae-sung and Soo-bin left as well, their footsteps fading, leaving the space behind them strangely hollow.
Tae-won remained standing there for a few seconds.
Then he looked up—straight in the direction Min-woo had walked.
Something in his chest twisted, tight and aching. Without thinking any further, he began walking in the same direction, his pace slow at first, then gradually quickening, as though pulled by something he could no longer resist.