She lifted her head. Yoonhyuk's gaze, looking down at her, was deep. Haeyoung curled her lips into a faint smile.
"Yeah. But I'm just going to head back."
"After coming all this way?"
"I had something I wanted to ask… but not anymore."
Yoonhyuk stared at her without blinking once.
The weight of his gaze pricked at Haeyoung's heart. She felt like she needed to come up with an excuse for why she was turning back.
"It doesn't matter what answer I get anymore."
The faint smile on Yoonhyuk's face briefly faded.
As if trying to read Haeyoung's true feelings, Yoonhyuk simply stared at her in silence for a long moment.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he slowly lifted the corners of his lips into a smile again.
Still as cold as ever—but for some reason, that smile always seemed a little less cold when he was in front of Haeyoung.
"Ask anyway."
"Why?"
"Because it might matter."
"It doesn't."
"But maybe, someday… you'll want it to."
What does that even mean?
Yoonhyuk reached out and gently grabbed Haeyoung's wrist.
With a soft yet firm pull from his large hand, Haeyoung found herself slowly drawn out onto the balcony.
Click.
The glass door closed behind her. For a moment, it felt like she had stepped into a completely different world.
Just like before, Yoonhyuk leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky.
"Haeyoung, look at the sky."
She slowly walked over to stand beside him. A breeze carrying Yoonhyuk's clean, fresh scent brushed past her.
She looked up. Was it cloudy? No matter where she looked, the sky was pitch black.
What was she supposed to see?
"What do you see? There's nothing there."
"Exactly. There's nothing."
When she looked at him with a puzzled expression, Yoonhyuk gave her a playful smile. A faint, helpless laugh slipped out.
"Still… doesn't it feel nice to look at the sky?"
Maybe it did.
She lifted her gaze again.
As she stared into the still darkness, the noisy thoughts and emotions that had been swirling moments ago seemed to quietly sink into the depths.
Yeah… if I can't see it, that's enough.
No need to overthink it. Just focus on what I need to do.
"So? You're really not going to ask?"
Yoonhyuk rested his arms on the railing, then leaned his head against them.
He looked more at ease now—different from how he was around others. Just like her.
Maybe it was because he was on her side.
"Nope."
Haeyoung answered firmly. Yoonhyuk furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to say something.
And just then.....
"Oppa!"
With a loud clatter, the balcony door slid open.
A sharp voice tore through the calm atmosphere in an instant.
Minji came skipping over and shoved Haeyoung aside, quickly taking her place next to Yoonhyuk.
In that brief moment, Haeyoung didn't miss the way Yoonhyuk's face twisted in frustration.
"What are you doing out here? You suddenly disappeared, and I got so worried. Next time you leave, you have to tell Minji first, okay?"
Drawing out the end of her sentence in a whiny tone, Minji grabbed Yoonhyuk's sleeve and gave it a playful shake.
Yoonhyuk looked straight at Haeyoung, not even trying to hide his annoyance, almost as if silently begging her to rescue him.
But Haeyoung had no intention of doing that.
Right now, Yoonhyuk needed to earn Minji's trust.
That way, it would hurt even more later.
*****
"I'm going to head in first."
Yoonhyuk watched as Haeyoung closed the balcony door and walked away, disappearing past the kitchen.
Everything he'd been curious about—what she originally wanted to ask, why she suddenly didn't care anymore, whether she remembered the past—faded away along with her retreating figure.
"Oppaa\~"
The very person who had ruined the moment clung to his sleeve and gave it a shake.
His nerves were on edge.
"What were you and Haeyoung unnie doing out here? You know I get really jealous."
What was he supposed to say to that?
Minji went on, spilling information no one had even asked for.
For some reason, her voice was even more agitated now than it had been during their date earlier.
Then again… maybe he did know why.
Yoonhyuk barely managed to stop himself from furrowing his brow.
What he really wanted was to walk away right then and there, but instead, he held back by simply not shaking off her hand from his sleeve.
Until Haeyoung decided to end things, she had told him to maintain a good relationship with Minji.
Since it was her request, he couldn't go against it.
Just a little longer.
Minji needed to believe, even if only for a moment, that he might actually be interested in her.
He could endure it, for just that much.
"Huh? What were you two doing, oppa?"
"Talking."
"Talking? Out of nowhere, unnie wanted to talk?"
Minji covered her mouth with her hand.
"Gasp!"
Her eyes widened like marbles.
"Don't tell me… she suddenly got interested because she found out you're rich?"
Minji skillfully and naturally twisted the story, painting Haeyoung in a familiar, dismissive light.
And just like that, the neutral expression Yoonhyuk had tried to maintain began to shift.
His expression hardened.
That's you, not her.
"I was the one who called her."
"Really? Did you have something to say?"
"Do I need to explain that to you?"
"Oh, of course not! It's just… honestly, I was a little worried about you. You know how there are people who seem nice on the outside but are actually awful?"
"So you think Haeyoung is one of those people?"
"Haeyoung?"
Jealous sparks flickered in Minji's eyes, sharp and quick, but she quickly wiped them away with a smile.
"What's this? Then call me Minji too, please."
Yoonhyuk didn't respond.
He simply lifted the corners of his lips—but somehow, it didn't look like a smile.
Minji couldn't quite read the meaning behind it.
"If you're done talking, I'm going."
"Wait, no!"
Minji grabbed Yoonhyuk's arm again.
He instinctively shook her hand off.
"But really, please don't just brush off what I said. Not everyone in this world is like me, you know. Money… it's not everything. People matter more, right? I don't care about your background at all. I just… I like you, Yoonhyuk oppa...... Oh no. I think I just confessed."
Minji bounced up and down, flustered.
Yoonhyuk folded his arms and silently watched her put on her little one-woman show.
Still fanning herself with her hands, Minji suddenly bit her lip, as if bracing herself.
"Well, since it's out there, I'll just be honest. I've felt it since the first time I saw you yesterday… I like you. And I don't think that's going to change."
"Really? I didn't realize you felt that strongly about me."
"Sometimes I almost resent the fact that you're a chaebol. I wouldn't care if you were completely broke and unemployed...... But I'm afraid people will think I'm only interested in your background, and it'll make my feelings seem less genuine."
"That's… touching."
Despite his words, Yoonhyuk's face was completely devoid of emotion—like a zoomed-in shot from a hidden camera.
"I mean it… It's just how I really feel."
Maybe she took his response as a positive sign, because Minji's cheeks flushed with excitement.
She leaned against the railing, humming a little tune.
"It's so nice being alone like this with you. But oppa, do you happen to have something warm to wear? All the clothes I brought are really thin. Could I maybe borrow something of yours?"
"Yeah, I've got something. Come with me."
Yoonhyuk headed straight to his room. Minji eagerly followed, trailing behind him. Their chatter sounded like noise from afar.
*****
Haeyoung was sitting in the living room, preparing for the upcoming text vote. Jaeyoung checked on her, asking if she was feeling okay.
Though she answered that she was fine, Haeyoung glanced sideways and saw Yoonhyuk disappear into the room with Minji.
What were they talking about? Why did they go in together?
A moment later, Minji came running back.
"There's going to be a text vote? Wow!"
She appeared wearing a hoodie that looked much too big for her, definitely not her own.
It was probably Yoonhyuk's clothes.
She was doing well. This was exactly what Haeyoung wanted. Now that Minji knew about Yoonhyuk's background, she would desire him even more, and the more she did, the harder it would be for her to break free.
Minji needed to be completely confident in Yoonhyuk, cutting off every other option with her own hands before she could realize it had all been an illusion.
So clearly, Yoonhyuk was doing very well right now.
But why did Haeyoung feel so strange? It was like something sharp was stuck in her throat, making her uncomfortable.
Her eyes kept drifting back to Minji, who was wearing Yoonhyuk's clothes.
"You didn't vote yesterday either, right? But now that you're not doing it, you kind of look forward to it, don't you?"
And finally, Yoonhyuk appeared - slowly, deliberately.
"Yoonhyuk oppa, sit here!"
Minji patted the seat beside her. Yoonhyuk stared at Minji for a moment, then suddenly squeezed in between Haeyoung and Dojin.
It wasn't natural at all—they were so close their shoulders almost touched.
Yoonhyuk pulled out his phone with a calm expression.
"Yoonhyuk oppa?"
The moment Minji called his name, a mischievous message popped up on the monitor: "Send a text to today's crush."