MINJAE

I hate Yoo Yuri.

I hate her so much, I’ve forgotten what it’s like not to. Every time I lay eyes on her, I’m so angry all I feel is numbness.

I want her to die a slow, miserable death. Preferably by my hand.

So when she slips into the room right after Sera disappears down the hall, a quiet dread creeps up my spine. Because I don’t know what I’m capable of doing if she pushes me too far. I don’t know how many laws I’ll break if she stays a second too long.

She must see it in my eyes—how much I want her gone. But she just leans against the door, casually, smiling like none of it ever happened.

“Oh, relax.” Her voice drips with forced nonchalance.

I keep my expression cold. “What are you doing here?”

She doesn’t answer the question. Instead, she takes a step closer like she’s testing how far she can go before I snap. “Trust me, Kang Minjae, that night was the biggest mistake of my life.”

I go rigid. “Do you...?”

“Yes.” Her answer is quiet. A flicker of something—guilt? Shame?—passes over her face. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do it again. I’ll stop interfering in your lives and let you be happy together this time.”

“Will you?” I ask, my voice low, seething.

She sighs, eyes darting toward the floor like it holds the answers. “After I died, I woke up in the life of a woman named Jo Ha-rin. In that life, I found Sera again. But she was quite different. She’d been abused by her birth mother, and then adopted by some woman who had pitied her. But, like I said, she’d changed. A lot. It was entirely my fault, and I knew I should’ve faced some consequences. But no, I kept deluding myself for 30 years. I even–”

I stare at her in disbelief. “And you think saying all this means anything to me? Do you really think I’ll forgive you for what you did?”

“No.” Her voice cracks, and for once, she looks small. “I just wanted to apologize. I’m sorry, Minjae. I was stupid and selfish and young. I thought I could control everything. And when I woke up again in this life, in the body of Yoo Yuri, on the morning of your blind date, I was angry. Furious that I had to relive it all. I wanted to scare Sera. I thought she remembered everything and was taunting me. But..now I think I was wrong. I heard you two outside just now.”

“She doesn’t remember,” I say quietly. “I have a theory that it’s because we died on our own terms, but she was murdered. We were ready for our deaths, she was forced to face it. That fall, it stole everything from her. So I think it’s trauma that caused her to not remember.”

Yuri nods, but the smirk returns to her lips. “How did you end up dying? Don’t tell me you killed yourself after marrying that wretched woman.”

“That’s none of your business.” My jaw tightens. “Leave.”

“This is my house too, y’know. I can stay here for as long as I want,” she says, casually twisting a strand of hair around her finger, her voice sweet and irritatingly smug.

Before I can respond, the door suddenly swings open and Yuri stumbles forward, very deliberately falling into my arms.

I catch her out of reflex, but my entire body stiffens.

And of course, it’s Sera that stands in the open doorway.

She freezes, blinking, her brows drawing together in a strange mixture of disbelief, annoyance, and confusion. I feel my cheeks heat up.

“Oh,” she says, voice flat. “Um.”

“It’s not what you think,” I blurt, practically shoving Yuri off me. She stumbles back, making a show of regaining her balance, as if she wasn’t the one who staged this whole thing.

I shoot Sera a quick look, silently begging her to play along.

She catches on fast. 

“Oh, so this is what we’re doing now?” she huffs, storming toward me with fire in her eyes. Before I can react, she grabs me—by the ear.

“Wha—ow!” I flinch as she yanks, and to my absolute horror, she starts shouting. Loudly.

“We just started dating and you’re already running off to make out with other women? My sister, no less? Are you insane? Oh my god, I feel faint…this is unforgivable!” She dramatically raises her hand like she’s about to smack me.

Then, right on cue, Yuri’s voice cuts in, lazy and smug. “Jeez. That’s all it takes for you two to break up? And here I was, trying so hard all this time.”

I open my mouth, but Sera tugs harder on my ear. “Ow—okay, stop. Please.”

“Oh!” she gasps, immediately letting go. Her hand hovers uncertainly near my shoulder, eyes filled with genuine concern. “Are you alright, Mr. Kang?”

I straighten up and nod stiffly. “I’m fine.”

I glance at Yuri, and of course she’s watching us with a knowing smirk. Her expression is calm, but her eyes are calculating.

“Give me a million won and I’ll pretend that never happened,” she says casually, arms crossed over her chest.

I glare at her. Every time I look at her face, it twists something deep in me. With enough makeup and effort, she might almost look like Sera. Almost. But never enough to fool me.

“Why would I waste a million on your sorry ass?” The words slip out before I can filter them. Sera turns to me, eyes wide in alarm. I clear my throat, avoiding her gaze. “Apologies.”

Yuri shrugs. “Fine. 500,000, then.”

I give her a look.

“Do I have to pay you just to keep your mouth shut?” I ask, rubbing my temple.

She tilts her head, smile sharpening. “Or I could just tell the press about your tragic, short-lived relationship. I'm sure they’d eat that up.”

I sigh. “100,000.”

“200,” she counters immediately.

I narrow my eyes.

She folds, raising her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. 100k it is.”