Nayeon glared at Duyen and Shana, shouting at the top of her lungs while pointing an accusing finger.

“YOU PERV! GET OFF OF DUYEN RIGHT NOW!”

Shana was a little startled at first, tilting her head as if she had no idea what was going on—or why this bizarre nurse had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. But when she heard Duyen call her name—“Nayeon”—Shana instantly figured it out.
“Oh… so you’re that girl…” she said, dragging out the words.

Of course, Shana didn’t bother getting off Duyen. In fact, she deliberately rolled her hips a couple of times, making Nayeon’s entire body tremble with fury. Nayeon quickly whipped out her phone.

“Alright! You won’t get off? Fine! I’m calling the cops!”

But every time she tried tapping the first two numbers, her phone screen instantly went black.

“Damn it!” she barked, glaring at her useless device.

Shana just smirked.

Then, without warning, Nayeon lunged forward, yanking Shana’s arm hard enough to make the red-brown-haired girl yelp.

“AH!”

“You filthy pervert! I’m dragging you to the station myself!”

“Stop it, Nayeon! What are you doing!? Let her go!” Duyen struggled to sit up despite the ache in her body.

But Nayeon ignored her, prying Shana off.
“Don’t be scared, Duyen! I’m here! This creep won’t lay a finger on you!”

Her voice was firm, completely unfazed by Shana’s sudden, icy blue glare. Nayeon tightened her grip on Shana’s arm until the foxy girl winced. She bared her teeth, almost flashing her fangs.

“You little—! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

“I’m doing society a favor, bitch!”

“Bitch!? Did you just call me a bitch—!?” Shana’s voice cracked as Nayeon squeezed harder. It was the first time Duyen had ever seen Shana in actual pain.

“Why not!? You were lying on top of Duyen, doing all sorts of depraved things with those… those two heavy melons on your chest! If that’s not perverted, then what is!?”

“That’s not—!” Shana started to argue, then realized… Nayeon wasn’t completely wrong. Okay, maybe she had been acting a bit pervy. But still! She couldn’t just admit that.

“Why don’t you at least ask what kind of relationship Duyen and I have before going nuts like this!?”

Nayeon froze, turning to Duyen with an almost betrayed look—Don’t tell me you actually have something going on with her.

Duyen sighed and nodded reluctantly.
“Look, it’s a long story. Just… let her go first, okay?”

“NO! I’m not letting her go until you tell me exactly what the two of you are!”

She dug her fingers in deeper, making Shana hiss in pain as her eyes watered. Duyen knew she had to stop this before it went too far.

“STOP, NAYEON! I’m begging you, please! Let her go!”

Seeing Duyen’s pleading eyes, Nayeon exhaled sharply before finally releasing her grip. The spot she’d held was already turning purple.

Duyen immediately took Shana’s hand, gently rubbing and blowing on the bruise.

“You’re bruised… Does it hurt too much? Nayeon can be a little… heavy-handed.”

“Mm… it’s not that bad…” Shana’s cheeks flushed. Truthfully, Nayeon’s grip was strong, but it wasn’t unbearable for someone like her. She’d just faked a little more pain for dramatic effect—never expecting Duyen to fuss over her like this. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn’t help a small smile.

Nayeon, meanwhile, clicked her tongue and forcefully separated them.

“Alright, enough!”

Shana tried to move back toward Duyen, but Nayeon pointed a finger in her face.
“I forbid it!”

Shana just pouted in defeat.

Nayeon crossed her arms and fired off questions like bullets.

“Alright, Duyen! Explain! Why didn’t you come to graduation four years ago? I called you a hundred times and you never picked up! Do you know I sat there waiting for you for two whole hours like an idiot!?”

She barely paused for breath before continuing. “And another thing! Why are you hanging out with Mina and Dao now!? Didn’t I tell you to stay away from those rich brats? And look at you—you almost died because of them!”

Her voice cracked, and all the frustration she’d been holding in spilled out. Then, suddenly, Nayeon’s eyes welled up.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was when you just disappeared like that? Before coming back to Korea, the person I wanted to see most was you… But what did you do to me, huh? Why would you put me through this…?”

Guilt filled Duyen’s eyes. She reached out with her weak arm and patted Nayeon’s head.
“Nayeon… I’m sorry…”

Nayeon leaned in like a puppy.
“Hmph! You think a sorry’s enough? Hug me!”

“Alright, alright… I’ll hug you.” Duyen gave a resigned smile and wrapped her arms around her.

Nayeon buried her face into Duyen’s chest, inhaling deeply like a lost child finding her mother. Shana, watching this, couldn’t help but pout.

“Duyen, you shameless flirt…” she muttered under her breath. That should be me in her arms, not that woman. Stupid brat… ruining my fun. But how had she even broken through her barrier? Maybe she’d been careless.

Duyen let Nayeon cling to her for a while, until she felt the girl’s hands wandering into places they shouldn’t. She quickly pulled away and began recounting all the strange events of the past few days—meeting Shana in the rain, reluctantly letting her stay over, bumping into Mina again, and finally, what happened at Everland Park.

Nayeon nodded slowly.
“So you met this pervy old hag on a rainy afternoon, and she’s been clinging to you like a leech ever since?”

“Who are you calling a pervy hag!? I’ll have you know I’m Duyen’s V.I.P client! Do you even realize how many luxury gifts I’ve bought her!?” Shana snapped, while Duyen rolling her eyes.

Nayeon ignored her completely.
“And there’s something off about Mina. Has she forgotten that she rejected you four years ago? Or all the crap her friends did to you? Now she’s suddenly acting nice—don’t you think that’s weird?”

“I mean… Mina’s always been nice,” Duyen said casually.

Nayeon smacked her lightly on the head.
“See? This is why I call you an idiot. Four years and you still haven’t learned how to read people. Sometimes women say one thing, but think the opposite! Without me here to protect you, you’re always surrounded by shady types.”

Shana bristled.
“Who are you calling shady!?”

“You, obviously. Just looking at your outfit and the way you flirt, I can tell you’ve played around with plenty of men.”

“I—!” Shana opened her mouth, then shut it again, because… well, it was true in the past. She muttered under her breath, cheeks burning. “I don’t do that anymore…”

Duyen frowned at Nayeon.
“That’s too much. Don’t talk about Shana like that.”

“I’m trying to protect you! Did you not notice what she was doing to you just now!?”

“Shana…” Duyen hesitated, glancing at Shana’s blushing face and watery eyes. Yes, Shana’s earlier actions had made her uncomfortable… but—
“Shana’s not like that. She’s a decent person.”

Shana’s eyes widened. The words felt like warm water pouring over her.

Nayeon clicked her tongue.
“You’re too trusting, Duyen.”

“And you?” Duyen countered. “What about you in the past four years?”

Nayeon flopped onto the hospital bed.
“All because of you, I’ve been through hell. Two years working for multinational corporations, finally got a transfer to Vietnam, and the first thing I did was try to find you. But no matter what, I couldn’t.” She sighed.

“Meanwhile, Valko kept throwing alumni parties. He spread all these lies about you. Mina was there too—married to him—and she knew the truth. But did she say anything? No. She stayed silent.”

Duyen’s eyes dimmed.

“I knew she was fake, but I didn’t think she’d sink that low. Of course I yelled at the top of my lungs that you weren’t like that, but no one believed me. Damn it! I need soju. Who’s got a bottle!?”

Duyen smiled softly.
“Thanks, Nayeon… for always standing up for me.”

Nayeon blushed.
“Of course. You’re my best friend. And I hate liars. But seriously, are you okay? The doctors said it’d take four months for your limbs to recover. And yet here you are, moving around after one night.”

Duyen glanced at her hands and feet in surprise. True, she was weak, but she could move them without issue—it was like she’d only lost some energy. Shana said nothing, watching closely.

“Well, if you’re feeling better, you should rest. I need to get out before the guard realizes I’m not a real nurse. I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?”

Duyen nodded.
“Yeah. It’s almost morning—go get some rest. Honestly, I might just ask to be discharged in a few days. Staying here at night creeps me out.”

“You idiot. There’s no way you’re leaving that soon. But fine—we’ll discuss it later.”

She started toward the door, but Shana suddenly dove into Duyen’s arms again. Nayeon’s voice went up an octave.

“HEY! What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Hmph. You go home if you want. I’m staying here to keep Duyen company ~”

“Like hell you are! If you stay, I stay!”

Nayeon lunged for Shana’s hair, and Shana fought back, pulling hers in return while Duyen begged

“Please! Stop fighting, both of you!”


---

A few days later…

Mina walked down the hospital hallway with a bento box she’d made herself, wearing an outfit a little more revealing than usual—a sleek, elegant green blouse with a daring neckline. She’d put extra effort into her makeup, confident in her graceful stride.

She hadn’t visited Duyen right away—partly because of her own personal issues, and partly because she wasn’t ready to face her so soon. In the meantime, she’d refreshed her look, spent time at the spa, and enjoyed the admiring glances from men and envious stares from women. She hoped Duyen would like what she saw.

But when she reached Duyen’s hospital room, her confidence crumbled. Her heart pounded nervously.

“Ahem.” Mina quickly checked her reflection in a compact mirror, touched up her lipstick, and whispered to herself, “Alright…” before pushing the door open—only to find the bed neatly made and empty.

A young nurse was folding blankets.

Confused and disappointed, Mina asked,
“Excuse me… there was a patient here named Duyen, undergoing special orthopedic treatment. Did they move her to another room?”

“Oh, Ms. Duyen? She was discharged this morning—with two other women.”

“What?” Mina’s voice almost cracked. “Discharged? With… two other women?”

She forced a polite smile.
“Could you... tell me what they looked like?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t disclose personal information,” the nurse replied before walking away.

Mina stood there, frozen. Discharged? How? The doctors had clearly said she’d need at least four months. If she tried to leave early, the hospital should’ve stopped her.

And those two women… One was obviously Shana. But the other? Did Duyen have a sister?

She looked down at the bento she’d spent the whole morning making, feeling ridiculous. She didn’t even know Duyen’s home address. Her gaze drifted toward the hospital director’s office. She needed answers.