Because morning meant one thing: he would finally get to see Yun again.

Eight hours later, morning slowly arrived, and soft sunlight entered Tae's room through the large windows, illuminating the quiet space with a warm golden glow. Even though he had only just woken up, his skin still looked remarkably clear and radiant, and Tae knew very well that he was handsome, so he walked toward the mirror and studied his reflection for a few seconds before turning away and heading toward the bathroom.

For some reason, Tae put a little more effort into getting ready that morning, choosing a black sweatshirt, dark half-length pants, a watch around his right wrist, and his usual black boots before tying his long brown hair into a half ponytail, and although he didn't consciously admit it to himself, there was probably only one reason he was paying more attention to his appearance than usual.

He was looking forward to seeing Yun.

When Tae finally came downstairs, he found his father already sitting at the dining table, casually eating a sandwich while looking at his phone.

"Come eat first."

Tae quietly sat beside his father and began eating, but they had barely finished breakfast when Chairman Han mentioned the work waiting for him at the office, explaining that several files needed to be reviewed and signed and that the workload had increased considerably after the Tigers and White Wolf formed their alliance.

"You need to go to the office and finish everything as quickly as possible," Chairman Han said calmly while taking another sip of coffee. "There is too much work waiting for you, so instead of wasting time at college this morning, go to the office first, finish everything that needs your attention, and if you still have time afterward, you can go to college."

Tae frowned slightly.

"Do I really have to?"

Chairman Han's answer came immediately, calm and firm, leaving absolutely no room for refusal.

"Yes, you do, so don't waste time arguing with me."

Tae sighed quietly, already knowing there was no point trying to convince him, but then Chairman Han glanced at him and smirked knowingly.

"I know you put extra effort into getting ready this morning because you wanted to see your puppy, but listen carefully, Tae, work comes first, so finish what you have to do before you start thinking about running off to college."

Tae's expression instantly became annoyed.

"...Can you stop calling him that?"

Chairman Han simply laughed before waving his hand dismissively.

"Go on, then, finish your breakfast and leave for the office."

Not long afterward, Kim Joo arrived to pick Tae up, and after getting into the car, Tae quietly watched the city pass by through the window, his thoughts occasionally drifting toward Yun despite everything he had just been told.

When he stepped inside the Han Group building, several employees immediately looked in his direction, their quiet murmurs following him through the lobby as they watched him walk past. His appearance alone was enough to attract attention, but what made people stare even more was the striking resemblance between him and Chairman Han, making the two of them look almost unreal whenever they were seen together.

Tae ignored the attention and continued toward his office, but the moment he opened the door, his expression fell when he saw the enormous pile of files covering his desk. Stacks of documents, contracts, project reports, and folders were waiting to be reviewed, and just looking at the amount of work was enough to make him feel exhausted before he had even started.

Still, he knew he couldn't leave without doing anything, so he reluctantly sat down and began working while Kim Joo handed him one file after another, explaining the important details whenever necessary. After only a few files, Tae was already beginning to feel tired, but he continued reading carefully and signing the documents that required his approval.

Some time later, an employee named Soo-Yeon entered his office carrying another file containing information about a new project, and the moment her eyes landed on Tae, she became momentarily mesmerized by his appearance before realizing that she had been staring too long. She quickly lowered her gaze and handed him the file.

"Here is the new project file, sir."

Tae accepted it without much reaction.

"Leave it here. I'll look through it and call you if I need anything."

Soo-Yeon nodded quickly before leaving, while Kim Joo watched her disappear through the door with an expression suggesting that he had noticed exactly what had happened.

A few minutes later, Kim Joo returned with a cup of coffee for Tae, knowing that he would probably become exhausted after spending hours buried beneath paperwork, and instead of leaving immediately, he quietly sat down on the couch in the corner and opened a newspaper while Tae continued working. Seeing Kim Joo sitting there so peacefully made a faint smile appear on Tae's face, although he quickly returned his attention to the documents.

Eventually, Tae finished going through most of the files, but two particular reports caught his attention, including the project report Soo-Yeon had brought earlier, and after studying them carefully, he placed both files separately from the others.

"Kim Joo, take a look at these two and tell me what you think."

Kim Joo immediately stood up and carefully reviewed the files while Tae called Chairman Han to explain that both projects carried considerable risks and that they shouldn't make a final decision without discussing them properly with the board. One of the projects had been proposed by a board director, making the situation even more complicated because rejecting it without proper discussion could create unnecessary conflict within the company.

After ending the call, Tae leaned back in his chair and waited for Kim Joo's opinion, and several minutes later, Kim Joo returned to the desk.

"You're right, Young Master. Both projects carry risks, but one of them can still be managed if we approach it carefully. This one, however, is different because the investment is extremely high, and if the project fails, we could lose a significant amount of money. Several shareholders may also oppose it, which could cause the company's stock price to fall."

Tae listened carefully before nodding.

"That's what I thought, but we still need to discuss it properly because it was proposed by one of the board directors. Print both reports and distribute them to the employees involved in the projects, then have them write down their opinions and concerns before the board meeting."

"Understood."

By the time Tae finished dealing with everything that needed his immediate attention, the afternoon had already arrived, and as he stood up, he suddenly remembered something important.

Yun.

He had forgotten to tell Yun that he wouldn't be coming to college that morning.A faint feeling of guilt settled inside him, and without wasting any more time, Tae grabbed his things, left the office, got into his car, and drove directly toward the university.When Tae finally reached the university and walked into the classroom, he wasn't expecting anything unusual, but the moment his eyes fell across the room, his entire expression changed.

Yun was on the floor.

One hand was pressed against his cheek, his breathing was uneven, and tears covered his face as he struggled to remain composed in front of everyone.

Back to what happened to Yun.

Meanwhile, Yun had already been awake for quite some time.

After getting ready that morning, Yun ate some leftovers from the previous night before leaving his apartment, and on the way to the convenience store, he found himself unusually excited because he couldn't stop thinking about seeing Tae again. He bought his usual strawberry milk before walking toward the bus stop, and once the bus arrived, he quietly took a seat near the window and connected his wired headphones, letting soothing music fill his ears as peaceful streets slowly passed outside the glass.

The morning felt calm, but Yun barely noticed his surroundings because his thoughts were focused on one thing.

Tae.

When he reached the university, Yun stepped through the campus gate and immediately looked around, expecting to see the familiar figure he had been waiting for, but Tae wasn't there.

Yun waited near the entrance, checking the road every few minutes as students continued passing through the gates around him. Five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty, and eventually half an hour had gone by, but Tae still hadn't appeared.

The excitement that had filled Yun's heart slowly disappeared, and after checking his phone again without finding any message from Tae, his expression gradually fell as a quiet disappointment settled inside his chest. He tried to convince himself that Tae was probably simply running late, but as more students entered the campus and Tae still didn't appear, it became harder for him to hold onto that hope.

Then Jun and the others noticed Yun standing alone near the entrance.

The moment they realized Tae wasn't around, their expressions subtly changed, and they immediately walked toward him, clearly noticing that this was another opportunity to approach him without Tae being there.

Jun stopped in front of Yun and casually asked, "What? Were you waiting for Tae?"

Yun didn't answer immediately, because the moment he saw them standing in front of him, memories of everything they had done to him in the past suddenly returned, and he instinctively wanted to walk away.

But before he could move, Jun suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him backward.

Yun's scalp stung sharply from the sudden pull, and his face tightened from the pain as a strained gasp escaped him, but Jun quickly released his grip and put on an innocent expression.

"Sorry, I pulled your hair without realizing it. Forgive me, okay?"

Despite the pain still lingering across his scalp, Yun didn't want to create a scene near the college entrance, so he forced a small smile and quietly replied, "It's okay."

Jun immediately returned to his usual behavior and rubbed his shoulder dramatically.

"By the way, my shoulder is cramping today, so carry my bag until we reach class."

Before Yun could respond, the others also handed their bags to him, leaving him standing there carrying all of them while they walked ahead casually.

Yun quietly followed behind them, his hands tightening around the bags as the disappointment inside his chest became heavier. He had spent the entire night looking forward to seeing Tae, imagining another ordinary day beside him, but instead of getting the morning he had hoped for, he had already returned to the familiar reality of being bullied, used, and humiliated.

After entering the classroom, Yun handed their bags back and quietly moved toward the window seats, hoping he could sit alone, but Jun immediately called him back and made him sit with them.

His body gradually became tense as he sat surrounded by the same people he had learned to fear, and he wished he could simply disappear from the room, but he forced himself to remain quiet.

After a while, Yuji looked toward him.

"Where's Tae?"

Yun quietly answered, "I don't know."

The moment he said it, the group suddenly began laughing, leaving Yun staring at them in confusion.

One of the boys smirked.

"Maybe Tae finally got tired of your pathetic looks and left you."

Yun's fingers immediately tightened beneath the desk, and although he had learned to endure their insults and bullying, those words affected him differently because the thought of Tae leaving him was the one thing he had become genuinely afraid of.

What if Tae really did leave?

What if everything they had shared had only been temporary?

What if he had misunderstood everything?

The thoughts made his hands tremble slightly, and Yun lowered his eyes as he tried to force himself to stop thinking about it.cSoon, the lecturer entered the classroom and began teaching, and Yun carefully listened while taking notes, but even while the lesson continued, Yuji suddenly leaned toward him and quietly said, "Go buy me a café latte." 

"I'll bring it after class."

Yuji immediately frowned.

"No. Go now."

Yun lowered his eyes.

"But the class is going on..."

The others immediately began cursing at him, refusing to listen and insisting that he go to the café immediately to buy whatever they wanted. Eventually, Yun slowly stood up and tried to walk toward the classroom door, but the lecturer noticed him almost immediately.

"Where are you going?"

Yun froze in place and couldn't bring himself to look directly at the lecturer, his throat tightening as he struggled to find an answer.

"I..."

The lecturer's expression hardened.

"Get down."

Yun slowly lowered himself into the required push-up position.

"Hold it until the class is over."

Yun lowered his head and remained in position, his arms beginning to tremble as the strain gradually spread throughout his body, while behind him Jun and the others quietly laughed because they had deliberately sent him to buy the drink knowing exactly how strict the lecturer was.

The minutes dragged on, and although Yun's eyes gradually filled with tears, he refused to let them fall, continuing to hold the position with his head lowered until the class finally ended.

The lecturer eventually ordered him to return to his seat, and when Yun slowly stood up, his arms and legs trembled beneath him so badly that he had to remain still for several seconds before he could properly balance himself.

His entire body ached from holding the position for so long, but before he could even recover, Jun and his group surrounded him and blocked his path toward the cafeteria. Yuji stepped forward with an irritated expression.

"I told you to go to the café and bring me a café latte. Couldn't you just sneak out without the lecturer noticing? Can't you even do one small thing properly? Because of you, I had to sit here hungry, you bloody pathetic loser."

Yun quietly lowered his gaze.

"I couldn't. The lecturer saw me."

Yuji's expression hardened.

"You couldn't even do that?"

Before Yun could say anything else, Yuji suddenly slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed sharply through the classroom, and Yun's head snapped to the side from the impact as the tears he had been holding back finally spilled from his eyes. His balance disappeared, and he collapsed onto the floor, one hand immediately rising to his cheek as he tried to steady his breathing. For several seconds, Yun remained there silently, his eyes filled with tears and his breathing uneven as the humiliation of the entire morning finally became too heavy for him to hide. And then the classroom door suddenly opened. Everyone inside turned toward the entrance. Yun slowly lifted his tear-filled eyes. 

Standing there was Tae.