Six years ago.

After entering university, the days passed in a blur, and before she knew it, the last day of the first semester had arrived.

As soon as she finished her final exam, exhaustion washed over her like a wave. She hadn’t slept at all the night before while studying, and now her eyes kept trying to close on their own.

“It’s finally over!”

Walking out of the lecture hall, Ina stretched with a refreshed expression. The thought that everything was finished made her feel light enough to fly.

Today, she planned to go home and sleep for two days straight without moving. Her part-time job wouldn’t start until next week anyway, and the student she tutored was also taking a break during exam season, so she finally had a little time to breathe.

“Ina, are you going straight home?”

“Yeah. I’m so sleepy. I’m going home to sleep.”

Sejeong, who had taken the same class with her, came over and spoke.

“Hey, the exams are over. Come hang out with us.”

“Oh right! When was it again?”

“Tonight. We’re drinking makgeolli near the school.”

“I’ll go home and sleep first, then I’ll contact you.”

“You’re not going on a date, are you?”

Sejeong narrowed her eyes with a meaningful expression.

At that, Ina’s face flushed red.

She had accidentally been caught by Sejeong walking around with Taeyun, so there was no room left to make excuses.

They had even been holding hands.

“N-No, that’s not it. I’m really just going to rest.”

“You can rest and go on a date too. You’re dating Taeyun, right? I’m seriously jealous.”

“I’m leaving first!”

“Ugh, look at her running away.”

She could hear Sejeong teasing her from behind, but Ina hurried away.

The day she had confirmed her university acceptance. She had met him when he came down to Changwon.

And that was when they shared their first kiss.

Her feelings for him had been growing so quickly that it had troubled her—but as if he had been waiting for it, he stepped closer without hesitation.

And that was how they began dating.

That day became their unspoken anniversary.

Perhaps because she was with someone good, Ina gradually began to brighten as if the past had never weighed on her.

At university, she got along well with her friends, went on dates with Taeyun, and laughed more often.

If someone asked her when the happiest time of her life was, she could answer without hesitation.

Right now.

She was happier than she had ever been.

“I wonder if brother finished his exams.”

He had insisted she call him brother instead of senior, saying he didn’t like the senior title.

At first, Ina had been terribly embarrassed and shy about it, but after saying it often enough, calling him senior now felt even more awkward.

“Huh?”

She was walking quickly across campus to meet him when a familiar silhouette appeared in the distance.

Seeing him running toward her with his eyes curved in a bright smile made her heart start pounding again.

‘What kind of luck do I have to be dating someone that handsome?’

It still felt unbelievable—like a dream.

“You’re already done?”

“Yeah. The exam was ridiculously easy.”

His casual tone made Ina laugh.

He consistently ranked first in the department. With his natural intelligence and relentless effort, no one could match him.

‘And I even get tutoring from someone like him… I must be really lucky.’

“Let’s go eat.”

Taeyun naturally took her hand and pulled her closer.

Ina slipped her arm through his and tilted her head back to look at him.

“What should we eat?”

“Anything. What do you want?”

“You always say that. Tell me what you want sometimes.”

“If you like it, I like it.”

Taeyun was always like that.

Just as he had been when they first met.

No—after they started dating, he became even more attentive.

He took care of everything for her, comforted her, looked after her.

And whenever he smiled, it felt as if her heart would melt completely.

His bright smile was simply a bonus.

Still looking at him with wonder, Ina poked his cheek lightly with her finger.

Taeyun chuckled and looked down at her.

“What are you doing?”

“It feels like a dream.”

“Oh? Like, ‘Is it really true that such an incredibly handsome man is my boyfriend?’ Something like that?”

Pfft.

Ina burst out laughing.

It was funny how easily he read her thoughts. And because it wasn’t wrong.

When she was with Han Taeyun, moments like this were all there were. It felt as though the whole world had turned pink.

“Yoon Ina must be lucky. Such a handsome man belongs to Yoon Ina.”

“Does he really belong to me?”

“Then whose would I be? Would I have traveled all the way down there every two weeks to tutor a girl I didn’t even like?”

The heart she had kept tightly closed slowly began to open because of his sincerity.

At first, she had mistaken his actions for nothing more than showy volunteer work.

But he was simply kind by nature.

The kind of person whose presence alone warmed the heart.

Ina tightened her hold on his arm slightly.

“Do you like me that much?”

“What?”

“Honey is practically dripping from your eyes.”

Teasing her, Taeyun spoke when he noticed the affectionate way she was looking at him.

Ina replied playfully.

“Is it obvious?”

“Very.”

“You caught me.”

She smiled shyly and pressed her lips together.

“You must be tired. Eat and go home to sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll watch Yoon Ina sleeping.”

“Seriously.”

Unbelievable.

Ina shivered and shook her head.

He said the most cheesy things so naturally that at this rate he might turn into a chicken.

As they walked toward the campus gate, both of their faces were full of smiles.

***

“Auntie, I still have six months left on my lease. How can you suddenly do this?”

“I know, I know. That’s why I’m asking you for a favor. Something urgent came up. I’ll even pay your moving costs, so please move out.”

“How can I suddenly move in the middle of the semester?”

“I’ll give you one week. Please.”

“Auntie! Auntie!”

Ina stared blankly at the phone after the call abruptly ended.

The landlady had suddenly called and demanded she move out because something had come up.

It was completely absurd.

“What’s wrong?”

Taeyun, who was beside her, asked.

Ina looked at him with a stunned expression and spoke.

“The landlady said I should move out. She’s giving me one week.”

“Isn’t your contract until February next year?”

“Yeah. But why all of a sudden…?”

She said her daughter needed to move in and asked Ina to vacate the place.

The landlady knew well that it wasn’t something she could simply ask as a favor, but she insisted she was in an urgent situation and begged Ina to understand.

“Just wait a bit. I’ll look into it.”

She had rented that place with the money she saved while working part-time during her repeat year preparing for college.

After paying the university admission fee and tuition, there hadn’t been much left. That was why she had searched carefully and chosen the cheapest room she could find.

If she left this place, the money she had wouldn’t be enough to rent anything decent. She might have to move into a tiny boarding room.

“Ha…”

“Don’t worry too much, okay?”

Taeyun gently comforted her.

Although the rent near the university was cheap by local standards, it was still a heavy burden for Ina.

On top of that, she had to save for next semester’s tuition fees and earn money to cover her living expenses.

She would need ten bodies to cope.

There was a moment of silence between them.

No one understood her situation better than Taeyun.

He had seen how carefully she had chosen this place.

Looking at her troubled expression, Taeyun fell into thought.

***

“I’m even offering fifty thousand won for moving costs, so it’s not a bad deal for a student. You’d have to move out when the contract ends anyway. Maybe it’s better to move now.”

What the landlady said wasn’t wrong.

Even if she moved, she wouldn’t hire a moving company, so receiving some money for it wasn’t a bad condition.

Still, it was true that being told to move so suddenly had shocked her.

And when February came, new freshmen would flood in and finding a place would become even harder.

Maybe moving now wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Hmm.”

The real problem was that there wasn’t another place like this.

The deposit had been incredibly cheap, and the monthly rent was low.

Even though the condition of the room wasn’t great, it was close enough to school that she could walk there.

“How am I supposed to handle this…”

Ina sighed.

Taeyun had told her she didn’t have to leave since the contract still had time remaining. But the landlady constantly called and showed up at the house, bothering her again and again.

Unable to endure it any longer, Ina tried searching for another place. But there were barely any options available.

“You’re going to start crying at this rate.”

Taeyun suddenly spoke as he sat down beside her. They had planned to eat dinner together, so Ina had been waiting for him on the bench.

“I told you, you don’t have to move.”

But the money the landlady offered was equivalent to a month’s tutoring fee for a student. And that money was tempting.

The landlady had given her two days to decide.

She had to make a choice before then.

“I thought about something. Want to hear it?”

“About what?”

Ina turned her head to look at him.

Meeting her bright eyes, Taeyun spoke with a serious expression.

“I have two empty rooms in my place. So I was wondering… if you’d consider moving in.”