7.3

As she hesitated, her lips parting slightly, his expression hardened.  

“What? Are you saying you don’t feel the same? Are you thinking of ending this altogether?”  

Feeling as though he had read her mind, she became even more flustered. Blinking rapidly, she managed to respond with difficulty.  

“I was just… just thinking about it. After all, our relationship isn’t exactly normal.”  

“Normal?”  

At Juhan’s cold tone, she instinctively turned to look at Hyunho. As always, his expression was gentle and calm.  

“There could be difficulties in life.”

She said.  

Their parents might oppose their relationship if they found out, and rumors could spread at their workplaces.  

“Of course, difficulties might arise. But I think we’ll be able to handle them. No matter what happens, I believe we can get through it together.” 

Hyunho said.  

“Do you think so….”  

Hyunho had always been good at dealing with problems. She, on the other hand, was not.  

“Are other people’s opinions more important to you than us? Important enough to think about breaking up?”  

Juhan seemed genuinely angry that she had even considered the possibility of breaking up.  

“It’s not about other people’s opinions. I was just worried that you two might get hurt because of me… that you might waver because of those things….”  

That was her honest feeling.  

“I never asked you to worry about that. Aren’t you the one wavering? Do you want to live like everyone else?”  

“No….” 

“So it’s not you, but me and Cha Hyunho who are the problem. Is it because there are two men? Then choose one. Who are you going to throw away?”  

“…….”  

Throw away? 

She was so taken aback that she could only shake her head in silence.  

“Stop it.” 

Hyunho said to Juhan.  

At that moment, she realized that Juhan was hurt. He was afraid of her answer.  

Seeing the anxiety and fear on his face, she also realized something else: they could never part.  

“That’s impossible. I love both of you so much.”  

She couldn’t choose or abandon either of them. She didn’t have the right to, and she loved them both equally. Juhan’s question felt as absurd as asking a child to choose between their mother and father.  

“…Then we can keep living like this. Don’t worry about things that haven’t even happened. I don’t care about other people. There’s no way anyone unrelated to us could affect me.” 

Juhan said, his expression softening.  

“As long as you love me and Cha Hyunho, that’s all that matters. Keep it simple. If we love each other, why should we separate? Other people’s opinions are meaningless.”  

She nodded. If they were fine with any potential negative attention or harm, then she could be fine too.  

“…I’m sorry. I must have been overthinking.”  

“…Don’t apologize.”  

“No need to be sorry, Yebom. Thank you for sharing your concerns honestly. But really, everything will be okay. We’ll handle whatever happens.” 

Hyunho said gently.  

“Mm.”  

She nodded quietly.  

“…….”  

An awkward silence filled the living room. She stared blankly out the window. It seemed like they had resolved the issue, but she still felt like crying. Conflict was hard for her to handle, and this situation—one she had caused—felt overwhelming.  

Tap-tap-tap—  

Perhaps sensing the tension, Chapssal approached and brushed against her legs. She reached out to pet him gently, but she felt Juhan’s gaze on her profile. It seemed like he was studying her expression.  

Feeling stifled and uncomfortable, she stood up.  

“I’ll take Chapssal for a walk. I could use some fresh air.”  

“Now?”  

“I’ll go with you.” 

Juhan said, grabbing his coat.  

“No, no. I’ll go alone. I need some time to think.”  

“It’s dangerous to go alone, Yebom. Let’s go together—it’s dark outside.” 

Hyunho said.  

“No, it’s fine. What danger could there be? I’ll just be at the park nearby. You know it’s always busy in the evenings.”  

She forced a smile as she put Chapssal’s harness on.  

“I’ll be back soon.”  

The two of them followed her to the door. Hyunho looked worried, while Juhan was expressionless and silent. She held up her phone to show them she had it, then stepped outside.  

“Haah….”  

The cool evening breeze outside the apartment felt refreshing, as though it was clearing her mind.  

“Chapssal.”  

Taking a deep breath, she matched her pace with the dog as they walked.  

The days were getting shorter, so it was already dark at this hour, but the park was bustling with people. It seemed even busier than during the day, likely because people were out after work. Many, like her, were walking their dogs.  

She strolled slowly, letting her emotions settle.  

The two of them were right—she had probably worried unnecessarily. If she couldn’t part from them anyway, then distancing herself from the mainstream was a price worth paying. Being with them was more than enough to make it worthwhile.  

Her concern had been that unforeseen issues might make them regret being with her or cause them to waver.  

It might just be an excuse, but ever since her parents had passed away in an accident, she had developed a fear of loss. That fear had made her defensive. Before they could leave her due to external factors, she had started to consider leaving them first.  

But the two of them didn’t seem to care about external factors at all. They simply wanted to stay with her.  

Juhan, in particular, had looked unusually anxious when he realized she had even thought about breaking up. Her baseless worries and premature assumptions had only hurt them.  

“Sigh….”  

Should I apologize again? Or would it be better to tell them that I truly enjoyed living with them and wanted to continue like this?  

She wandered aimlessly around the spacious park.  

Chapssal, who had already been taken on a one-hour walk by Hyunho before he left for work in the morning, wagged his tail like crazy as if he was thrilled to be out again. She crouched down to pet him and, in crowded places, even carried him in her arms. The soft, warm dog brought her comfort.  

“Hello.”  

“Hello.”  

Chapssal played with a passing dog, and she exchanged awkward greetings with the other owner. Chapssal and the small white dog took turns sniffing each other’s hindquarters. Holding onto Chapssal’s leash, she looked down at the dogs.  

“What’s your dog’s name?”  

“Chapssal. What about yours?” 

She asked out of courtesy.  

“This is Yepi. She’s six years old, a Maltese.”  

“Oh, I see….”  

She nodded awkwardly, her social skills far worse than those of the dogs. Standing there idly, she scratched her cheek and realized she had forgotten to wear a hat when she left in a rush.  

“Take care.”  

She gave a silent nod of farewell and resumed walking, heading toward a quieter, less crowded area. The outskirts of the park, where a road ran alongside, were unpopular, which meant fewer people were around.  

She often walked through this park with Hyunho and Juhan, but this was her first time doing so alone. While it felt a bit lonely, having Chapssal with her made it bearable, and it was a good opportunity to organize her thoughts. The emotions that had made her feel like crying earlier began to fade, and her mind grew calmer as she walked.  

One by one, the streetlights spaced at regular intervals flickered on.  

Just as she decided it was time to head back and turned around—  

“……!”  

A figure wearing a black mask emerged from the darkness. The silhouette, unfamiliar yet oddly recognizable, belonged to a man of medium height and a gaunt build, walking briskly toward her. The moment she saw his piercing eyes above the mask, her heart sank.  

The stalker.  

It was the stalker.  

In an instant, the man grabbed her arm. The force with which he yanked her made her stumble forward against her will. Her breath caught in her throat, and no sound escaped her lips. Her body, frozen in fear, was dragged along as she staggered.  

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”  

At that moment, Chapssal barked furiously. The sound snapped her out of her daze, and she screamed desperately.  

“Help! Somebody help me!”  

She shouted toward the direction where people were gathered in the distance. At her cries, Chapssal barked even louder. She tried to resist, planting her feet firmly on the ground, but the man’s overwhelming strength forced her to move.  

“Help me! Please help!”  

The stalker tried to cover her mouth, but she twisted her body frantically to avoid his hand. Chapssal lunged at the man’s leg as if to bite him.  

“Damn it.”  

The man seemed momentarily flustered but ignored Chapssal and tightened his grip on her arm, dragging her even harder. She saw several cars parked along the road ahead. 

Was he trying to kidnap me into one of them? 

He pulled her with all his might toward the vehicles.  

She lost hold of Chapssal’s leash and resisted with all her strength. As she was being dragged, she stepped onto what she thought was flat ground, only for her ankle to twist completely.  

Crunch—  

A sickening sound came from her bones.  

“Aaah!”  

A high-pitched scream escaped her lips. The stalker paid no attention and continued to pull her along, running now. Her foot felt like it no longer belonged to her, and her mind went blank as her heart pounded wildly.