Episode 45
25 October 2025, Saturday. Late afternoon. Gangwon-do, Inje-eup, X Game Resort. Field B.
A minute later, Mi-yeon finally began to calm down.
Her grip loosened. She released Den, and they both stood up, facing each other.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them—their breathing, their eye contact, the aftershock of adrenaline still buzzing between them.
Then they heard footsteps.
Voices.
Their teammates came running, waving their arms, shouting over one another.
"Mi-yeon! Mi-yeon! That was amazing!"
"You were incredible!"
"You took down Kim Seo-jun!"
"We won! We actually won!"
"Queen Mi-yeon!"
Den smiled, never taking his eyes off her.
"It looks like you're the heroine of the day," he said softly.
"This is your moment."
They turned toward the group together.
The others surrounded them instantly—patting shoulders, laughing, shouting congratulations.
Min-jae raised Mi-yeon's hand high in the air, his voice half-joking, half-ceremonial.
"Friends! We must formally recognize today's achievement.
From now on, she shall be known as—
Jeong Mi-yeon, Conqueror of Physics!"
Cheers and applause erupted.
Han-bin rushed forward and hugged Mi-yeon tightly, squeezing her with all her strength.
"You were so cool, Mi-yeon! I'm so proud of you—so happy you're my friend! Without you, we would've lost for sure!"
Even Soo-yeong and So-mi applauded, their expressions openly acknowledging the victory.
Yuna clapped her hands and said brightly,
"It's a shame our department still lost overall—but who cares? We won. That's what matters.
We should celebrate. Let's go eat and drink! We were an amazing team!"
No one argued.
25 October 2025, Saturday. Late afternoon. Gangwon-do, Inje-eup, restaurant "Hapgang Makguksu".
Laughing and talking over one another, the group headed to a restaurant near the amusement park.
A small family-owned place in the modest white three-store building, famous for its buckwheat noodles in cold broth.
They pushed tables together, ordered food, soju, and beer, voices rising as they relived the match—who shot whom, who almost slipped, who screamed the loudest.
Mi-yeon sat among them, glowing with quiet happiness.
She ate, listened, laughed—and every so often, her eyes drifted back to Den.
He really did protect me, she thought.
Just like he promised.
He gave me a chance… to be seen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the comment from Do-hwa:
"You were right, Min-Jae. Food here really tastes like home."
Min-jae answered, almost proudly.
"Told you! I love this little place."
Han-Bin, sitting next to him, lifted her eyebrow.
She briefly considered reminding him who he was supposed to be in love with.
But then she popped the next piece of delicious food in her mouth, shrugged, and let it go.
25 October 2025, Saturday. Evening. Gangwon-do, Inje-eup, X Game Resort, parking lot.
As evening settled in, the students boarded the buses back to campus.
Mi-yeon stepped onto the bus just behind Den.
Her heart raced with a small, nervous hope.
Please sit somewhere with an empty seat, she prayed silently.
I'll sit next to you.
I won't be scared.
I'll do it.
Den sat down by the window.
The seat beside him was empty.
He looked up at her, his expression calm, questioning.
At the very last second, Mi-yeon panicked.
Her courage faltered.
She walked past his row.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Den's face.
Mi-yeon saw it.
But it was too late. She had already moved past—already taken a seat a row behind him, across the aisle.
You coward, she scolded herself.
You can face flying paintballs, but you can't even sit next to the guy.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Den.
The sunset will be on that side. The sun will hit your eyes.
Sit with me instead—I'll give you the window seat.
She looked up.
Den was already standing, waiting for her, one hand resting on the seat.
Mi-yeon couldn't stop herself from smiling.
She typed a quick, unnecessary reply.
Okay.
Head lowered, cheeks warm, she moved into the seat he'd offered.
Den sat beside her, his presence like a quiet wall shielding her from the rest of the bus.
Overwhelmed with emotions, she turned to the window and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to contain her radiant smile.
I am next to him. We are sitting together.
25 October 2025, Saturday. Evening. Seoul-Yangyang Expressway, approaching Wolmun Tunnel. Inside the bus.
Half an hour later, as the bus hummed along the road, sunset drained the last of the energy from most of its tired passengers.
The exhaustion of the day finally caught up to Mi-yeon as well.
Her eyelids drooped.
Her head tilted slightly to the side.
Den noticed immediately.
Without a word, he gently guided her head onto his shoulder and draped his jacket over her, the one that had been resting on his lap.
He smiled—just slightly.
Then he closed his eyes too.
The bus carried them home, the noise of the day fading, leaving only warmth, quiet, and the unspoken promise of something that had finally, unmistakably begun to heal.
4 November 2025, Tuesday. Evening. SNU, women's dormitory.
Mi-yeon carefully placed two bowls of freshly cooked ramen on the small table.
Han-bin was already sitting there, crunching on an apple with one hand while reading a textbook with the other.
Mi-yeon set one bowl in front of her friend and the other in front of herself.
She picked up her chopsticks, sighed quietly.
She didn't eat. Just stirred.
Han-bin put the textbook aside and started eating with obvious appetite. After a few bites, she noticed that Mi-yeon still hadn't touched her food.
She stopped chewing.
"Mi-yeon. Why are you drifting off into the clouds again?" Han-bin said.
"Eat already. Or are you trying to make me look fat next to you? Is that your plan? So Min-jae notices the difference and dumps me?"
Mi-yeon smiled weakly and forced herself to take a small bite.
"Of course not… why would you even say that?"
Han-bin kept shoveling ramen into her mouth, speaking while chewing.
"Then what am I supposed to say? Nothing gets through to you. You walk around like a ghost these days."
She rested her chin in her hands and looked at Mi-yeon seriously.
"Listen… maybe you really should tell him the truth."
Mi-yeon visibly shrank at the suggestion, as if trying to fold in on herself.
"No. No, I can't. I'll get used to it. Eventually, everything will be… fine."
Han-bin replied in a long, drawn-out tone.
"Oh, my poor bestie… I really don't understand you. He likes you. You like him. And it's not like you're obligated to announce it to the whole world."
She tilted her head.
"Just set a condition. Date him—but keep it a secret. Lots of people do that."
Mi-yeon's fingers instinctively moved to the small scar on her collarbone, tracing it lightly, as if touching the source of her insecurity.
"No," she said softly.
"Let's not talk about this, Han-bin. Please."
Han-bin studied her face for a moment, then let out a small sigh and didn't push further.
"Alright. Fine. I'll drop it."
She changed the subject easily. "So, what are you doing during the break? Have you decided?"
Mi-yeon smiled faintly.
"I'm going home. To my parents… and my little sister."
Han-bin grinned.
"That's a great idea. You should take him with you too. Why should he rot alone in the dorm? Show him Korea properly."
"Han-bin-ssi!!!"
"Okay, okay. I'm quiet. I'm quiet."
4 November 2025, Tuesday. Late evening. Yuna's rented room.
Yuna sat on her bed, phone in hand.
This time, her expression wasn't bright or dreamy.
It was tense. Uneasy. Uncertain.
She stared at the chat on her screen—at her boyfriend's last message.
Oh, come on, Yuna! We're a couple and I love you so much.
I'm not asking for anything special—just send me a photo of you in a bra.
What's the big deal? All girls send their boyfriends pictures like that.
I'll love you even more if I can look at it every day.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
She typed back slowly.
I'm really shy, Oppa… it's embarrassing…
Could it at least not be a bra? Maybe a swimsuit?
The reply came almost instantly.
Oh, that's fine. I don't want to pressure you at all.
Then just the top of a bikini.
Yuna stared at the screen.
Her chest felt tight.
For the first time since she'd started calling him her boyfriend, happiness lost its monopoly in her room.
Now it was sharing space with a sense of confusion, doubt, and a quiet, growing unease she didn't yet know how to name.