Yeohui came across Seoyeon purely by chance.

    It was after finishing a music program shoot, on her way back from the restroom.

    That Seoyeon happened to be in that spot was entirely unintentional.

    "I should just go somewhere else..."

    She had definitely decided to turn away quietly. Yet somehow, when she came to her senses, she found herself naturally standing next to Seoyeon.

    "I mean, I haven’t done anything wrong. I can at least talk to her, right?"

    After all, wasn’t Seoyeon her junior in the entertainment industry?

    Maybe not as an actress, but as a singer, Yeohui was definitely the senior here!

    So, approaching a junior who seemed to be deep in thought wasn’t anything strange.

    "Hmm."

    But after greeting Yeohui, Seoyeon gave her a long, suspicious look.

    It was a gaze that seemed to say she wanted to ask something but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

    Could it be that?

    Do you still like my dad? Was that what her eyes were saying?

    "What kind of person does she take me for?!"

    No matter what, that would be an affair.

    Sure, Yeohui had a bit of a wild streak, but she wasn’t that reckless.

    She never imagined she’d get such a look from a much younger junior.

    Of all people, you shouldn’t be looking at me like that.

    "I could have been your mother... well, not really, but still."

    "Why... why are you looking at me like that?"

    Feeling guilty for no reason, Yeohui flinched awkwardly, which brought Seoyeon back to her senses.

    Of course, Seoyeon wasn’t suspecting Yeohui of any improper feelings.

    She was purely thinking about asking this expert in unrequited love how to masterfully handle a one-sided crush.@@@@

    "But no matter how you slice it, that’s not something I can ask."

    If it were her past self, maybe. But now that she understood emotions better, it was an unaskable question.

    Honestly, she was curious about how Yeohui might react, but it wasn’t something to casually bring up.

    Besides, she had already heard most of the story from her mother, Sua.

    It had been such an interesting tale that she remembered most of it.

    To be honest, her takeaway was simple:

    "Both of them just dug their own graves."

    The childhood friend, who had the best chance, realized her feelings far too late.

    And Yeohui, due to her pride, delayed confessing for too long.

    By the time Sua realized her feelings and made her move, Yeohui had been thoroughly defeated.

    "Then again, with someone as assertive as my mom, who wouldn’t fall for her?"

    Having such a formidable rival by their side, it was their fault for being careless.

    Maybe they underestimated her, thinking her delicate appearance meant she wasn’t so assertive.

    "Still..."

    Seoyeon glanced at Yeohui.

    The past was the past; the Yeohui Seoyeon knew was the person standing before her now.

    The song Yeohui sang on Masked Singer,

    a piece that called forth memories, had undoubtedly reached Seoyeon’s heart.

    Because of it, she was now able to sort through her feelings and steadily move forward toward her goal.

    So, if an opportunity arose, she wanted to repay Yeohui in some small way.

    "Well then."

    Seoyeon gave a polite bow to Yeohui.

    There were many things she wanted to ask, but she wasn’t oblivious.

    Asking would undoubtedly be painful for Yeohui, no matter how strong she seemed.

    She had no intention of digging into someone’s wounds.

    "Ju Seoyeon!!"

    At that moment, someone came rushing toward Seoyeon.

    Turning around to see who it was—

    "Why are you here?"

    It was Jo Seohee, panting heavily from the run.

    But really, was she that exhausted from just running over?

    "I’ll have to teach her some exercises later. With stamina like that..."

    "For Gyeongseong Lady. What about you?"

    "I’m here for Dream Future."

    "Ah, so it’s similar. It’s all for the Japanese broadcast, anyway."

    Oh, now that she thought about it, Gyeongseong Lady was being fast-tracked for import into Japan.

    They were probably discussing that today.

    "But why at KMB?"

    "It seems they plan to release a documentary about the filming process to coincide with the movie’s premiere. In other words, they’re filming us shooting the movie to air it as a documentary. It’s scheduled to be released via OTT platforms in Japan."

    "Do they usually do things like that?"

    "It’s a first for me, too. Maybe it’s like an extended version of a making film? Anyway, there’s no harm in doing this kind of thing. Exposure is always a good thing."

    "To be honest, I’m a bit curious too."

    "About... what?"

    "Love stories."

    That was unexpected, and it caught Yeohui off guard.

    Honestly, Seoyeon didn’t seem like someone who had any connection to romance.

    "Liking someone and figuring out how to love... I have no sense of it at all."

    "Hmm."

    Yeohui felt a mix of surprise and understanding. Though she questioned why Seoyeon was asking her, it was a common concern for girls her age.

    "So that’s what she wanted to ask earlier."

    It suddenly made sense why Seoyeon had given her those uncertain looks.

    And she could guess why Seoyeon hesitated to ask directly.

    "Honestly, someone else could probably explain it better than me..."

    "Who?"

    "Yeongbin’s childhood friend. She’s a novelist, so she’s better at depicting stuff like this than I am."

    Still, Yeohui had no intention of reaching out to that person for this.

    She had already been through too much with that group, leaving her emotionally battered.

    Noticing Seohee awkwardly fidgeting nearby, Yeohui decided to break the tension with a bright laugh.

    "Why don’t we all make plans to meet up later? This is about the movie, right?"

    "How did you know?"

    "..."

    The fact that Yeohui seemed oddly informed about Seoyeon’s schedule was a bit concerning, but they set a meeting and parted ways.

    Seoyeon was also curious about the high school stories Sua hadn’t told her yet.

    More than that, she wanted to understand the kind of excitement Seohee felt about "romantic" emotions.

    After that, a few days passed.

    "Ju Seoyeon."

    The day before the next filming session, Jo Seohee came to visit Seoyeon at school.

    Today, she had quite a serious look on her face.

    With a mask and sunglasses on, she was trying to stay hidden, though her school uniform only made her stand out more.

    "Did you sell your Benz? You’re always on a bike these days."

    "Hmph, you said I was out of shape."

    Come to think of it, she had mentioned something like that last time.

    That Seohee should exercise more because she seemed to lack stamina.

    Perhaps because she was in public, Seohee carried herself with the air of a proper antagonist heiress today.

    Her sharp eyes and brisk movements made even kids trying to snap pictures of her retreat in surprise.

    "Aren’t you being too defenseless?"

    "They leave me alone at school."

    "How generous of you."

    After replying, Seohee tapped the back of her bicycle seat.

    It was as if she was asking Seoyeon to hop on, but Seoyeon shook her head.

    "Why not? I can at least give you a ride."

    "It’s not practical."

    "?"

    She meant it.

    Besides, Seoyeon would probably reach her destination faster by running than by riding with Seohee.

    "So, where are we going?"

    "I came to invite you to a movie."

    Seohee grinned, pulling two tickets from her pocket.

    Seoyeon tilted her head at the sudden invitation.

    A movie?

    "It’s a romance film. And it’s surprisingly intense. These days, even PG-15 movies are quite bold."

    "Have you already seen it?"

    "Yeah. But I wouldn’t mind watching it again."

    According to Seohee, it was her way of apologizing for the last time.

    After all, what she said to Yeohui had been, in Seoyeon’s opinion, quite rude.

    "I think it might actually help you."

    Seoyeon hesitated at Seohee’s words.

    Honestly, she didn’t think Seohee needed to apologize.

    It was understandable to forget or not know certain details.

    Even the people involved in the situation could laugh it off—though Yeohui might have wanted to disappear from embarrassment.

    "...Okay."

    In the end, Seoyeon nodded.

    As an actress, she acknowledged Seohee’s talent.

    If Seohee personally recommended a movie, there was probably a reason behind it.

    "Well, how bad can a PG-15 movie be?"

    That’s what Seoyeon thought.

    And then...

    "What?"

    Seoyeon froze.

    On the screen unfolded a whirlwind of flesh and intimacy.

    "Wasn’t this rated PG-15?"

    But that wasn’t the only shocking part.

    The emotional depth and intensity were overwhelming.

    Glancing sideways, Seoyeon saw Seohee casually munching on popcorn, unfazed.

    Despite her image, Seohee was surprisingly composed and serious when it came to films or dramas.

    Not that Seoyeon was much different in that regard.

    "This... this is..."

    Seoyeon curled her toes and fidgeted with her fingers.

    She felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment creeping up on her.