Soo-hyun, the stranger, steps forward. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to help Min-ji.” His words seem sincere, but they don’t lessen Joon-ho’s hurt. “So you’ve been here while I was gone?” Joon-ho asks. Min-ji tries to explain, but Joon-ho interrupts. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
Min-ji wipes away a tear, her voice filled with regret. “I should have told you, Joon-ho. I was afraid you’d hate me. I didn’t want to lose you.” Her words break his heart, but the anger lingers. He looks at her, then at Soo-hyun. The silence stretches, and Joon-ho feels a weight in his chest.
Min-ji reaches out, but Joon-ho steps back. “I don’t know if I can forgive you,” he whispers. She pleads, “I’ve made a mistake. Please, don’t leave me.” The tension is palpable. Joon-ho doesn’t know if he can rebuild what they once had. The thought of starting over feels impossible.