Red Dress | SUNGJOY

Chapter Twenty Nine

"DIE GRENZE UBERSCHREITEN"

(CROSSING THE LINE)

...

The restaurant had gone painfully quiet. Not the comfortable kind of silence — but the kind that pressed against your ears. Sooyoung slowly stood from her seat across from Cha Eunwoo, her expression no longer embarrassed.

It was furious.

"Sungjae," she said evenly as she excused herself from Eunwoo as she dragged the three of them away from the table.

Across the room, Yook Sungjae stood there, flanked by Mark and Jackson like this was some kind of heroic rescue mission. Only it wasn't heroic. It was humiliating.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

Sungjae's jaw tightened. "I came because I had to see it for myself."

"See what?" she shot back.

He glanced at Eunwoo. "That."

Her laugh was sharp — not amused.

"That?" she repeated. "You mean dinner? A normal dinner?"

Mark shifted uncomfortably. Jackson avoided eye contact. Sooyoung turned to them next.

"And you two," she said, voice rising slightly. "You're helping him?"

"It's not like that—" Mark started.

"Oh? Then tell me what it's like," she snapped. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you all thought it was appropriate to barge into my dinner like I belong to someone."

Jackson sighed. "We were just backing up Sungjae. He thought—"

"He thought what?" she cut in again. "That he has a claim over me?"

Silence.

Sungjae stepped forward. "You didn't tell me you were seeing him."

Sooyoung stared at him like he had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Seeing him?" she echoed. "Why would I need to report my schedule to you? Do I need to ask permission to eat?"

His voice dropped. "Because I like you."

The confession hung in the air. But Sooyoung didn't soften.

"So what if you like me?"

That hit harder than shouting. She looked at all three of them now — not just Sungjae.

"Let's make something very clear since you all seem confused." Her voice was steady. Controlled. Mature.

"Sungjae and I are not dating."The words landed like a final verdict.

"We have never dated. We never defined anything. We never made promises. We never agreed to exclusivity."

Sungjae's expression flickered.