Red Dress | SUNGJOY

Chapter Thirty

"DREI MONATE"

(THREE MONTHS)

...

Three months later, everything felt... rearranged.

Not broken.

Just shifted.

Winter had melted into early spring, and campus life moved on the way it always did — indifferent to unfinished stories.

Yook Sungjae walked across the university courtyard with Mark and Jackson, hands buried in his jacket pockets. He laughed at something Jackson said, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Because even after three months—

There was still one empty space in their circle.

⸻

Sooyoung was still in Germany.

New routine.

She sent occasional updates to the group chat — photos of cobblestone streets, cafés, museum visits, cloudy skies that looked straight out of a postcard.

Nothing overly personal. Just enough to let everyone know she was okay.

Sungjae never replied immediately.

He always typed.

Deleted.

Typed again.

Then settled for something simple. "Looks cold there. Stay warm." Or "That place looks nice."

Safe. Neutral. Careful.

He hadn't crossed another boundary since. Not once.

⸻

Lisa had grown busier than anyone expected.

Between rehearsals, recordings, and schedules, hanging out became almost impossible. The few times she visited campus, it was quick — cap pulled low, mask on, phone buzzing nonstop.

"You guys look the same," she teased one afternoon before rushing off again.

"Traitor," Jackson called dramatically as she waved goodbye.

She laughed but her eyes softened when she glanced at Sungjae.

"Still waiting?" she asked quietly when the others weren't listening.

He gave a small shrug. "I said I would."

Lisa studied him for a moment, then nodded once.

"Good."

Then she was gone again — swallowed by a van and a packed schedule.

⸻

Sana, on the other hand, had flown back to Japan to resume her business training under her family. Video calls replaced café meetups. Late-night group chats replaced spontaneous food trips.