Happily Ever After

1. 미안

🎶TXT - Opening Sequence🎶

The school had already started to empty, but Park Yerin was still reluctant to leave.

It was a habit of hers. When the last lesson of the day arrived, and the teacher didn't show up in class and no assignments were given, she would go to the library alone. She would sit in the corner of the library, read a lot of books, and eventually fall asleep there.

But there was something the other students didn't know about the large building always filled with books, because, in fact, there was a hidden secret room inside.

It couldn't exactly be called a secret, because only the special library members were allowed to enter that room. However, considering that only a handful of people were part of the special library group, only a few knew about it.

The room contained so many books, even ones that couldn't be found in the main room. The main room only housed regular textbooks, very different from the secret room for library members, which was filled with literature from great authors around the world. Its collection was diverse, with many old books scattered across towering bookshelves.

For the special library members, this was heaven. Especially for Yerin. She loved reading all kinds of books, and she never missed a day visiting and picking up books that were almost always fascinating for her to read.

No one knew that Yerin often sneaked into the library. It was called sneaking because Yerin had once dared to spend the night there just to finish reading one collection that truly mesmerized her. She managed to deceive the guards while they were patrolling before closing time, hiding between the tall bookshelves. When it was like that, even the library guards couldn't force her to leave.

She fell asleep a few moments after closing the book in her hands. She couldn't fight the exhaustion from staying up late the night before, which she had to hold in during class because of a surprise exam this morning. She forced herself to focus and suppress the drowsiness for just a little longer.

However, whenever she encountered the amazing books in the library, her eyes would light up. She forgot about her sleepiness. She forgot about the problems that had been bothering her lately. But the tiredness from the night before was too much to handle, and she finally fell asleep after finishing a series of novels written in a time when she hadn't even been born yet.

Her consciousness returned at this very moment. The sky was almost dark, and the library was the same. After glancing around for the last remnants of energy to return, Yerin decided to leave. There would be no staying the night today; her mother would go crazy if Yerin stayed out on a Monday.

Still a bit wobbly, she quietly closed the secret room door, but when she turned around, unexpectedly, someone was already standing in front of her. Yerin reflexively jumped, sending the last fragments of her consciousness safely back to her.

"What are you doing here at this hour?"

The damn school guard.

Yerin lowered her head half-heartedly. "Sorry." Then she left the man in his forties standing there, just like that.

The corridor was already very quiet. Some of the ceiling lights had even turned on. Yerin just wanted to hurry home. But damn it, she left her backpack in the classroom.

Yerin had to turn around. And once again, bad luck struck. Her class was at the far end of the second floor, so far from where she was standing now.

Luckily, she managed to return from the empty classroom and safely retrieve her backpack, without any disturbances from the creatures her classmates often gossiped about.

Tch. She wasn't scared of such mythical things. If they were real, they would run away just by looking at Yerin's face. Yes, her irritated face was scarier than any imaginary creature.

Yerin's head hung down as a headache spread at the top of her brain. It hurt so much. She shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. She held her head while walking.

Then, as if finding the most surprising thing in the world, she widened her eyes, spotting feet in white shoes stepping out of the library.

No. Again?

She hesitated for a moment but eventually lifted her head, staring at the tall young man who was being dragged out by the school guard. His eyes were drooping, one hand clutching his head, and the other carrying his backpack, casually slinging it over his shoulder. His steps were slow and unsteady. He walked in the opposite direction from Yerin.

Oh no. This was bad. Really bad.

Yerin sighed, feeling tightness suddenly attack her chest without warning. Seeing that young man out of the library again, she didn't know why, but her chest hurt like this. No. She knew why. She knew the reason, of course.

That young man—Choi Soobin. He was her clubmate as a special library member. The sweet guy who always accompanied Yerin reading and recommending cool books. The guy who always cracked weird jokes that Yerin would respond to with a glare because they were never funny. But she would still laugh alone when she remembered his silly jokes at home. He was the one who unknowingly made his way into the deepest part of her heart.

This was really bad, she knew. Putting him there was such a bad decision. But what could she do? It was too late. She couldn't change her feelings just like that. Kicking him out of her heart was impossible, so all she could do was hold it in as best as she could and keep hiding it as tightly as she could.

But no one could predict human actions in the future. Just like Choi Soobin's actions. Yerin never knew that Soobin would suddenly paralyze her. On that hot day, in their secret room, with only the sound of a rotating fan accompanying them, he suddenly confessed that he truly liked Yerin and asked her to live with him forever.

Yerin almost softened her heart, releasing the tie that had been so tightly wound in her. But she quickly snapped back to reality. No, she couldn't be like this. So she rejected Soobin as cruelly as she could. She pushed him away, sent him as far as possible. She hurt him.

In the end, Yerin saw that young man shattered. He gave up on her in the blink of an eye. And then, he was forced to leave.

Yerin knew she had broken Soobin. His heart might never heal in a short time, or maybe it would never heal at all. But this was better. Although it was incredibly painful even for herself. But if Yerin didn't do this, a much greater pain would come one day and torment him mercilessly, haunting him until the end.

So Yerin tried to look down when Soobin stood right in front of her. She didn't dare to look at the face that had lost its smile. And Yerin also knew that Soobin, with all his strength, was holding back his gaze, pretending not to see her. Pretending not to care. But Yerin knew he was still deeply in love with her—just as much as she felt for him. Even though Soobin claimed that he had hated Yerin for a long time, he always followed her everywhere. Yerin knew he was lying.

Soobin had to hate her. He really had to. Yerin no longer cared about the turbulence and pain in her heart. This was better, she reminded herself. It was even better if Soobin could forget her.

A gust of wind blew right after their bodies passed by each other. Yerin almost cried and screamed, but she controlled herself well enough.

Only her heart was allowed to whisper.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry for breaking you. Sorry for making you feel this terrible thing. Sorry because I can't be with you, not now or ever.

Sorry, because soon I'll be leaving.

Forever and never coming back.

I will leave you and die.

Yes, die.

-FIN-

[]