SMITTEN BY HER (unedited)

You're mine, Sophia. And I'll make sure the whole world knows it.

Days Flew By Like a Dream

The days leading up to Ji-hyun’s departure passed faster than anyone expected.

The mansion was livelier than usual, filled with laughter and teasing as Ji-hyun clung to Sophia at every given opportunity.

She had made it her mission to spend as much time as possible with her favorite Unnie before leaving for school.

Every morning, the trio—Lucius, Sophia, and Ji-hyun—would have breakfast together. Kai would join them occasionally, throwing in his playful banter, while Crystal fussed over Ji-hyun’s meals to ensure she was eating properly.

Penelope, on the other hand, had grown eerily silent. She stayed in the background, watching and waiting, but she never spoke about Lucius and Sophia’s relationship again.

On the second morning after Lucius’ confession, Ji-hyun sat beside Sophia, chewing on a piece of toast while eyeing her Oppa suspiciously.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ji-hyun smirked. "I’m just amazed. Oppa is usually so cold and scary, but now look at you, smiling and holding Unnie’s hand under the table."

Sophia choked on her tea. "Yah! We’re not—"

Lucius, unbothered, smirked as he squeezed her hand tighter. "And?"

Ji-hyun gasped dramatically. "So you admit it!"

Kai, who had just walked in, whistled. "Damn, Hyung. You’re gone for real."

Lucius ignored him, his attention focused on Sophia. "Do you regret saying yes?"

She turned to look at him, her heart skipping a beat at the way his golden eyes seemed to burn into her soul. "No," she whispered. "Not even for a second."

Ji-hyun sighed dreamily. "I’m going to miss this romance."

"Nobody’s stopping you from staying," Lucius said casually.

Ji-hyun glared at him. "I have a future to build, Oppa! Unlike you, I actually want to go to university of course."

Kai coughed, trying to hold back a laugh, while Sophia giggled.

Lucius leaned back. "I didn’t need a degree to become the most successful businessman in the country."

Ji-hyun rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we know you’re a self-made squillionaire. But enough about you." She turned to Sophia with a grin.

"Unnie, what about you? Have you thought about what university you want to attend?"

Sophia froze, her mind suddenly spinning.

She had always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. It was a passion that had burned in her since childhood, a love for animals that she never outgrew. But the question of where to study had never truly settled in her heart.

Nigeria?

It was home. It was familiar. But something about the idea felt… wrong.

Her mind drifted to the past few months—the way she had slowly immersed herself in Korean culture, the way she had adapted so effortlessly to the language, the food, the traditions.

All the K-dramas she had watched, the little Korean phrases she unconsciously picked up, the way she felt more connected to that place than anywhere else.

Maybe this was where she belonged.

She swallowed and looked up at Lucius. "I think… I want to study in Korea."