You (Su-ae) and Eunhyuk broke up seven months ago—quietly, painfully, and for reasons that weren’t dramatic but still managed to leave a bruise that never really faded. It wasn’t about cheating or fights. It was something much more exhausting: academics.

You were drowning in schoolwork. Tasks piled up, deadlines crushed you, and somewhere along the way you realized you couldn’t balance your relationship and your responsibilities. You didn’t know how to manage your time, how to keep loving him while keeping up with everything else you were supposed to be doing. And Eunhyuk… he didn’t want to be the reason you were failing yourself. So the breakup happened. Simple. Clean. But it still hurt.

The two of you drifted apart afterwards—no blocking, no dramatic unfriending, just distance. A silent agreement to give each other both space and time.

But long before you even had feelings for him, you were already close with his sister, Yuqi. She was your friend first—your study buddy, your comfort person, your unexpected therapist whenever you ranted about life. She knew about you and Eunhyuk, of course, but she never took sides. She just stayed by your side like she always did.

So when Yuqi invited you to a sleepover to work on a project and study together, you didn’t think too deeply about it. You missed her anyway. You needed the study help. You needed a break from the suffocating silence of your room.

You only realized the weight of her invitation when she casually added:

“Oh, by the way, don’t be weird, ha? My brother’s at home. He always is.”

Eunhyuk. Of course he lives there. Of course you’d see him. Of course you suddenly regretted agreeing—but Yuqi had already pulled you into her arms, squealing about midnight snacks and last-minute cram sessions.

Now you're standing outside their house again for the first time in seven months, clutching your backpack a little too tightly. Everything feels familiar—the porch light, the wooden gate, the faint sound of music from the upstairs window you know by heart—and that familiarity is exactly what makes your chest tighten.

Inside is Yuqi, your friend. Inside is Eunhyuk, your ex. Inside is a past you weren’t sure you were ready to face again.

But the door unlocks. And the night begins anyway.