The next morning, Choi Yoon woke up to the sound of her alarm.
As usual, she got ready and walked downstairs, expecting another peaceful morning.
But the moment she sat at the dining table, she noticed the strange look her parents exchanged.
Her mother smiled softly.
"Yoon… you're already twenty-four."
Yoon froze for half a second.
Her father folded the newspaper.
"We're not forcing you. We just think you should start thinking about marriage."
Her appetite instantly disappeared.
Her mother continued gently, "Sweetheart, time passes quickly. We just want to see you happy."
Yoon lowered her eyes.
Happy.
Such a simple word.
But whenever she heard words like marriage, trust, forever… old memories quietly returned.
Promises.
Late-night calls.
Someone saying, "I'll never leave you."
And then leaving anyway.
She forced a smile.
"I'll think about it."
After finishing breakfast quietly, she left for work.
The entire morning, her mind stayed restless.
At kindergarten, she accidentally dropped markers twice and forgot what she was saying in the middle of class.
But as always-
the children saved her mood.
One showed her a drawing.
Another held her hand.
Someone proudly said she was their favorite teacher.
For a while…the heaviness disappeared.
After work, she went to the dance studio as usual.
Music filled the room.
She danced.
She taught.
She smiled.
After finishing her dance class, Choi Yoon stood quietly inside the empty studio.
The music had stopped.
The room was silent.
Usually, dancing helped her forget everything.
But today not even dancing can completely clear her thoughts.
Her parents' words kept repeating in her mind.
Marriage.
Future.
Time passing.
She let out a long sigh and picked up her phone.
Can we meet?
Her best friend replied almost immediately.
Same café?
Yoon smiled slightly.
Yeah.
About an hour later, the two were sitting in their usual corner of a quiet café.
Her friend looked at her and immediately frowned.
"You look terrible."
Yoon rested her head against her hand.
"Thank you."
"I'm serious."
Yoon stirred her drink.
"It's marriage again."
Her friend became quiet.
"They brought it up?"
Yoon nodded.
"They keep saying my age is passing and that someday I'll have to marry anyway."
Her friend sighed.
"They don't know."
Yoon looked down.
"No."
"Will you ever tell them?"
Yoon immediately shook her head.
Her friend frowned.
"Yoon…"
She smiled weakly.
"No parent wants to hear their daughter trusted someone completely and still got betrayed."
Silence.
Her friend slowly reached across the table and held her hand.
Yoon laughed softly.
"Don't make that face. It's embarrassing."
Her friend ignored her.
"You're still scared."
Yoon didn't answer.
Her friend looked at her quietly.
"Not everyone is like him."
Yoon looked outside the window.
Maybe.
But she didn't want to take that risk.
She wasn't scared of being alone.
She was scared of trusting again.
After a while, her friend suddenly leaned back.
"Okay."
Yoon blinked.
"Okay?"
Her friend nodded seriously.
"If normal dating isn't working, we'll think differently."
Her friend looked at her for a few seconds before reaching over and hugging her.
Yoon blinked.
Her friend gently patted her shoulder.
"It's okay. We'll see what to do. Don't stress too much."
Yoon laughed softly.
"You always say that."
Her friend smiled.
"Because we always survive."
That made Yoon smile properly for the first time that day.
Her friend suddenly clapped.
"Enough sadness."
Yoon looked up.
Her friend picked up the menu.
"Anything you want to eat?"
Yoon thought for a second.
"Strawberry cake."
Her friend pointed dramatically.
"Already ordering."
After placing the order, the two sat quietly.
Then the café door opened.
Two boys walked in.
One was tall with broad shoulders and calm features.
The other was shorter, slimmer, and seemed more expressive.
The shorter one held onto the taller one's arm while talking excitedly.
Yoon slowly turned.
Her friend slowly turned too.
Both looked at each other.
Silence.
Her friend whispered—
"...Yoon."
Yoon whispered back—
"...I see it."
The shorter one laughed and lightly pushed the taller one.
The taller one quietly fixed his friend's hair.
Both girls stared.
Yoon covered her mouth.
"Oh no."
Her friend looked emotional.
"Why are they cute?"
Yoon immediately looked away.
"We are not assuming."
Her friend nodded seriously.
"We are respectful people."
Two seconds later—
Both looked again.
Her friend leaned closer.
"I support whatever story is happening over there."
Yoon started laughing.
Her friend dramatically put her hand on her chest.
"This is unfair."
Yoon smiled.
"What?"
Her friend sighed.
"Fiction ruined my standards."
Yoon nodded instantly.
"Same."
Her friend pointed.
"These fictional men are too caring."
Yoon added dramatically—
"They remember birthdays."
Her friend nodded.
"They protect."
Yoon nodded again.
"They're possessive."
Her friend gasped.
"And obsessed."
Both became quiet.
Then both started laughing.
Her friend covered her face.
"We sound ridiculous."
Yoon smiled.
"But fictional characters really make expectations too high."
Her friend suddenly remembered something.
"WAIT."
She immediately opened her phone.
Yoon blinked.
"What?"
Her friend shoved the phone toward her.
"Today I saw an edit."
Yoon looked.
It was a dramatic edit from a manhwa
Slow music.
Intense eye contact.
Yoon stared.
Her friend whispered dramatically—
"Cinema."
Yoon burst out laughing.
"You're impossible."
Her friend giggled
Then somehow—
their conversation drifted.
Drama.
Ships.
Characters.
Her friend suddenly said...
At this point maybe you should just marry a fictional character."
Yun laughed for the first time that day.
"Honestly? BL male leads are way better."
Her friend gasped dramatically.
"Wait…"
"What if your problem already has a solution?"
Yoon blinked.
Her friend lowered her voice.
"What if you find someone who also doesn't want a normal relationship?"
Yoon looked confused.
Her friend smiled slowly.
"No expectations."
"No heartbreak."
"No pressure."
Yoon slowly sat straight.
Her friend looked at her.
Yoon looked back.
Silence.
Then—
both smiled at the exact same time.
A ridiculous idea.
A terrible idea.
And somehow—
a very interesting idea.
They both giggle
BUT~
Neither of them noticed someone sitting several tables away quietly watching the entire conversation.
A faint smile appered on his face
Looks like fate finally decided to help me..
My precious Yoon✨
