Studio Yeon, whose stock had been rising day by day, was spending its days busier than ever.
Due to the sudden closure of CS Design, even CS’s existing clients flocked to Studio Yeon, and as Yoonwoo’s reputation in the industry became even more solid, inquiries for new projects poured in.
To avoid disappointing the clients who trusted and sought him out, and for the growth of Studio Yeon, Yoonwoo threw himself into his work so thoroughly that he felt he didn’t have enough bodies to do it all.
Traces of all-nighters were always evident on his desk, but his eyes were shining with more vitality than ever before.
Then, on a Friday evening, Yoonwoo, who miraculously managed to leave work on time, pondered for a moment about what to do with the leisure time that had come for the first time in a while.
He considered grabbing dinner with Dojin, but Dojin had an important outdoor business appointment today and was scheduled to work overtime until late at night.
As he left the office with a sense of disappointment, he suddenly thought of a small cold noodle naengmyeon restaurant near the company that he used to visit often with Joowon.
It was a shabby place, but its deep flavor was top-tier.
Back in the days when they worked overtime like it was a routine at the now-defunct CS Design office, the two of them would often stop by there on their way home to soothe their weary days with a bowl of refreshing cold noodles.
Joowon’s mischievous voice whispering, “This is a hidden gem only we know about! It must never become famous!” and the image of himself laughing opposite him flashed by like a panorama.
A small, unintentional laugh escaped his lips.
It was a memory that had now truly become the past—bittersweet, yet lingering in a way.
‘Should I go there for the first time in a while?’
Despite the chilly weather, he suddenly missed the taste of those days.
Yoonwoo headed toward the cold noodle restaurant, following the familiar alleyway.
The small, shabby restaurant was already full, as if word had properly spread.
There was even a waiting line in front of the shop, and it was chaotic with the mix of noisy chatter and the smell of delicious food.
Yoonwoo hesitated for a moment about whether to just turn back, but since he had already recalled the taste of the cold noodles, he couldn’t easily pull himself away.
As he was wavering, the proprietress, who was moving busily, spotted him and shouted.
“Did you come alone? There are no seats right now… would it be okay if you shared a table with the person eating alone over there?”
Yoonwoo hesitated for a moment, but since he intended to just eat quickly and leave alone anyway, he answered that it was fine.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Then come in! Over there!”
The woman answered energetically and went back to moving busily.
Yoonwoo opened the sliding door with a rattle and entered the shop.
The savory smell of cold noodle broth and the sound of people bustling greeted him.
And at that moment, Yoonwoo made direct eye contact with a man sitting alone in the corner of the shop, eating cold noodles.
It was Cha Joowon.
He was quite different from the image he last saw at the C Company clarification presentation—lost and devastated, having lost everything.
His jawline was much thinner and sharper, and his deepened eyes made him look even sharper, but despite that, he was still the handsome man whose looks couldn’t be hidden.
And unlike before, his expression looked refreshed, as if he had let go of everything.
Yoonwoo held his breath at the unexpected encounter.
Both men seemed frozen in place, unable to take their eyes off each other.
It was the proprietress who broke the awkward silence.
“Oh my, I’m busy as hell, why are you standing there blocking the way~ Just get in and sit down quickly!”
She guided Yoonwoo inside as if pushing his back, and by the time Yoonwoo came to his senses, he was already sitting opposite Joowon.
“Ah… um, one water cold noodle….”
As soon as Yoonwoo barely finished his order, the woman disappeared busily again.
Forced to sit facing Joowon, Yoonwoo fumbled with his hands due to the awkwardness.
Joowon also cautiously watched Yoonwoo with an embarrassed expression before speaking first.
“…Have you been well?”
His voice was a bit lower and calmer than before.
His words sounded just like a pure greeting, without any intention or emotion contained within.
“…Yes. So-so. Have you… been well too, Joowon?”
Yoonwoo answered, pretending as much as possible that he was fine.
“As for me… I haven’t been doing that well.”
Joowon smiled bitterly.
“But well, my mind is at ease now.”
There seemed to be no pretense or resentment in his smile.
He even looked peaceful, like someone who had truly let go of everything.
At that smile, the awkward and uncomfortable air that had been circulating between the two seemed to loosen up ever so slightly.
“This place wasn’t this crowded when we were around.”
Yoonwoo was the first to bring up a different topic.
“That’s true. I heard it was introduced on a food program a while ago. I came because I remembered it for the first time in a while, and I was surprised too. But the taste is the same.”
Joowon replied.
“It was a hidden gem we cherished, but it ended up becoming famous. Do you remember when we used to come here and pray that it wouldn’t go bankrupt, but also not become too famous?”
Yoonwoo said with a faint laugh.
“Of course I remember.”
Joowon laughed along.
It was a very brief moment, but it was a comfortable atmosphere as if they had returned to the past.
However, after that laughter, the two fell silent again.
An awkward silence flowed over the cold noodle bowls.
Yoonwoo picked up his water cup for no reason, and Joowon stared blankly out the window without a word.
After a long while, Joowon spoke quietly.
His voice was calm, but the weight of the question contained within was by no means light.
“…Yoonwoo. If… if Jiwon hadn’t been pregnant back then… would there have been room for us to start over?”
His question sounded like it stemmed from pure curiosity rather than a desperate plea.
Yoonwoo was slightly surprised by his sudden hypothetical, but soon answered calmly.
“…As I said at the engagement ceremony back then, regardless of the pregnancy, we were already over. Joowon, there is no future left for us anymore.”
His voice was firm, but it contained no resentment or hatred.
He was simply stating it as if confirming a past that had already been resolved.
His answer seemed to extinguish even the last tiny spark of hope left for Joowon.
Joowon then smiled with relief, as if he had truly shaken off all lingering attachments.
“Right… that’s right. You’re right.”
He began to finish the rest of his cold noodles.
On his face, along with bitterness, rested a sense of peace as if he had finally accepted everything.
The two continued their meal in silence like that.
There was no further conversation, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Joowon, who finished his meal first, stood up and asked one last thing.
“Yoonwoo. If… if we aren’t in a romantic relationship… could we remain friends? We were school seniors and juniors, after all.”
His voice was still calm, but Yoonwoo saw his fingertips trembling faintly.
In that tremor, he could feel how hard he was struggling not to let go of the bond of this relationship, and at the same time, how much he was giving up.
Yoonwoo looked at him like that for a moment.
There was no expectation or coercion in his eyes. Only his last wish to leave even a tiny connection remained.
Yoonwoo slowly nodded.
He thought that since there was no longer any love or hatred left for him, perhaps it might be possible to continue the relationship under the name of friends.
Yoonwoo saw Joowon’s expression brighten just a little.
“…I’ll be going first. Enjoy your meal.”
He left the shop with a short farewell.
Yoonwoo watched his back for a moment, then started to finish his remaining cold noodles.
The feeling of the cool broth sliding down his throat felt even better today than usual.
At the same time, at Jiwon’s apartment.
After Joowon left, Jiwon was going almost half-mad in the empty apartment.
The plan to frame Yoonwoo as a plagiarist had gone up in smoke, and even his last desperate struggle of a fake pregnancy had been seen through by Joowon.
There was no string left anywhere to hold onto him.
Delusions and anxiety that Joowon would abandon him and return to Seo Yoonwoo were eating away at his reason.
He shrieked, throwing whatever objects he could get his hands on.
The broken glass shards and toppled furniture seemed to represent his despair.
“Cha Joowon…! Seo Yoonwoo…!”
He called out their names alternately in a voice filled with hatred.
He had called Joowon today as well, but the signal didn’t even go through, as if his number were still blocked.
“Aaaargh!”
He threw the vase next to him against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
His eyes, having gone nearly insane, glinted terrifyingly.
Gritting his teeth, he burned with hatred for Seo Yoonwoo.
“If I can’t be happy… you can’t be happy either. Seo Yoonwoo. I will… I will drag you back into the abyss no matter what.”
His voice was low and eerie.
With trembling hands, he dialed someone somewhere.
As someone’s voice was heard on the other end of the receiver, a vile and cruel smile appeared on his lips.
