As I stepped out of the motel, I noticed Yoon Si-woo staring at me.

I wondered why he was here again and was about to walk past him, but suddenly, Yoon Si-woo blocked my way.

Standing in front of me, staring intensely, I honestly felt a bit intimidated and flinched slightly.

The fact that I was intimidated was a blow to my pride, so I shot back at Yoon Si-woo.

“What do you want?”

“…What were you doing in there?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

I answered curtly to Yoon Si-woo, who was trying to create a serious atmosphere, and it made me even more nervous.

There was no way I could tell him that I was showing off my flame tricks and getting my picture taken while those uncles praised my show.

Yoon Si-woo glanced at the envelope of money I was holding.

“Is it… because of the money?”

Of course I’m doing part-time work for the money. What else would it be for?

I nodded in response.

“…You’re not doing it because you have to, right? Nobody forced you to do something tough or…?”

“I did it because I wanted to. It wasn’t hard at all; I actually enjoyed it.”

What’s so tough about it? It’s a sweet gig!

When I thought about the annoying customers I had to deal with while getting minimum wage at the convenience store, I couldn’t help but wonder if I really deserved this money.

Ugh, at least clean up after yourself!

I couldn’t forget the horrendous mess left behind by the customers.

…Honestly, getting paid 60,000 won an hour felt like a true superpower compared to spitting flames.

For the first time, my so-called useless ability felt pretty amazing.

While I was lost in thought, Yoon Si-woo kept asking endless questions.

“…Are you going to do this kind of work again?”

“Well, if I get the chance. There’s no other job where I can make money this easy.”

If it were truly possible, I would want to do it again.

Just hanging out with the uncles and the money keeps rolling in!

Is there really a job where you can relax and make money?

As I was thinking about all this, Yoon Si-woo, with a twisted expression, spoke up.

“Can’t you just not do this?”

Yoon Si-woo, almost on the verge of crying, sounded desperate.

“If you’re short on cash, I can help you. So…”

“What help? Who do you think you are to me? I don’t need you.”

Does he think I’m a beggar or something?

I’m currently a wealthy guy with 143,000 gold!

Plus, the idea of needing help makes me sick.

After responding coldly, I walked past the now-stiff Yoon Si-woo and headed home.

—

Flashback: A debt to repay

“Dad left us with debts to pay.”

When I was a child, I woke up to see red papers stuck all over the house.

When I asked Mom what they were, she forced a smile and answered like that.

There was a time when I visited friends’ houses and envied how spacious they were.

Back then, I thought it would be lovely to have a big house.

Mom, Dad, and me.

Our house felt too small compared to my friends’ houses for the three of us.

But after everything, I realized that having a big house wasn’t always a good thing.

The house, now empty after the red papers took everything, felt way too big for just Mom and me.

“Son, if you incur debt, you must repay it.”

In that house, just the two of us, Mom held my hand and said those words while we shared a blanket.

If you don’t repay, it could make life hard for others.

So, I decided to live without going into debt, whenever possible.

—

Present: At home

I heard footsteps behind me.

Turning around, I saw Yoon Si-woo following me.

I shot him a disapproving glance, and he started to explain himself.

“It’s dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night…”

Um, I’m technically a super-powered person here.

I gave him a look of disdain, but it looked like he had no intention of leaving.

I knew him to be stubborn as iron, so I continued walking home.

The building where I lived in my studio looked a bit shabby from the outside.

Though it looked like it might fall apart at any moment, the interior was surprisingly solid.

As I climbed the slightly rickety stairs to my room, I could see Yoon Si-woo’s eyes darting around anxiously.

Pfft, what a scaredy-cat. There’s nothing to worry about; this place isn’t going to collapse.

After I opened the door, I wanted to send Yoon Si-woo away, but he just wouldn’t budge at the door.

…Well, since he brought me here out of concern, I sighed and gestured for him to come in.

“Just come in for a moment.”

Yoon Si-woo’s eyes widened.

He timidly stepped inside, his legs trembling.

His reaction was like someone entering a creepy old house in a horror movie.

Usually, these types of guys end up saying, “Wow, it’s cleaner than I expected in here.”

I turned on the light and set up the small dining table we used for meals.

I gestured for him to sit, and he carefully took a seat at one end of the table.

With one more person in the room, it felt a bit cramped now.

I thought I should at least offer him some tea.

But there was nothing in the fridge.

No tea, not even anything to eat for breakfast tomorrow.

I should have picked something up from the convenience store, but I completely forgot since running into Yoon Si-woo was unexpected.

Darn it, Yoon Si-woo.

I sighed, closed the fridge, and went to the sink.

Fortunately, there were exactly two cups.

Since there’s no tea, I might as well offer this.

I filled both cups with tap water and walked back to the table, placing one in front of Yoon Si-woo.

“I’m sorry, but this is all I have to offer.”

After saying that, I took a sip from my cup.

Having sweated so much earlier, the water felt unbelievably refreshing.

I thought to myself… this tap water is… sweet…

With each gulp, I tried to forget my troubles for a moment.

Ahhh, what a sensation! As I sighed in satisfaction after putting my cup down, I realized Yoon Si-woo was staring at me with a complex expression, not touching his glass.

Is he one of those who only drinks bottled water?

A rich bourgeois who won’t even touch anything but Evian?

I glared at Yoon Si-woo’s disdain for Arisu water.

Come on, just try it! It’s brilliant.

Finally, seeming to concede to the quality of Arisu, Yoon Si-woo lifted his glass and gulped it down in one go.

Perhaps impressed by tasting Arisu for the first time, Yoon Si-woo looked slightly out of breath.

“If you’re done, you can leave now.”

I waved my hand, telling him to scram.

Yoon Si-woo hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, then silently got up.

He put on his shoes, opened the door, and stood there for a moment, turning his head slightly to give me a small smile.

“See you tomorrow.”

Nodding in response, Yoon Si-woo went out, closing the door behind him.

After clearing the cups and folding up the table, I took off my school uniform and took a shower.

Once I dried off and changed into my pajamas, I opened the fridge.

In a barely visible corner lay a deformed chocolate that had melted and re-solidified.

I took out the chocolates I had received earlier from the class president and put them in the fridge’s corner.

It’s better not to incur debts that you can’t repay anyway.

I closed the fridge door.

—

The next morning

I slowly opened my eyes.

Thinking I might have woken up too early, I grabbed my phone to check the time.

8:20 AM.

…Huh?

Crap, I didn’t hear the alarm!!!!!

I jumped up in surprise, quickly got dressed, and dashed out.

But thinking it over, I was already late, so I decided to walk briskly instead of running.

Smoking, skipping classes, and now being late… I’m totally becoming a delinquent.

Feeling sad for my already tarnished reputation, I opened the classroom door.

Today, the classroom felt strangely quiet.

Well, it was quiet like usual during class, but the atmosphere felt different.

I had the impression that raising my voice would be a bad idea, so I quietly entered and took my seat.

Once I sat down, I figured out the source of the tense atmosphere.

In front of me, where everyone typically focused their attention, Sylvia and Yoon Si-woo had deadly serious expressions on their faces.

Both had a natural charisma that was remarkable, and seeing them like this made everyone instinctively shrink back.

I could definitely feel it myself.

Sitting right behind them and exposed to that cold atmosphere, I trembled involuntarily.

During lunchtime, for some unknown reason, Sylvia ate separately from Yoon Si-woo.

I noticed Sylvia’s ears perk up.

Seeing that, I quickly dashed to the snack bar to buy some macarons.

When I handed them to her, Sylvia’s face went cold as she clearly displayed her anger.

“I don’t need them.”

I tilted my head in confusion, and Sylvia spoke again.

“Did you not hear? I don’t need them. From now on, there’s no need for you to bring me macarons. I have no reason to accept those from Scarlet.”

“But… we’re friends…”

I spoke, trembling, without realizing it, and Sylvia, with a chilly glare, looked me straight in the eye.

“I’m sorry, but that’s just the truth. I did something wrong, so from today onwards, I’ll be honest.”

Her lips slowly parted.

“I have never thought of Scarlet as a friend.”

Each word that fell from her lips felt like a blow to my head.

My hands and feet trembled, and my breath caught in my throat.

My plan had crumbled.