Chapter 77. Lee Dohyun (7)

‘Ah…’

So this is what it feels like when your heart drops.

Eunkyo instinctively stepped back—and her foot missed the step. Her body tilted backward, and in that instant, she saw Dohyun’s startled expression. But luckily, someone standing just behind her caught her.

“Whoa! You okay?”

The tone was light, like someone familiar.

She steadied herself and looked up. The man holding her arms grinned.

“Jung Eunkyo. Still clumsy, I see.”

“Ah…”

The man who caught her was a classmate—his name was on the tip of her tongue. She smiled awkwardly and thanked him. Round face, glasses—he’d always looked like an anime character. His nickname had been…

“Hey, it’s me. Park Heechan. Seriously, she doesn’t recognize me.”

Heechan laughed and turned to his friends. Eunkyo’s eyes widened as she finally placed him. Then from the top of the escalator, Seowoo called out.

“Eunkyo! Over here!”

She waved, and her startled expression made it clear she’d spotted Dohyun too.

So no, this wasn’t a dream. This was real.

“Long time no see, Heechan. You’ve really changed. You look good.”

“Everyone says that. But you? Still hanging out with Choi Seowoo? You two are inseparable.”

“Friends, what else.”

“Right… Are you doing well?”

She thought he muttered something like “And the kid’s doing okay?” but brushed it off as a mishearing. She nodded as they stepped off the escalator.

“Of course. I’m doing well.”

“Yeah, figured. Anyway, enjoy the food.”

“Thanks. You too.”

Heechan, ever the easygoing type, merged back into his group. But Eunkyo couldn’t move so easily.

“You saw him…?”

“Yeah.”

Instead of entering the banquet hall, she and Seowoo stood side by side, exhaling deeply. Then Seowoo linked arms with her, glaring toward the bustling entrance.

“Oh, hell no! What are you worried about? He’s the asshole who ghosted for three years!”

“Seowoo, I think I’m just gonna leave.”

“What? No way. If you leave now, it’ll look weird. I already told people I went to get you. If you don’t show, what does that make me?”

Eunkyo fidgeted with her watch. Seowoo wasn’t wrong—she hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘But why did it feel so terrifying?’

Hadn’t she once wanted to see Dohyun again, to hear the reason why he disappeared three years ago? To understand why she was abandoned so suddenly?

‘Ah…’

A chill crawled over her skin.

Maybe she hadn’t wanted to know at all.

Maybe what she feared most was hearing him try to explain it. Justifying the breakup, the silence, the choices. Because if he did, she might relive all the hurt—and this time, she wouldn’t survive it.

She was afraid.

“Hey! Seowoo! Eunkyo! Long time no see!”

“Wow, it’s been ages!”

“Our author-nim! Why’s it so hard to see your face?”

“That’s right—it’s been three years, huh?”

The cheerful voices of her classmates snapped her back like someone pulled her from underwater.

As laughter and greetings surrounded her, Eunkyo felt dizzy. She didn’t want her inner gloom to spread to others. So she smiled like nothing was wrong and let herself be swept into the venue.

Yes, Seowoo was right. The one at fault was Lee Dohyun.

The one who should be avoiding someone wasn’t her—it was him.

“Whoa, Jaehee really nailed it!”

“This place is amazing…”

The hall gave off the impression of a castle perched on a hill.

Through the massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a slice of Seoul spread out below. And in front of that view stood Lee Dohyun. Neatly dressed, softly smiling—handsome, poised. But when his eyes met hers, his smile faded slightly.

Sensing this, Eunkyo leaned toward Seowoo.

“Seowoo, where’s my seat?”

“There. I saved it earlier.”

Everyone was searching for their name tags on the round tables.

Eunkyo followed Seowoo, but the unease in her chest solidified as she saw it: next to her name tag sat one labeled “Lee Dohyun.”

Sure, they’d mixed guests from the bride and groom’s sides, but this didn’t feel like coincidence.

“What? That’s weird… I swear it wasn’t like this before…”

Seowoo looked genuinely flustered, which made Eunkyo feel worse.

“Seowoo, not many people know we broke up.”

“…What?”

“So maybe that’s why. I didn’t say anything. It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine, but she said it anyway—out of habit.

Sitting down, she made an effort to chat warmly with old friends, hoping time would pass quickly.

They chatted about jobs, current events, gossip. Eventually, the bride and groom appeared.

She felt eyes on her. Whether they belonged to Dohyun or someone else, they carried an unpleasant curiosity.

“So… when were you gonna tell us?”

A classmate set down a glass of pale pink champagne in front of her.

“Tell you what?”

“That you have a kid.”

“…What?”

Eunkyo’s face twisted in shock. The others around the table blinked, equally stunned.