Chapter 20.2

Chapter 20.2

Min-gyu didn’t hesitate for long. “Because I feel sorry for you.”

“.…”

The straightforward answer left her feeling deflated. Sorry for me, sorry for me… Yeon-ha slowly repeated the words in her mind.

Ha…

Was she losing her mind? A hollow laugh escaped her lips, out of place with the situation. The man watched her, his expression caught somewhere between a smile and a frown as if he couldn’t quite place the emotion. His voice, low and steady, filled the space between them.

“I didn’t say it to hurt you.”

“…I know.”

I know. The unspoken words echoed in her mind.

Yeon-ha wasn’t hurt by what he said. She didn’t feel insulted or slighted; those emotions felt too distant, too luxurious to afford right now.

Kwon Min-gyu was just being honest.

And strangely enough, that plain reason gave his ridiculous offer a sense of legitimacy. There was nothing more genuine he could’ve said.

“And why should I trust you?”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. He frowned, staring blankly at her.

“Of course, you’d have to trust me.”

He let out a sigh of exasperation before continuing, “I get it—you don’t like me. But isn’t this better than being alone here?”

Her heart skipped a beat. There was something unsettling about how easily he acknowledged that she disliked him, stirring up a pang of faint, unformed guilt inside her.

Then again, in retrospect, it wasn’t surprising that he felt that way. Maybe Kwon Min-gyu had always known how desperately she’d tried to avoid him.

Yeon-ha let out a shallow sigh, slowly turning her head. Her eyes swept over the room, where everything felt both chaotic and still. The disheveled bedding she’d been lying on just moments ago, the scattered items left in disarray. A powered-off secondhand tablet, an empty water bottle, a cup tipped over for no apparent reason, and crumpled tissues she hadn’t bothered to throw away. Even the small table where she’d just had a meal with him.

“Of course, I’m not forcing you. Why would I?” His voice trailed off. Then suddenly, he ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. “I just… don’t know how to say this.”

Yeon-ha glanced at the doorway for a moment before looking back at him. His rough way of speaking didn’t bother her as much anymore. Somewhere along the line, the resistance she felt toward him had faded. It was ridiculous, really. This was only their second proper conversation. Her gaze drifted to the white wall, and her lips parted quietly.

“What if I say no?”

There was a brief pause before he answered, his tone calm and cool. “Then it’s no.”

Yeon-ha gave a slight nod, almost imperceptible. A sudden instinct told her that if she said no, he might never come back. And if he left, she would crawl back into those blankets, into her own darkness as deep and consuming as the night outside.

For the first time in a while, Yeon-ha thought about survival. It was as if this man standing in front of her held her lifeline in his hands. Realistically, she knew that whether she went with him or not, Kwon Min-gyu probably wouldn’t pressure her for rent any time soon. But still…

People’s hearts are fickle… you never know when they might change.

Out of nowhere, an overwhelming fear gripped her—something much deeper than just financial worries, something that felt like a heavy weight pressing down on her chest.

She was so tired of everything, but the idea of being completely alone terrified her. It was as if she needed to find even the smallest lifeline, anything to hold on to, like a long-lost instinct to survive, was kicking in.

“If I stay here any longer, I’ll really…”

Just thinking about it felt wrong, and Yeonha squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe this wasn’t the time to be worrying. After all, how much worse could things get?

A fleeting image of a man carrying her down the stairs flashed in her mind. She could still remember how his warmth seeped into her, how safe and comforted she felt, even if just for a moment.

Why was she suddenly thinking of that warmth now? Whether his words were true or not, whether what he felt for her wa