The night is unusually long

"Seol, Darling, are you okay?" Mun Soyoon asks her anxiously.

Chang Seol pens the wardrobe and shoves her coat. There's no change in her expression. She needs to take a bath after her Olympic run in the tunnel. There are bite wounds on the top of her head. Should she see a doctor?

"Do you like Jeong-Hyuk Oppa?" Mun Soyoon stands next to her and grabs her hand. "Seol, you can tell me. Aren't we friends?"

'She is my girlfriend,' Mister had said loudly. What did those words mean? Oh Ji Ye is still his girlfriend. He still has feelings for Oh Ji Ye. Mister didn't think of her or their fake marriage when he said those words. Then why should she pretend…

Oh Ji Ye is so different from her -- tall and gorgeous.

What does she look like? An ugly chicken-dragon and a kid who can't even get a part-time job because of her appearance. Her nickname in college is 'loli'. Though nobody dares to say it on her face, she has heard them whispering.

"Why do you think that I like him?" Chang Seol removes her hand. "Sunbae, there's nothing between me and him."

"Though your voice is steady, your eyes are wavering." Mun Soyoon smiles at her. "It's okay. You can tell me. I will keep it a secret between us."

Chang Seol inhales and exhales, staring down at the floor. She fights her tears. "I think that I like him."

Mun Soyoon inhales sharply before she releases her breath. She hugs Chang Seol. Her embrace is comforting and warm, but it's not enough to heal Chang Seol's heart.

"It must be painful." Mun Soyoon tells her, "You are brave, Seol. Admitting your feelings isn't easy."

"Should I tell him, Sunbae?" Chang Seol lowers her head, resting her chin on Mun Soyoon's shoulder.

"Do you want to tell him?" Mun Soyoon questions her while patting her back gently.

After some thoughts, Chang Seol replies with a sorrowful voice, "No."

"Then, don't tell him." Mun Soyoon runs her fingers through Chang Seol's hair. "You shouldn't confess until you can't hold yourself back anymore. You might get over it or you will reach a point when you can't bear to keep it in your heart anymore. Both are equally painful, my dear. Whether it's about getting over love or pursuing one-sided love, one needs to walk the path of thorns."

***

Oh Ji Ye doesn't leave the share-house.

The atmosphere of the share-house couldn't get any worse.

Boo Bong-Su nearly has a heart attack when he sees Oh Ji Ye. He asks for her autograph before he tells her how much he admires her. Oh Ji Ye, being used to such attention, only laughs.

After returning to the share-house, Namgung Yeon-Sik keeps it to himself. There is an underlying pressure in the air. He wants to question his friend, Sin Jeong-Hyuk. But his friend's expression is so dark that he decides against it.

During dinner time, Chang Seol comes down. She finds the living room rather lively. Sin Jeong-Hyuk is sitting on the couch with a dead look on his face. Boo Bong-Su is sitting opposite Oh Ji Ye. Namgung Yeon-Sik is eating popcorn and watching the match on the TV.

"We should watch that movie." Boo Bong-Su suggests. "Love in Joseon Days?"

"Ah…" Oh Ji Ye gives him a polite nod. "That's my first movie."

"I will put it on." Boo Bong-Su rises from his seat and goes to TV.

"What about the match?" Yeon-Sik grumbles to himself. He sees Chang Seol standing near the stairs. Her eyes have a mortified look in them. Is it because of Sin Jeong-Hyuk? "Seol ah, are you hungry? Want to go out for dinner?"

Hearing that name, Sin Jeong-Hyuk turns his face toward the bottom of the stairs. He hasn't seen her for a few hours. Her hair is wet. She must have taken a bath. And she's dressed in white pyjamas. White doesn't do justice to her complexion. She looks like a little ghost.

What has she been doing in her room anyway? She didn't have lunch either.

Chang Seol doesn't meet his eyes. She smiles at her professor. "Thank you, professor. I am going to make something for myself."

"If you don't mind, can I help you with dinner?" Namgung Yeon-Sik wants to escape this heavy atmosphere. It's not like he can walk outside all night. He can go to his room but these people are so loud.

"Sure." Chang Seol heads toward the kitchen. She could feel Sin Jeong-Hyuk's eyes on her. Not just him. Oh Ji Ye is also watching her quietly. It's unnerving. She should have just gone out for dinner.

"It's starting, it's starting," Boo Bong-Su exclaims, excited. His loud voice attracts Oh Ji Ye's attention. She smiles at him and says nothing.

***

"What should we have today?" Namgung Yeon-Sik opens the refrigerator and looks at the ingredients. "I feel like indulging myself tonight."

"Should we have gimbap then?" Chang Seol decides to ignore Sin Jeong-Hyuk and Oh Ji Ye. After all the running and drama, she's exhausted and hungry. She can eat an elephant right now. But why does she want to eat gimbap?

"Gimbap?" Yeon-Sik puckers his lips. Honestly, he has wanted to use this as an excuse to go out and eat a nice meal. Why does this girl can't take a hint? He needs better friends and better housemates for sure. "Let's make it then."

Chang Seol cracks her fingers. Cooking can keep her mind busy. She won't think about an annoying Mister and his girlfriend. Kimchi must be in the fridge. Not paying any attention to her professor or the man who has taken a seat on the other side of the counter, she takes out the kimchi. Then, she looks for seaweed under the counter in order to avoid Sin Jeong-Hyuk's eyes.

"We should have meat tonight." She hears his voice. "Chicken had a rough day."

She closes her eyes, feeling an urge to kick someone. This stress is killing her.

"Did she?" Yeon-Sik's voice is nonchalant. "Ji Ye is also here. But we can't go out. She would be recognized easily."

"MEAT!" Boo Bong-Su yells. "We need meat. Let's order it."

"Let me treat you." Oh Ji Ye chimes in, "I intruded on you suddenly."

"No, No, it's on me." Boo Bong-Su replies, "How could I let goddess Oh Ji Ye treat us?"

Chang Seol clicks her tongue. She raises her head and looks up at Yeon-Sik. Her eyes are clear, free of any sadness or happiness. "Professor, there's no seaweed."

"It's fine." Yeon-Sik beams at her. "Let's have meat tonight."

"Sorry, Professor." She stands up, putting her hands in her pyjamas' pockets. "My stomach hurts. I will pass on the meat."

"Is it serious?" Yeon-Sik knits his brows, concerned.

"No, I think I ate something bad this afternoon." She walks away from them, managing to not look at Sin Jeong-Hyuk.

Mister lets out a heavy sigh. Chicken is avoiding him.

***

Later, Sin Jeong-Hyuk is smoking in front of the sharehouse. He leans against the tree and stares at the window on the first floor. It's closed and the lights are off. He takes a smoke, thinking hard about everything that happened today.

Oh Ji Ye is sleeping in his room.

"Are you going to spend your night here, Oppa?"

He turns his head toward Mun Soyoon who has a habit of wandering around the house after everyone is asleep. Tonight, she's wandering outside the share-house. He questions her gruffly, "Is she asleep?"

"She seemed tired today." Mun Soyoon inhales and exhales the cold air. "It's so cold outside."

"Then, go back inside," He mutters under his breath.

"I can't sleep." Mun Soyoon takes the cigarette from his hand and takes a smoke, lifting her chin. "The moon is rather bright in the sky."

"Sky is the only place where it can shine." Sin Jeong-Hyuk stares at the window. He didn't expect her to say the truth bravely. May she doesn't need to hide behind lies anymore. "Did she eat something before she slept?"

"No." Mun Soyoon's smile is fainter than the moonlight. "Oppa, do you love her?"

"Don't say ridiculous things." He looks down at the white ground. "Damn! It's cold."

Mun Soyoon puts her head back and laughs. "Not colder than your heart."

Sin Jeong-Hyuk shrugs. He waits for Mun Soyoon to finish smoking. Snow

"I haven't been able to find Daydream," He murmurs. Maybe he won't ever find her.

"Too bad." Mun Soyoon tosses the cigarette butt on the ground and crushes it under her foot. "Maybe she died miserably somewhere. It can't be helped. Nevertheless, why are you so attached to Chang Seol?"

Why? He doesn't know either. There's an annoying feeling in his chest. Sin Jeong-Hyuk closes his eyes. The scent of winter is nice and somewhat comforting. Maybe this winter would help him bury the song in his heart.

"I am heading inside." Mun Soyoon grunts, "Unlike you, I have to attend lectures."

Sin Jeong-Hyuk takes out another cigarette to smoke. The night is unusually long.