"Can I ask you something?" Hyunjae asked her tentatively.

They were sitting side by side on his bed, and her heart hurt whenever she looked at him. He just looked so small and sad and afraid. 

And it was all her fault. 

"Of course," she told him. 

"Why didn't you pair me with Hyewon? Why did you make her choose Juyeon? Is... is there something wrong with me?" 

The pieces of her heart that were still together shattered at that moment, and she turned to face him. She took both of his hands in hers, and he turned so that they were sitting cross-legged, facing each other. He wouldn't look at her. 

"Nothing is wrong with you," Yerin said firmly. "If anything, you're sweeter than Juyeon in the story. But that's the point. You're perfect and pure and sweet, and I wanted my readers to feel sympathy for you. I wanted to break their hearts. I'm only sorry I had to break yours as well." 

At her last words, Hyunjae finally looked up and met her gaze. "Don't feel guilty," he said softly, reaching forward and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not like you knew I was... real." 

Her heart fluttered and she looked away. 

"Besides, I can just move on quickly, right!" he said, trying to be bright and lighten the mood. 

No matter what he said, she'd probably always feel guilty. Especially because she specifically made his character so that he'd never be able to get over Hyewon. He was stuck friend-zoned for life. He would stay by her side as a sweet dedicated friend, and every day go through the pain of watching her relationship with Juyeon flourish. It was his fate. 

But she couldn't tell him any of that. 

"Right," she murmured, unable to meet his gaze. 

"Maybe we should go out and do something, to get our minds off of all this," he said after a moment of silence. 

Yerin hugged her knees to her chest. "If I were you I wouldn't want to go anywhere with me." 

Hyunjae stood up, offering his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up as well. He held onto both of her hands, and when she looked into his eyes, there was no anger there. 

Truly, he was too sweet. A gem of a human being. He didn't deserve that pain. And she didn't deserve his kindness. 

"You seem to be forgetting something," he said, his eyes and voice serious. 

"What am I forgetting?" she asked softly. 

"The reason why I still want to go places with you. The reason I don't hate you." 

"Because I created you, and if I created you I could probably destroy you?" she asked him. "Because you're scared that I'll make your life more miserable if you're not nice to me? Admit it Hyunjae, you're scared of me." 

But even as she said that she knew it wasn't true. There was no fear in his eyes. He still looked hurt and sad, though his eyes were a little brighter now. But there wasn't fear. There wasn't hatred. 

"No silly," he said, smiling at her. He ruffled her hair playfully. "It's because you're my friend. My friend who won't let me be alone again."