That was the same girl.

"Wait... I've seen you before," I said, trying to piece together the memory. 
"Oh really? That's great! Now I won't feel guilty about using your money for coffee," she replied with a playful grin. 
"You're actually a human," I remarked, still a bit surprised. 
"Of course I am," she laughed. 
"You totally tricked me," I accused her, feeling a mix of confusion and amusement. 
"Hey! When did I ever trick you?" she shot back, feigning innocence. 
"I honestly thought you were a ghost," I admitted, my cheeks flushing slightly. 
"But I—" she started to explain, but was interrupted. 

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Please come in and continue your adorable argument," a voice chimed in, breaking the moment. 

We glanced around and noticed that several people were recording us, their phones aimed our way. 
"Such a cute couple," one person commented, making me feel a bit shy. 
"Aww, I wish I could be as cute as her," another person added, and I couldn't help but smile at the compliment directed at her. 
"Wait... Is he the CEO of KIM'S CHANNEL?" someone else exclaimed, their eyes wide with recognition. 
"No way! What would he be doing in front of McDonald's at night? He should be enjoying himself in a five-star hotel," another person countered, making a valid point. 
"Good point!" the first person agreed, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Thank goodness I was wearing a mask; no one seemed to recognize me. I stepped inside with the girl, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about what would happen next.

We were sitting across from each other, and his intense gaze was fixed on me, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I put my coffee cup down and asked, "Why are you staring at me? I know I look good." He scoffed and shot back, "Good looking? Please. What’s the deal with you bringing me here?" I was taken aback and replied, "Hold on, you’re the one who invited me out!" He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before admitting, "Okay, fine, I did bring you here. Now, can you please hand over my phone?" I was confused and asked, "Your phone?"

Frustration bubbled up inside me as I realized he was getting closer. He approached me, standing right next to my chair, and demanded, "Give me my phone, or I’ll have to call the police." I shot back, "Seriously? How are you going to call the police when you don’t even have your phone?" Just then, he stumbled and fell right into me, and I couldn’t help but notice how incredibly handsome he was. His striking eyes captivated me for a moment, but then he cleared his throat, breaking the spell. "Sorry about that... I tripped. Now, can I please have my phone?" I started to explain that I didn’t have it, but as I rummaged through my bag, I was shocked to find his phone tucked away inside.

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MEANWHILE :

Mr. and Mrs. Yong decided to order pizza, but unfortunately, the rope they used to lower the pizza was not sturdy enough. This rope had previously been used by Y/N to climb down, and it was already showing signs of wear. When Mrs. Yong attempted to hoist the pizza up to her room using the same rope, it snapped, causing the pizza to tumble down and hit the window of Mr. Baek's room. Mistakenly thinking he was being robbed, Mr. Baek rushed to the door and began to confront the delivery boy, who was simply trying to do his job. The delivery boy explained the situation, detailing how Mrs. Yong had instructed him not to ring the bell and instead use the rope to deliver the pizza. Mr. Baek felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he realized his mistake.

In the present moment, Mr. Yong looked at his wife, who was avoiding eye contact, and remarked, "You would have ordered for the whole family... I would have paid." Mrs. Yong stammered an apology, explaining that she was hungry while the kids were asleep and had gone to get the rope. She mentioned that Yuna had assured her the rope was strong, but she was baffled as to why it had broken. Mr. Baek, frustrated, expressed his annoyance about the wasted money and inquired about Y/N's whereabouts. Mrs. Yong hesitated, saying Y/N was sleeping and she didn't want to disturb her. As the conversation escalated, Mr. Choi insisted on bringing Y/N down, while Yuna nervously tried to defend her sister, claiming she had an assignment. However, Mr. Choi was determined to find out the truth, leading to a chaotic search that revealed Y/N's clever escape plan to prove herself.

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I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as I tried to explain the situation. "Um... I'm really sorry. I have no idea how your phone ended up in my bag," I stammered, hoping to ease the awkwardness. He shrugged it off, saying it was fine, but I could tell he was about to leave. Just as he stood up, I blurted out, "Where are you going?" He replied casually, "Home," but I couldn't let him leave just like that. "Um... no, you can't go home like this," I insisted, feeling a mix of frustration and concern. He reminded me that he had ordered coffee for me, which only fueled my anger. In a moment of desperation, I decided to fake cry, hoping to keep him there. "Okay, okay... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he said, clearly confused by my antics.

As I pressed him for answers, I noticed a tense look on his face when I mentioned his step-father. "Actually, my step-father—" I started,  felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up. I couldn't help but think about my own situation and how he might judge me. I went on to explain how cruel my step-father was, only caring about money and not him. He felt a rush of sympathy and offered to help, even suggesting that we could report it to the police. I quickly dismissed the idea, insisting that i would be fine. His heart raced when I mentioned needing money for my mother's hospital check-up. He hesitated but ultimately handed me some cash, feeling like a beggar myself. "Thank you so much... I promise I'll pay you back," I said, and as I  left, he  couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty.

AT BAEK HOUSE:

Everyone, please head to your rooms now. If she truly wanted to return, she would have shown up by now. It seems like she is more interested in doing what makes her happy rather than considering anyone else's feelings. Mr. Choi felt a wave of disappointment wash over him as he realized it had been three long hours since Younjae had left, and there was still no sign of y/n. Just then, the door creaked open, and y/n cautiously peeked inside. Noticing that the corridor lights were off, she quietly stepped in and made her way upstairs. However, she was suddenly stopped by a voice that echoed through the silence.

"If you really wanted to leave, then why are you back?" the voice questioned. "Dad..." she started, but he interrupted her. "It's Mr. Choi for you." With a shaky breath, she pleaded, "Mr. Choi, please let me take a chance. I want to show everyone that I can do this. Just give me one opportunity, and I promise I won't let you down." But Mr. Choi's response was firm: "Y/N, go to your room." Tears began to fall from her eyes as she replied, "I still hold onto the hope that you will support my decision."

─── ⋆⋅TO BE CONTINUED ⋅⋆ ──