DYEH 05

Chapter 5

When Seohui regained consciousness, she found herself sitting in her garden. The sunlight was warm, and the flowers and trees around her were fresh and vibrant.

Across from her sat Jaemin, calling her name affectionately, while Isu congratulated her warmly. As the two offered their congratulations, Seohui gently caressed her stomach.

Her hand felt a faint movement beneath her palm—was this what they called “quickening”?

Everything felt perfect. She couldn’t imagine being happier than in that very moment.

Yes, it must have all been a dream.

Since she seemed to be back in the time when she was pregnant, that meant her grandfather was still alive too. Relief softened her features.

Jaemin was looking at her lovingly, and Isu smiled sincerely. The two people she cherished most in the world—there was no way they could ever betray her.

“I’m so glad… that it was all just a dream.”

The moment those words left her lips, the warm sunlight vanished. The clear sky was suddenly swallowed by dark clouds, and the flowers and trees around her wilted in an instant.

Before she could even process the sudden chill, the smiles faded from the faces of the two people sitting beside her.

“Do you still believe this is just a dream?”

Isu’s smiling face hardened to ice, and Jaemin’s eyes no longer held affection—only contempt and mockery.

“You were nothing but a puppet dancing on our strings.”

As soon as Jaemin finished speaking, her swollen belly deflated, like air leaking from a balloon.

“No… this can’t be…”

Her voice echoed in the dark, hollow space—until she was once again pulled into the darkness.

“Unnie!”
“…”
“Seohui unnie!”

A hand shook her shoulder, and Seohui’s eyes flew open with a gasp.

“What’s wrong? What kind of dream scared you like that?”

The familiar voice made her turn her head. Isu was there, laughing playfully. She was the one shaking her awake.

Startled, Seohui quickly knocked away Isu’s hand from her shoulder, her eyes sharp with suspicion and disgust.

“Unnie?”

Isu blinked, confused by the unfamiliar look in Seohui’s eyes, and reached out again. Seohui pulled back, avoiding her touch entirely.

“Did you have a nightmare or something? What’s with you all of a sudden?”

How brazen, Seohui thought bitterly. She slept with my husband, and made me lose my baby—and she dares to call me “unnie.”

Isu’s innocent eyes almost made Seohui laugh. But something was strange.

Isu looked younger. The sounds around her felt different too—like she was in another time, another place. Seohui glanced around.

This was… a university lecture hall.

What… how?

She frowned, trying to make sense of what she was seeing, when noise erupted on one side of the classroom.

Both she and Isu turned toward it.

“Unnie, Jaemin sunbae’s here,” Isu whispered, leaning closer.

This scene—it felt familiar.

“Don’t tell me you forgot what today is?”

A sudden flash of memory hit Seohui’s mind. And as if to confirm it, Isu continued,

“Fighting, unnie.”

No way. Today was the day she confessed her feelings to Jaemin—for the first time. Ten years ago.

Does that mean… I’ve gone back to the past? Ten years ago?

Or was this just another dream? She pinched her thigh under the desk.

The sharp pain spread instantly—it wasn’t a dream.

Then… had she really gone back? Or seen the future? What was real, and what was a dream?

Lost in thought, Seohui didn’t answer, and Isu tilted her head.

“Unnie, are you okay?”

She tapped Seohui’s shoulder, concern on her face. In the past, Seohui would’ve believed that look was genuine. But not now. Whether she was really in the past or not, one truth wouldn’t change—Han Isu was a terrible person.

Knowing what she knew now, what kind of reaction should she show?

For now, she decided to act normal. She needed time to think and figure things out.

Just looking at Isu made her blood boil, but Seohui forced her expression into calm indifference. If Isu suspected nothing, she’d act the same as before—and that would let Seohui see her true face.

Once, the naïve Seohui would have struggled to hide her emotions. But the Seohui who had lived ten more years could manage it easily.

She quietly looked at Isu, forcing herself to stay composed. When she didn’t respond right away, Isu touched her forehead to check her temperature.

“Hmm… no fever.”
“…”
“Unnie, are you sure you’re okay? Don’t tell me your stomach’s fluttering already because you’re nervous about confessing to Jaemin sunbae?”

It didn’t matter whether what she’d seen was a dream or a memory. What mattered was that she would never get involved with Park Jaemin again.

She couldn’t tell Isu anything yet—not until she knew exactly what was happening.

And more importantly, her grandfather’s life might be in danger. The Shinsung Group could collapse overnight.

She had to protect them—no matter what. She couldn’t waste time on petty emotions.

Seohui forced a small smile. “Of course I’m fine.”

“Really? That’s good. I was wondering if I should buy you some calming pills or something,” Isu joked.

The mention of “calming pills” made Seohui chuckle dryly. Taking herbal medicine just to confess to Jaemin—how ridiculous.

Unaware of Seohui’s thoughts, Isu kept chattering.

“Aren’t you nervous, though? It’s your first time confessing to a guy you like.”

Then she added teasingly, “What, are you scared he’ll reject you? So what if he does?”

Looking back, Seohui realized Isu had always been like that. Pretending to care, pretending to comfort—while subtly gaslighting her.

The old Seohui never noticed. She thought Isu was just being supportive.

“Anyway, start by telling him who your grandfather is.”
“…”
“Once he knows your background, there’s no way he’d reject the Han Seohui.”

Isu spoke as if rejection were a given.

Their family backgrounds had been kept secret because of Seohui’s grandfather, Chairman Han, who hated the idea of her using the family name for social standing.

Thanks to his caution, they’d enjoyed normal student lives. And yet, Isu always made it sound like it was Seohui’s fault. It was all calculated—to manipulate her.

The old Seohui would’ve fallen for it again. Like a fool.

But not this time. Never again.

“Han Isu.”

Isu, who had been talking nonstop, flinched at the cold edge in Seohui’s voice. Her eyes trembled briefly before she forced them back into a calm expression.

“Yeah?”

She looked innocent, like she had no idea what was wrong.

Seohui bit back the urge to tell her to get lost and said instead,

“I thought I was fine, but maybe I’m not.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got a terrible headache. Could you buy me some medicine? Maybe even those calming pills, like you mentioned.”

At the word “medicine,” Isu’s brow twitched. Her expression clearly said, You want me to run errands for you?

She’d never done anything like that before—she was used to Seohui doing things for her. The situation made her uncomfortable.

“Medicine…?”

“Oh, sorry. That’s a lot to ask, huh? Forget it,” Seohui said lightly.

But a few nearby classmates had overheard. They glanced over—clearly expecting Isu to help. After all, who would refuse to buy medicine for a sick friend?

Caught off guard, Isu let out an awkward laugh.

“Of course I’ll go. You’re not feeling well—how could I not? Just wait here, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Still aware of the eyes around her, Isu quickly left the classroom.

The moment she disappeared, Seohui gathered her things.

She packed everything—except Isu’s belongings—and calmly walked out of the lecture hall.

Confess to Park Jaemin?

Not in this lifetime.