“We Won’t Break Up” 헤어지지 않는다 by Choi Jeong 최정

Hyun-soo had always been compared to her accomplished older sister and treated like an unwanted burden. She ends up living in the annex of the house with Chan-mo and his sons. The next day, she meets the eldest son, Yoon-guk, who turns out to be in the same school, same class, and even her seatmate.

He keeps catching her attention.
“Hey, about what happened today… don’t mention it at home, okay?”
“What’s there to talk about?”

Though he seems indifferent, Yoon-guk shows consideration, and Hyun-soo gradually begins to develop feelings for him. Then, Yoon-guk makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
“If neither of us has anyone else by then, let’s seriously start seeing each other.”

The night Hyun-soo decides to confess her feelings, a massive fire engulfs the mansion. The towering flames consume everything—the house, the garden, even the people.

Instead of the promised sponsor, the person sitting across from her is none other than that Yoon-guk.
“You seem disappointed that I showed up instead of some old geezer.”
“Why… why did you go so far as to use someone else’s identity to sponsor us?”

It had been a full 10 years. His shadow had secretly loomed over her life all this time, and she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.
“You’re asking why I sponsored you?”
“…”
“There’s no particular reason.”

As if nothing had ever changed, he softened his lips into a faint smile. But the words that followed ultimately pushed Hyun-soo into a dark abyss.
“The one who ruins you should be me, not some petty poverty.”