Unfaced Husband (official)

Cafeteria – Lunch Break

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter and the clinking of trays as students moved between tables. The air was filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and steaming bowls of ramen. Ara Jeon sat across from Mina, absentmindedly stirring her soup while Mina dramatically waved her spoon in the air.

"You know what, Ara?" Mina said, pointing her spoon at her like a sword. "You seriously need to start dating someone. Like, for real. You're wasting your youth!"

Ara sighed, taking a bite of her food. "And how exactly am I wasting it?"

Mina pouted. "By being all work and no fun! Come on, at least talk to a guy. That new guy in our class is kinda cute, don't you think?"

Ara rolled her eyes. "Mina, I barely even noticed him."

Mina gasped dramatically, slamming her hand on the table. "Barely noticed?! Ara Jeon, are you even human?!"

Ara chuckled, shaking her head. "You're being ridiculous."

Mina crossed her arms, pretending to sulk. "I'm just saying! It wouldn't hurt to go on a date. Maybe fall in love a little."

Ara smirked. "Maybe you should go on a date, since you're so interested in romance."

Mina let out a fake cry. "How could you betray me like this?!" She covered her face with her hands, dramatically pretending to sob.

Ara laughed softly, watching her best friend act like a child. "Alright, alright. I'll consider it. Happy?"

Mina peeked through her fingers, eyes sparkling. "Promise?"

Ara just shook her head. "Let's finish eating before the food gets cold."

They ate in comfortable silence, exchanging small jokes between bites. Ara had been holding a folded portrait of her latest model sketch, absentmindedly tapping it against the table. But as they finished their meal, she left the cafeteria without realizing she had forgotten it there.

---

Evening – University Hallway

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the campus, Ara slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to leave for the day. But just as she reached the exit, something tugged at the back of her mind.

Wait… my portrait.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She had left it at the cafeteria.

Without wasting another second, she turned around and sprinted back, her shoes echoing through the nearly empty hallway.

Pushing open the cafeteria doors, she scanned the tables frantically. Empty. The cleaning staff had already cleared everything.

Gone.

A sense of unease settled in her chest as she slowly walked back out, her brows furrowed.

Who could have taken it?

As she reached the university gate, a familiar figure caught her eye.

Arianna Park.

Standing near the entrance, waiting.

And in her hands… was Ara's missing portrait.

Ara stopped in her tracks, a cold feeling washing over her.

The air was thick with the scent of rain-soaked pavement, the dimming sun casting long shadows over the campus. Ara's heart pounded as she took slow, measured steps toward Arianna.

There it was. Her sketch—her work—dangling between Arianna's manicured fingers like it was worthless, like it was trash.

"You still have a thing for your little model passion?" Arianna's voice was smooth, laced with mockery.

Ara swallowed down the sharp retort that threatened to rise. Instead, she locked eyes with Arianna and kept her voice steady. "Give it back."

Arianna tilted her head, the smirk never leaving her lips. "Why? You left it behind. Isn't that what people do with things they don't care about?"

Ara's jaw clenched. She knew Arianna was playing a game, toying with her like a cat would with a trapped mouse.

"You gave up on fashion, didn't you?" Arianna mused, running a finger along the edge of the paper. "How tragic. The prodigy who once had the world at her feet… reduced to nothing."

Ara's fingers twitched. "I said give it back."

Arianna let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "You really don't get it, do you?" She stepped closer, her voice dropping into something colder, something venomous. "Do you have any idea what it was like? Living in your shadow? No matter how hard I worked, how much I tried, no one ever looked at me the way they looked at you. You were perfect—the golden girl, the star, the one who could do no wrong."

Ara felt something twist inside her chest. This wasn't just about a sketch. It never was.

"And now," Arianna continued, her grip tightening around the paper, "you're nothing but a shell of who you used to be. It's funny, really. You had everything, and yet, you threw it all away."

Ara took a step forward, her voice low, dangerous. "You think tearing me down will fix whatever's broken inside you?"

Arianna's smirk faltered, just for a second.

Ara saw it. That flicker of something—doubt, hesitation, maybe even pain.

"You can hate me all you want," Ara pressed on, her voice unwavering. "But don't pretend this is about me. This has always been about you. About what you think you lost."

Arianna's eyes darkened. In a swift motion, she raised the paper, as if to rip it—

Ara lunged.

Their hands collided in a blur of movement, fingers gripping the fragile sheet, neither willing to let go. The paper crinkled between them, their breaths heavy, their gazes locked in silent warfare.

"You think you're better than me?" Arianna seethed, her voice shaking now, raw and unfiltered. "You think I don't deserve to be seen?"

Ara's grip tightened. "I never took anything from you."

Arianna's lips parted, as if to argue, but no words came out. Her fingers loosened just enough.

Ara yanked the sketch from her grasp.

They stood there, chest heaving, the air charged with something unspoken—rage, regret, something more.

Arianna's expression twisted, her hands balling into fists. "Stay out of my way, Ara."

Then she turned, storming off into the night, her silhouette disappearing into the shadows.

Ara exhaled slowly, staring down at the crumpled paper in her hands.

It was slightly damaged, but still intact.

Much like her.