Episode 57

**"His Secret (part 1)"** is the fifty-seventh released episode of My Deepest Secret by Hanza Art. While waiting for the designated time to confront Sophie, Emma, unacquainted with the rest of the students, leaves the dining pavilion to take a walk. She is joined by Yohan, who offers her words of encouragement to ease her worries after being betrayed by one she once considered a good friend.

## Synopsis

A match is dropped onto a pile of logs within the campfire pit. Flames flicker to life, casting a soft yellow glow on the rest of the dining pavilion. Students inch closer to the fire and hold out their hands to absorb the warmth emitting from the flames. Emma sits alone on a bench, absentmindedly watching the flames as she recalls how Sophie disappeared after reading the last note that Yohan planted in the birdhouse. Since it is quite some time before their designated meeting, Emma wonders if Sophie returned to their shared room. She sighs, deducing that is unwise for her to run into Sophie there. Without the option of returning indoors, Emma stands up and decides to take a walk.

From a distance, Yohan notices Emma retreating from the dining pavilion by herself. He quickly excuses himself from his group of friends and hurries over to her. When Yohan inquires why she is leaving unaccompanied, Emma confesses that she is not well-acquainted with the people on the field trip other than Sophie and himself. After a pause, she corrects herself, stating that she used to be well-acquainted with Sophie. Understanding the meaning behind her words, Yohan asks if she is feeling okay. Emma expresses the shock and disappointment she felt after discovering Sophie's true nature. It is shocking to Emma how easily Sophie lied to her. Rather than those who openly showed hostility towards Emma in the past, Sophie feigned kindness to her face. It is an unprecedented situation in which Emma is unsure of how to proceed.

Yohan grasps Emma's hand and reassures her that she handled the situation very well. Now that the truth is properly revealed, she can express her true feelings the next time she faces Sophie. He explains that as she expands her social circle, she will likely encounter a variety of people who may or may not bear ill will towards her. It is a natural occurrence within human relationships to unintentionally create conflict, experience betrayal, and forge enemies. Surprised by his words, Emma asks if Yohan has ever been in a similar situation as hers. Laughing, Yohan admits that he has, though his situation was not as dire as the one Emma is currently faces. He smiles softly and interlaces his fingers with hers, assuring her that such events are good opportunities to help her mature and grow as a person. Understanding the depth of his words of encouragement, Emma nods. The soft murmuring of voices from observing onlookers snap Yohan out of his reverie. Blushing furiously, he suddenly wrenches his hand roughly out of Emma's and, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, suggests to move the conversation to a less conspicuous location.

Following his suggestion, Emma accompanies Yohan as they retreat from prying eyes. They reach an outlook point that overlooks the shadowy forest. Above them stretches the vasty night sky, twinkling with thousands of lights. Awed by the view, they settle themselves onto the grassy ground. Yohan suddenly jumps, realizing that he does not know the way back to the lodge. Though Emma reassures him that she remembers the path they took, he quickly texts Hanamika their location as an extra precaution. As they gaze up at the stars, the air steadily grows colder as the night progresses. Emma, who is wearing a short-sleeved shirt, folds her arms to fight against the cold. Noticing her discomfort, Yohan removes the jacket tied around his waist and offers it to her. Though she attempts to refuse, he insists that it will be a waste for her not to wear it since he is currently not using it. Emma thanks him for his generosity and slips on the jacket.

As they continue to watch the night sky, Emma recalls that Yohan similarly offered his jacket to her when they were stranded in the forest cave. As her thoughts wander, flashes of her past encounters with Yohan begin to pop up in her mind. She realizes that time after time, Yohan has proven to be extremely kind to her, and silently wonders why she never noticed this side of him before. Immersed in thought, Emma watches as the wind blows back Yohan's hair. With his face lit underneath the soft glow of the silvery moon, Emma realizes why he is so popular at their university. Yohan's phone rings with a text notification, breaking the silence. He pulls out his phone from his pocket and glances at the screen. Reading the text from Hanamika, he turns to inform Emma the contents of the message but falls silent at Emma's sudden close proximity. His face turns red as Emma draws closer, unable to comprehend the situation.

## Characters

*Characters are listed in order of appearance. Character first appearances are **bolded**.*

* Emma Wilson
* Yohan Lee
* Sophie McCarthy (mentioned; flashback)
* Brian (flashback)
* Rupert Patrovsky (flashback)
* Hanamika (mentioned)