Han Yuri, suspended over the void, feels silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
She slowly closes her eyes.
Her fingers begin to slip…
As if she had accepted it was the end.
As if she was finally letting go.
But suddenly—
A hand appears out of nowhere and grabs hers with unshakable strength.
A firm grip, burning with life, jolts her back to reality.
Her body is still hanging in the air,
Her eyes open slowly, trembling, clouded with tears.
Her breathing is ragged, her heart pounding wildly.
She looks up…
And meets the gaze of her savior.
In a voice barely audible, torn by shock and emotion, she whispers:
Han Yuri
— L-Lee… Lee Tae Joon-ssi…?
Lee Tae Joon, his voice rough, eyes locked on her, his arm trembling from holding her weight:
— Han Yuri, hold on…
His gaze wavers, full of worry.
Then, in a low breath, almost like a vow:
— I will never let you fall. No… I won't allow it.
He tightens his grip, summoning all his strength. Slowly, inch by inch, he pulls her up.
Yuri, still shaken, keeps losing her grip, her fingers trembling.
As Tae Joon hauls her closer, Han Yuri looks up at him.
Her tears keep falling, but her expression changes. Less lost. Less broken.
Suddenly, she squeezes his hand tighter.
She's holding on—truly holding on now.
With one last effort, she tries to grab the edge herself, to ease his burden.
Their breathing grows heavier, muscles straining, the silence broken only by the fight against the fall.
And finally, with one last pull, Lee Tae Joon drags her over the ledge.
The moment her feet touch solid ground, he pulls her into his arms.
Tightly.
As if he'd been terrified of losing her.
Han Yuri stays frozen, pressed against his chest.
Her lungs still gasp for air.
Her gaze is blank, as if caught between two worlds.
Lee Tae Joon, in a low voice, his hand gently stroking her head:
— It's going to be okay… I'm here. I'm here.
A few minutes later…
Han Yuri sits in the living room, her eyes still lost in the distance.
Her hands tremble slightly on her knees, her breath uneven, as if her body hasn't realized it's safe yet.
Lee Tae Joon approaches slowly, a glass in his hand.
He stops in front of her and holds it out calmly.
— Here. Drink this. You're still shaking.
Han Yuri looks up at him as if seeing him for the first time.
She takes the glass without a word and sips slowly, in small gulps.
Tae Joon, silent, walks off toward Yuri's bedroom.
A moment later, he returns with a blanket.
Without a word, he unfolds it and gently drapes it over her shoulders.
Yuri doesn't move.
She sits there, as if her mind is still hanging somewhere between the void and the past.
Tae Joon says nothing either.
He simply stays by her side.
Present.
The room is silent.
Only the distant noises of the city seem to exist.
Then, in a deep voice, almost choked with emotion, Lee Tae Joon finally breaks the silence.
Lee Tae Joon
— What happened?
She doesn't answer right away.
Her eyes stay fixed ahead, as if the question had passed straight through her.
Time drags on. Then, without looking at him, she murmurs:
Han Yuri
— I just wanted… to get some air.
A pause.
— And then, all of a sudden, I felt a little dizzy…
She hesitates, choosing her words carefully.
— Probably because I stood up too quickly…
Finally, she turns her head briefly toward him. Her gaze meets his for just a second before drifting away again.
— When I came back in, I took a short nap.
A gentle, almost ordinary explanation…
But Lee Tae Joon isn't fooled.
He hears what her words don't say.
Han Yuri slowly sets the glass down on the table.
She quietly removes the blanket from her shoulders, lays it down, then gets up carefully.
Han Yuri
— I'm going to rest for a while.
She walks slowly toward the bedroom.
But just a few steps from the door, she stops.
A suspended moment.
Then she slowly turns back toward him.
Han Yuri
— But… why did you save me?
Lee Tae Joon looks up, surprised.
His tone turns slightly dry, almost teasing.
— I think the words you're looking for are something like "Thank you for saving my life," no?
But Han Yuri doesn't smile.
She insists, her voice trembling.
Han Yuri
— I'm serious. Why? Why did you?
Lee Tae Joon
— Why not?
The silence falls again, heavier than before.
Their eyes remain locked on each other.
A few minutes later.
In her room, Han Yuri was sitting on the bed, her back against the wall, knees slightly drawn up.
Her eyes stared at an invisible point, lost somewhere between the ceiling and her thoughts.
The memories came back—sharp, loud.
The scene replayed in her mind, over and over.
The emptiness beneath her feet.
The fear.
And then… him.
Lee Tae Joon, his determined gaze, filled with an anxiety she had never seen in him before.
His voice—deep, raw.
His trembling hands refusing to let go.
> — Han Yuri, hold on...
She could still see his face.
His short breaths.
The strain in his arm as he pulled her back to life.
> — I'll never let you fall. No… I won't allow it.
Those words still echoed in her heart.
Like a promise.
Like a mystery, too.
She closed her eyes for a moment, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.
Then, in a curious murmur, almost to herself:
Han Yuri
— Lee Tae Joon-ssi… just what game are you playing?
She turned off the small nightlight, lay down, and closed her eyes.
But sleep never came.
She turned to the right… then to the left. Again. And again.
A sigh of frustration slipped out.
Suddenly, she sat up, switched the light back on, and got up silently.
A few moments later—
She stopped near the couch in the living room.
Lee Tae Joon was already asleep, his breathing calm, his face relaxed.
Yuri stood there watching him in silence, arms crossed.
A whisper slipped from her lips, almost like a complaint:
Han Yuri
— What exactly do you want…? Why do you keep acting like this… with me?
Tae Joon slowly opened one eye, slightly surprised to see a figure standing in the shadows.
He pushed himself halfway up.
Lee Tae Joon
— What are you doing just standing there? he said, his voice still heavy with sleep.
Han Yuri, in a cold, almost distant tone:
— Tell me what you want.
Tae Joon frowned.
— What?
Han Yuri repeated, more firmly:
— Tell me what you want.
She paused, her gaze locked on his.
— I don't like owing anyone anything… so tell me. What do you want in exchange for saving me?
Lee Tae Joon sat up fully and stared at her.
The tone had dropped. There was no trace of sleep left in his eyes.
Han Yuri, her heart tight, pressed again, her voice a little lower:
— Tell me.
Tae Joon rose slowly, never breaking eye contact.
Instinctively, Yuri took a step back.
He stopped, folding his arms with an unreadable expression.
Lee Tae Joon
— Can you really give me anything I want?
A slight shiver ran down Yuri's spine.
She hesitated, her gaze briefly darting away before meeting his again.
Han Yuri
— Hmm… then tell me.
Lee Tae Joon stepped closer, his eyes fixed on her.
— What I want?
He kept moving forward, step by step.
Han Yuri retreated almost involuntarily, unsettled.
They ended up only a few centimeters apart.
He stared at her for several seconds, the silence thick.
Then, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He stepped back casually.
— Right now… what I really want is to get back to my room.
Han Yuri, a little thrown off:
— And how am I supposed to sleep here with this cold?
She paused, lifted her head, and looked at him with sudden determination.
— Fine. Fine… if that's what you want in exchange for saving me… then I agree.
Han Yuri slowly straightened the couch cushions, patting them with care.
Lee Tae Joon kept watching her in silence. She noticed from the corner of her eye and glanced briefly at him.
Han Yuri
— I'll just go grab a few things… from over there.
She started to walk away, but he stopped her with a calm voice.
Lee Tae Joon
— You don't need to sleep here. You can keep sleeping in the bedroom.
Yuri froze mid-step, a bit puzzled.
— Just like that?
She frowned slightly. A pause stretched… then her eyes widened.
Han Yuri (raising her voice)
— Wait… don't tell me you want us to sleep in the same bed?
She pointed a finger at him, looking shocked.
— Seriously… how can you even dare? Fine, I said I'd do anything to thank you for saving me…
She leaned forward slightly, offended.
— But that doesn't mean I'll literally do anything.
Lee Tae Joon
— No, I mean… you can keep sleeping there. In the same room, but not the same bed.
He paused, squinting slightly.
— But wait… what exactly were you thinking?
Han Yuri (after a beat, looking away)
— What? Nothing!
Lee Tae Joon (raising an eyebrow, amused)
— Mhm. Well, if you want to sleep here, do as you like.
Yuri glanced around. A draft made her shiver.
She crossed her arms.
Han Yuri
— No, no… on second thought, your idea sounds better.
Without another glance in his direction, she turned on her heel and walked toward the bedroom.
A few minutes later.
Lee Tae Joon was lying on the bed, one arm behind his head, looking completely relaxed.
A few steps away, Han Yuri sat on the floor on a folded blanket, glaring at him coldly.
She muttered under her breath, barely audible:
Han Yuri
— I can't believe I, Han Yuri, am sleeping… on the floor.
Then she raised her voice, irritation slipping in:
— Seriously! Even if it's your room, your bed, and I said I'd give you what you want… don't you think it's a bit unfair that I have to sleep here?
Lee Tae Joon turned to her calmly.
— Why would it be unfair?
Han Yuri hesitated, gesturing vaguely.
— Well… I mean… even if I agreed to give you back your room, still…
She looked at him, a touch dramatic.
— I am a woman, you know.
Han Yuri suddenly stood, clearly annoyed, her voice cold.
— No. I can't accept this.
Lee Tae Joon
— What?
Han Yuri (looking straight into his eyes)
— Even if I owe you… I can't let you treat me like this.
She paused, her voice dropping lower, tighter:
— I'm… I'm your wife. Even if there's a contract and all that… I still am.
Lee Tae Joon (sharp, no hesitation)
— Don't play the wife card with me. It won't work.
Han Yuri, determined, grabbed her blanket in an impulsive move.
— You're not staying up here.
Lee Tae Joon stayed still, glaring coldly.
She insisted, tugged harder… and then lost her balance.
She tumbled onto the bed — right next to him.
They ended up just a few centimeters apart.
Complete silence.
Their eyes met. Time seemed to hold its breath.
Then…
Lee Tae Joon (softly, almost a murmur)
— Fine. You can have the bed.
He got up slowly, without any sudden movements…
And went to settle on the floor, without another word.
Han Yuri, still frozen on the bed with wide eyes, remained silent for a moment.
Then she slowly sat up.
The next morning — in a luxury clothing store.
Han Ye Reum was trying on outfit after outfit, glowing with energy.
A chic-looking saleswoman followed her everywhere with a professional smile, holding the clothes she had already tried on.
After going through nearly the entire new collection, Ye Reum left the boutique, arms loaded with shopping bags, her face lit up with that simple, superficial — but effective — kind of happiness.
Han Ye Reum (murmuring with a satisfied smile)
— Nothing like a shopping day to lift your spirits…
She took a few steps, and one of the bags slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
Han Ye Reum
— Oh no… Good thing I parked right next to the store.
She bent down to pick up the bag, adjusting it a little…
When suddenly, a male figure appeared in front of her.
Ye Reum slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes froze.
Her smile disappeared.
Han Ye Reum (voice trembling)
— …Oppa?
The man, a slight smile tugging at his lips:
— It's been a while, Ye Reum.
(He glanced at the bags)
— Still shopping as much as ever, I see.
Ye Reum said nothing, just stared at him in silence.
Han Ye Reum
— Since when have you been back in Korea?
The man
— A few weeks.
(His gaze slid toward her neck, then he smirked)
— You're still wearing it…
He reached for the necklace around her neck, but she pushed his hand away coldly.
Han Ye Reum (sharp tone)
— I only wear it because it's pretty. Don't get the wrong idea.
And now, I have better things to do than stand here chatting with you.
She started to walk away. But he caught her hand.
The man (hurt, almost pleading)
— Ye Reum-ah… I came back to Korea for you.
I miss you, you know.
You know how much I love you, right?
Ye Reum slowly turns to him, a sarcastic smile curling on her lips.
Han Ye Reum
— You miss me… you love me…
Don't be ridiculous.
That didn't stop you from sleeping with other women. Including one of my friends.
The man
— Ye Reum-ah… You know very well I never loved her.
It's just that… you were always focused on your father's company, so…
Han Ye Reum (crossing her arms, glaring at him)
— So… it's my fault you cheated?
He takes her hand, his gaze now pleading.
The man
— Ye Reum-ah, please…
I'm serious.
I really want to start over.
You and me, we love each other.
All those girls… they were nothing. Just… distractions.
Ye Reum frowns slightly, her tone sharp.
Han Ye Reum
— Those girls?
So there were several.
The man (hesitant, still trying to recover)
— No, I mean… all of that is in the past.
I've changed, Ye Reum-ah.
Trust me…
Let's start over, and I'll prove it to you. I'm not the same man anymore.
Ye Reum stays silent for a moment, then glances down at her shopping bags.
She lets out a small, almost imperceptible laugh — ironic.
Han Ye Reum (with a light smile, feigning innocence)
— You know, just a week ago, I promised myself I'd stop shopping for a few months.
She looks up at him, her gaze calm but dripping with irony.
Han Ye Reum
— And look at me now.
One week later, standing outside a boutique with my arms full of shopping bags.
A cold silence falls. Her smile widens slightly.
Han Ye Reum
— Guess some bad habits… come back faster than you think.
She takes a step back, gently slips her hand from his — like discarding an outdated piece of clothing — and turns away.
Without another word.
The man, desperate, grabs Ye Reum from behind.
— Ye Reum-ah… please… give me another chance… I know you love me. We can start over, I know we can… please…
Han Ye Reum (cold, muttering through clenched teeth)
— Pathetic. Let go of me.
Then louder:
— I said, let go of me!
The man (refusing to release her)
— No! I won't let go until you tell me you still love me. I know you do. Give us another chance, Ye Reum-ah, I'm begging you…
She tries to pull free. Passers-by start to stop, watching.
And then — a sudden, forceful shove. The man stumbles to the ground, startled.
Ye Reum turns, shocked. She sees him on the floor…
Then her gaze rises to the figure who stepped in.
Han Ye Reum (barely above a whisper)
— Lee Jae Hyun-ssi…? How…?
The man gets up, furious, facing him.
— Who the hell are you? Why are you getting involved in other people's relationship problems?
Lee Jae Hyun (calm but cutting)
— A relationship problem? What relationship exactly?
(He glances at Ye Reum)
— Because from where I'm standing… all I see is a man harassing my girlfriend.
The man scoffs.
— What? Girlfriend? Don't be ridiculous. You're not her type. I know her better than you do — she'd never go for a guy like you. So get lost. Go find someone else.
He tries to approach Ye Reum.
But Jae Hyun immediately steps between them, protective.
The man
— Hey! Move out of the way!
He swings his fist — but Jae Hyun dodges.
The man stumbles again, hitting the ground. He gets up, even angrier, and tries to punch a second time.
But this time, Jae Hyun strikes first. Clean. Precise.
The man, holding his face, seethes.
He turns to Ye Reum.
The man
— Ye Reum-ah… are you really going to let him hit me? I thought you loved me?
Jae Hyun steps forward, ready to finish it —
But Ye Reum stops him with a hand on his arm.
She looks at her ex, straight, dignified, weary.
Han Ye Reum
— Yes. I loved you. Truly. Sincerely.
She pauses. Her voice trembles slightly, but stays firm.
— But the more I loved you, the more I lost myself. Little by little.
— I really thought we'd get married, build a life together. But when you started cheating… everything fell apart.
She meets his eyes.
— The first time… I forgave you. Because I loved you. Because I thought, "He's human. Everyone makes mistakes."
She lets out a bitter laugh.
— Stupid, huh? But I forgave you.
Silence. She breathes in.
— And you… you thought I'd forgive you again. And again. That I'd always be there, waiting. Even when you cheated. Even when you lied.
— But you know what? Even when you love with all your heart… after being disappointed over and over… there's nothing left.
— Nothing… except exhaustion. Not love. Just… exhaustion.
A heavy silence falls. The man is frozen. The crowd keeps their distance, hanging on her words.
And Han Ye Reum, without looking at him again, gently takes Jae Hyun's arm.
— Let's go.
A few minutes later
Inside Lee Jae Hyun's car.
Han Ye Reum was still crying her eyes out. She tried her best to hide her face, but it was useless. Her mascara had run everywhere, and wiping it with her hand only made things worse.
Han Ye Reum
— I'm sorry you have to see me like this… Aish, I'm totally ruining my image as the radiant, pretty girl.
She gave a small, embarrassed smile, somewhere between shame and self-deprecation, sniffling loudly.
Lee Jae Hyun glanced at her, a little awkward, then slowly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Calmly, he handed it to her.
Lee Jae Hyun
— Here.
Ye Reum took it gently, slightly surprised, and began dabbing her face more delicately.
Han Ye Reum
— Thank you… really. Thanks for helping me with him.
She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the windshield.
— It's strange, but… I feel better. After seeing him again. After finally telling him how I really felt. That bastard cheated on me multiple times, and now… he comes back after two years, acting like nothing happened. Two years. And he really thinks he can just get me back, just like that?
She slowly turned to Jae Hyun, her eyes still wet, but her gaze steadier.
— But you know what makes me even angrier?
She glanced at him briefly, a spark in her eyes.
— It's that he thinks that even after all this time, I'm still single. That I couldn't have met someone else. Honestly… that's just sad for a pretty girl like me.
— Anyway… I should go. Thanks… and sorry.
She reached for the car door handle, ready to get out, then suddenly paused.
— Ah, how about we go out tonight? she suddenly suggested.
Jae Hyun turned to her, surprised.
— … Excuse me?
Han Ye Reum
— To thank you for helping me. And also… for last night. Thanks for letting me sleep at your place.
Lee Jae Hyun (calmly)
— I told you, it's not necessary.
Han Ye Reum
— Come on… I feel like celebrating after what just happened. And besides, I don't want anyone else to see me like this… especially not my so-called friends.
She paused, lowering her voice slightly.
— But… I don't feel like being alone today.
She looked him straight in the eyes. He met her gaze without a word.
Meanwhile, at the Han residence
Kim Min Hee quietly stepped through the grand front door. A housekeeper greeted her and led her to the living room. A few minutes later, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of her.
Yuri's father entered soon after, hands in his pockets, his expression cold.
— What are you doing here? he asked, his voice sharp.
Min Hee stood and gave a small bow.
— Hello.
Yuri's father
— I asked you a question. What are you doing here?
Kim Min Hee
— What do you mean? I just came to visit.
Yuri's father slowly sat down, eyes narrowing.
— Fine… then tell me what you want. More money? I bet that's why you're here.
Min Hee raised an eyebrow, then took her seat again.
— Why would I want more? What you give me every month, in exchange for my career… is more than enough.
Yuri's father (with a short, ironic laugh)
— Career? Listen to me, Min Hee. Yuri, besides having talent, is my daughter. But you… even if you had auditioned somewhere else, the result would have been the same. People like being around the powerful, not some poor girl chasing dreams.
Min Hee remained impassive.
— Maybe you're right. But today, I'm not here to rehash the past.
Yuri's father (watching her, wary)
— Then what for?
Kim Min Hee
— To ask you for a favor.
Yuri's father
— A favor?
Kim Min Hee
— Yes. I need your support… and your influence.
She paused, holding his gaze to make sure he was listening.
— In exchange… I'll give you a very interesting piece of information.
Yuri's father frowned slightly, intrigued but silent. She allowed herself a faint, calculated smile.
To be continued…