It had been a long day.
Seoul. Itaewon district.
The luxurious office building hummed with the soft clatter of keyboards and muted conversation. Candidates waited for interviews—some sat upright with practiced confidence, while others fidgeted nervously, eyes drifting to the polished floors, feet shifting restlessly.
I walked past them.
"Hey," someone whispered.
"Isn't that…?"
Another voice followed, low and uncertain.
"That's him. The CEO."
I did not react. I entered the interview room.
An hour passed. I glanced at the calendar.
It was almost time, I noted. The room felt unnaturally large, the walls stretching farther than they should have.
I sat alone for a moment, then stood and left.
Back in the office, my employees greeted me, but their voices barely registered. I climbed the stairs and pushed open the terrace door.
Cold air greeted me. I leaned against the railing, the metal biting into my palm. I took out a cigarette and lit it. Smoke curled upward, thinning as it disappeared into the evening sky. Below, the city blurred beneath the fading light.
"Yuri," I whispered.
"I miss you."
"It's been Twelve years," I murmured, my chest tightening.
"If I had been a little faster that day…
Footsteps approached. I wiped my eyes quickly.
The door opened.
It was her, my secretary, Park Seo-ha.
"Mr. Han, you are here," she said.
"What brings you here, Secretary Park?" I asked.
She hesitated, then asked, "Sir… are you crying?"
She caught me off guard. I steadied my voice.
"No. I was just thinking about the past."
"Sir, the Chairman has arranged a blind date for you."
I looked at her, shocked. "Why would he do that?"
She replied, "It's obvious. You're at that age—everyone else has families."
"So what? I'm not going on a blind date," I muttered, pouting slightly.
"Tell him no."
She sighed. "Why are you like this?"
"What's wrong? Why don't you get married?" she pressed.
"You wouldn't understand," I murmured.
Then, before I could stop myself, I asked,
"But why do you care so much about my marriage?"
I paused.
"…Do you love me?"
A blush crept onto her cheeks. There was no hiding it.
She stammered, "N-No… that's not true."
Even if she refused to admit it, I already knew. I could see it in her eyes—just like back then.
I closed my eyes, and the past surged forward like a broken dam.
The memory hit me without warning.
I had been distracted by the first snowfall.
When I looked up, she was there—standing with her back to me, headphones on, the volume too loud, her cat cradled in her arms. I ran toward her, my heart pounding.
I shouted—
"YURI!"
She was standing on the railway track.
She didn't know what was coming.
I jolted back to the present. My eyes snapped open. My breathing turned heavy and uneven.
It hurt.
My chest tightened, my heart pounding faster than a train.
"Sir…" she said worriedly. "Are you alright?"
"You don't look— I mean, you seem pale."
"I… am fine," I replied.
Without another word, Park canceled my Monday schedule.
She glanced up at me. "You usually don't take a day off."
"Will you do it or not?" I asked.
She hesitated. "Okay."
"But what is the reason?"
"I have to go somewhere."
"Where?"
I exhaled sharply. "What are you, my mom?"
I moved toward the door and glanced back at her.
"Aren't you coming?"
"We still have work to do."
"Ah—sorry. I forgot."
She hurried after me and nearly stumbled.
I reached out and caught her by the shoulder.
"You're really clumsy," I muttered.
Her cheeks flushed
" I'm sorry…" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, trembling slightly with embarrassment.
In her mind, chaos reigned. This is so embarrassing… why now?
Her fingers fidgeted nervously at her sides, twisting the hem of her blouse as she avoided my gaze, wishing she could disappear into the floor.
"By the way, you wanna join me on Monday?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly. What…? No, I mean… yes, why not? Her thoughts raced as her face betrayed her surprise, a faint pink creeping across her cheeks.
"Okay then, 8 am at my place, okay park."