The café suddenly felt smaller.
Not physically.
But the air had changed.
A few minutes ago, Seo-yeon and I were joking about coffee and mysterious coins. Now a stranger sat across from us, calmly saying my name like we had known each other for years.
And the worst part?
Somewhere deep inside my mind… the name felt familiar.
But the memory refused to come.
Seo-yeon leaned slightly toward me and whispered,
"Ji-hoon… please tell me this is one of your friends."
I kept my eyes on the man.
"I wish it was."
The man smiled faintly.
"So you really don't remember."
Seo-yeon straightened in her chair.
"Okay, that sentence officially makes this situation worse."
The man looked at her calmly.
"You must be Han Seo-yeon."
Seo-yeon froze.
"How do you know my name?"
He gestured slightly toward the ring on her finger.
"The golden ring doesn't choose ordinary people."
Seo-yeon instinctively looked at her hand.
Her ring looked completely normal.
No glow.
No reaction.
Just gold.
She slowly raised her head.
"Okay… this is getting weird."
She pointed at him.
"First of all, who are you?"
The man took a sip of water from the glass on the table like he had all the time in the world.
Then he answered calmly.
"My name is Lee Tae-jun."
The moment he said the name—
Something inside my head flickered.
Rain.
Boots hitting wet ground.
A military training yard.
Someone standing beside me, laughing while holding a rifle.
The image disappeared instantly.
But my chest tightened.
Tae-jun noticed.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"Did something come back?"
I shook my head.
"Just… fragments."
Seo-yeon looked between us.
"Okay wait."
She pointed at me.
"You two do know each other."
I exhaled slowly.
"I think so."
Tae-jun leaned back in his chair.
"Not just 'think.'"
He tapped the second coin he had placed on the table.
"We trained together."
Seo-yeon blinked.
"Military?"
Tae-jun nodded.
"Special unit."
My brain struggled to keep up.
"I don't remember that."
Tae-jun didn't look surprised.
"Of course you don't."
Seo-yeon frowned.
"Why?"
Tae-jun looked at me again before answering.
"Because someone made sure you wouldn't."
Silence filled the table.
Even the background music in the café suddenly felt distant.
Seo-yeon whispered,
"You're saying someone erased his memories?"
Tae-jun shrugged slightly.
"Maybe not erased."
"Then what?"
"Buried."
I rubbed my temple.
"That explains the headaches."
Seo-yeon turned to me immediately.
"You get headaches?"
"Sometimes."
"When?"
"When something reminds me of the past."
Tae-jun nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Seo-yeon stared at him.
"You're way too calm about this."
"I've had more time to adjust."
She crossed her arms.
"And what exactly are you adjusting to?"
Tae-jun didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he pointed at the coin on our table.
"The symbol."
Seo-yeon followed his finger.
"Yes?"
"That symbol isn't military."
"Then what is it?"
Tae-jun paused.
Then he said something strange.
"Older."
Seo-yeon blinked.
"Older than the military?"
"Yes."
"How old?"
Tae-jun shrugged.
"Let's just say… older than most people would believe."
Seo-yeon sighed dramatically.
"Fantastic."
She pointed between us.
"So now we have ancient symbols, mysterious rings, erased memories, and secret military friends."
She leaned back.
"This week is going great."
Tae-jun chuckled quietly.
"You're handling this surprisingly well."
Seo-yeon pointed at her coffee.
"Caffeine."
Despite the tension, I almost smiled.
Then Tae-jun's expression grew serious again.
His eyes moved slowly to Seo-yeon's ring.
For the first time, his calm attitude changed slightly.
Concern.
"How long have you had that ring?"
Seo-yeon looked down.
"Since yesterday."
Tae-jun frowned.
"That soon?"
"What does that mean?"
He didn't answer directly.
Instead, he turned to me.
"And you found the envelope."
I nodded.
"Yes."
"What exactly was inside?"
"Photos. Documents. Symbols."
"And the coin."
"Yes."
Tae-jun leaned forward slightly.
"That means they've started moving."
Seo-yeon immediately caught the word.
"They?"
Tae-jun looked at her.
"The people who don't want the rings to wake up."
A cold feeling spread across my chest.
"Why?"
Tae-jun looked directly into my eyes.
"Because the rings don't just reveal truth."
He paused.
"They change it."
Seo-yeon frowned.
"That sounds impossible."
Tae-jun smiled faintly.
"So did disappearing coins five minutes ago."
She had no response to that.
A few seconds passed in silence.
Then Seo-yeon suddenly pointed at his hand.
"Wait."
Tae-jun followed her gaze.
"Yes?"
"You're hiding something."
Tae-jun blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Your hand."
He slowly lifted his right hand from the table.
A simple black glove covered it.
Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you wearing gloves inside a café?"
Tae-jun smiled.
"Habit."
"Suspicious habit."
He looked at me again.
"You didn't tell her?"
"Tell her what?"
"That the rings react to each other."
Seo-yeon's head snapped toward me.
"They WHAT?"
I raised both hands defensively.
"I didn't know that."
Tae-jun chuckled.
"Fair."
Then something strange happened.
Seo-yeon's gold ring suddenly felt warm again.
I noticed immediately.
Because the coin on the table began vibrating.
Tick.
Tick.
Seo-yeon stared at her hand.
"Ji-hoon…"
"I see it."
Tae-jun slowly removed his glove.
Seo-yeon leaned forward.
"What are you—"
Then she stopped.
A ring sat on Tae-jun's finger.
But it wasn't gold.
Not silver.
Not violet.
It was deep blue.
Like the color of the ocean at night.
The ring pulsed faintly.
Responding to Seo-yeon's ring.
Seo-yeon whispered,
"So… you have one too."
Tae-jun nodded calmly.
"Yes."
The café lights flickered slightly.
Only for a moment.
But it was enough to make everyone look up.
Tae-jun looked at me again.
"Ji-hoon."
"Yes?"
"You're the reason they're waking up."
My stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
Tae-jun's expression grew serious.
"Your presence changes the balance."
Seo-yeon frowned.
"Balance of what?"
Tae-jun answered quietly.
"Of the rings."
Before anyone could say another word—
Tae-jun's blue ring pulsed.
Once.
Then twice.
His eyes widened slightly.
That was the first time I saw him look surprised.
Seo-yeon noticed.
"What is it?"
Tae-jun whispered something under his breath.
"No way…"
I leaned forward.
"What?"
Tae-jun slowly turned toward the café window.
His voice was suddenly tense.
"…Someone else is here."
Seo-yeon turned toward the window.
"What do you mean?"
Tae-jun stood up immediately.
"Don't turn around."
Seo-yeon froze.
"You just told me to turn around."
"I know."
My heartbeat sped up.
"Who is it?"
Tae-jun's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Another ring."
Outside the café window…
Across the street…
A figure stood under the streetlight.
Watching us.
And on their hand—
A faint green glow pulsed in the darkness.
Seo-yeon whispered slowly,
"…That makes three."
Tae-jun shook his head.
His voice tense.
"No."
He looked directly at me.
"That makes four."