When was it······.

It was a large glass greenhouse that Seung Ho’s father’s old friend and colleague, Manager Kim, personally managed where young Seung Ho followed his father to. Seung Ho saw a living butterfly there for the first time.

The butterflies he had seen in picture books were just white butterflies or yellow butterflies, but the ones inside the greenhouse were different from them.

While his father and Manager Kim were conversing, Seung Ho, who was observing the butterflies fluttering their wings and flying around, pointed to one spot with his finger.

“Give me that one.”

It was a bright voice as if he was going to purchase a toy at a shopping mall. Manager Kim turned his gaze and followed the direction Seung Ho was pointing to.

There was a large butterfly with wings that were dark like black but gave off a blue luster. Manager Kim smiled kindly and explained to him what butterfly he had chosen.

“You mean the Old World Swallowtail. It’s the largest butterfly in our country.”

To show it to Seung Ho, he put honey on his fingertip and approached the butterfly. The Old World Swallowtail soon landed on the finger he held out and sucked the honey with the long proboscis emerging from its mouth.

“This is how butterflies eat honey.”

After being surprised by the unfamiliar scene for a moment, Seung Ho wanted to touch this mysterious butterfly himself. So he impulsively reached out his hand. As he approached with the strange presence, the startled butterfly flew away.

“Don’t be too upset. It flew away because your touch was unfamiliar.”

Manager Kim comforted Seung Ho while wiping the honey off his hand.

“If it becomes familiar with me, will it not run away?”

Looking down at the very cute but expressionless face of Seung Ho, Manager Kim’s eyes deepened. Seung Ho’s father, Chairman Shin, had spoken honestly about his second son.

“Sometimes when I see those eyes, it reminds me of our father and gives me chills. I wonder if he has any emotions? If he has any warmth? It’s not just once or twice. But with that personality, he’ll lead the company well.”

As Chairman Shin said, Seung Ho’s manner of asking this and that about the butterfly was far from his peers. The sharp eyes that stared intently and persistently at the honey-eating butterfly were certainly similar to the former chairman’s.

A hero who ran the company harshly without blood or tears and created the current Shinyoung Group, the best boss, and the worst father.

Manager Kim shook his head.

‘But he’s still a child……’

His friend Chairman Shin relied on his second son but also had difficulty with him. So in his eyes, Seung Ho always looked lonely.

“Of course, butterflies know the hands of those who cherish them, so if you take good care of it, it won’t leave your hands.”

“Then give it to me.”

Instead of saying, ‘I’ll raise it well,’ or ‘I’ll cherish it,’ Seung Ho spoke as if dealing with an object. Manager Kim, who stroked his head instead of admonishing him, called an employee.

The Old World Swallowtail in the small glass case that looked like a miniature greenhouse was placed in Seung Ho’s arms. He didn’t forget to advise Seung Ho, who wouldn’t take his eyes off the butterfly in his arms, to cherish it.

After returning home, Seung Ho spent a lot of time with the Old World Swallowtail.

He observed the butterfly sitting quietly in the glass case for hours and kept a journal. The butterfly also became accustomed to his honey-smeared fingertip. Seung Ho enjoyed watching the butterfly frequently sitting and playing on his finger.

Sometimes the slender legs and long proboscis were unbearably ticklish, but the butterfly only sought Seung Ho’s hand. It was satisfying.

It was the day when the entire Shin family gathered at Seung Ho’s house for a family reunion. The adults drank wine in the spacious garden, and the children gathered in Seung Ho’s room.

“What is this!”

A girl who was looking around here and there screamed when she saw the Old World Swallowtail flapping its wings peacefully in the glass case.

Seung Ho, who was quietly reading a book amidst the noisy children, raised his eyebrows. The girl who saw his preciously raised butterfly for the first time was startled and drew the attention of the other children.

“Why is the butterfly in this cramped place? Poor butterfly!”

Seung Ho, who didn’t mind what others did in his room, threw the book and approached the butterfly.

“This is mine. Don’t pay attention to it.”

The girl flinched at his sharp words but raised her voice again.

“No. Butterflies should fly around in flower fields. It shouldn’t be here.”

“Who says so?”

“I saw it in a book. It said butterflies have to fly around and carry pollen.”

As he was about to say that his butterfly didn’t need to do that regardless of what other butterflies did, Seung Ho’s mother came into the room and called him.

“Seung Ho, you should greet the adults.”

Glaring fiercely at the girl who looked at him innocently, he immediately followed his mother.

And when he returned to his space, the butterfly that should have been in its place was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t in the glass case where it had been sitting quietly, nor anywhere in the corners of his room.

As Seung Ho blankly stared at the empty glass case as if his mind had broken down, the girl approached and smiled softly.

“What are you looking for? Are you perhaps looking for that butterfly from earlier?”

An ominous premonition flashed through Seung Ho’s mind.

“Where is it? My butterfly.”

Even at his threatening voice, the girl smiled brightly.

“I let it go.”

“······What?”

“The butterfly. It was pitiful. I opened the window to let it fly away freely.”

At the innocent voice, his mind went blank with a thud.

When he came to his senses at the children’s screams, the girl was crying and gasping for breath while looking at Seung Ho.

His fist, which he couldn’t resist hitting in anger, was covered in wounds from hitting the glass case, and he was soon taken to the hospital for heavy bleeding.

His parents, who found out what had happened to Seung Ho, offered to get him another butterfly many times, but he firmly refused.

He never wanted to feel the painful sense of loss of losing something of his own again. It was after that when he took up the hobby of collecting specimens. The preserved butterflies looked as vivid as if they were alive but didn’t fly away. He could be with them anytime.

Seung Ho’s eyelids slowly lifted. The living room without the lights on was darkly covered in twilight.

It seemed he had fallen asleep while sitting for a moment. Frowning at the faint headache, he raised his fingers and rubbed his temples.

He had dreamed of the time when he raised a butterfly for the first and last time. It was a terribly unpleasant dream.

Memories he never wanted to recall again visited him many times in the form of dreams.

“Tsk, just my luck······.”

Seung Ho stretched his right hand toward the crimson-stained window. The hand wrapped in white bandages cast a shadow on his face. In the crazily long afternoon, when Ji Hyun, who had given him much joy, disappeared, he thought of the Old World Swallowtail for the first time in a long time.

The small, white toes touching the slippers looked like fluttering wings, and he unconsciously stepped on them, thinking some fool who felt sorry for her might touch her.

What returned were eyes filled with shock and fear, but she wouldn’t be able to fly far away for a while. That was enough.

Ha Jun, who couldn’t take his eyes off Ji Hyun all afternoon, left with Min Woo, and Seung Ho decided to be generous. He got up from his seat and picked up the intercom.

Returning to her room, Ji Hyun slowly flipped through the notebook Ha Jun had given her page by page. The notebook, which meticulously organized textbook concepts and supplemented them with reference book contents, allowed the reader to see Ha Jun’s considerate personality.

She felt like a fool for not being able to wave her hand at Ha Jun, who couldn’t take his eyes off her even as he left the mansion. Fortunately, she didn’t have to see Ha Jun’s face tomorrow.

As time passed, she would be able to casually bring it up, saying she was sorry back then. And like before, they would study together, go to cafes, and treat it as if it was no big deal······.

While trying to soothe her sunken mood with bright thoughts, Manager Kim came to find Ji Hyun.

“Ji Hyun, go to the mansion quickly.”

At her words, Ji Hyun’s hands automatically clasped together. The hope that had faintly sprouted was suddenly extinguished. Seung Ho’s warning not to disappear without permission was chillingly cold. She was scared.

She couldn’t even imagine what kind of harm he would do to her for not listening to him. Taking a trembling breath, she arrived on the second floor, which was now almost submerged in darkness. Seung Ho’s face, heavily shadowed, was not clearly visible.

“How does it feel to have a reunion with a friend after a long time?”

“…….”

“I felt sorry for being so overjoyed to see you.”

Ji Hyun’s eyes widened at the unexpected apology. Although there was no sincerity in the word ‘sorry,’ it was even more unlikely to come from the arrogant Shin Seung Ho’s mouth.

“So, I think my hand is fine now.”

As Ji Hyun watched Seung Ho slowly continuing his words, she swallowed her dry saliva. Although she was the one receiving the apology, she strangely felt like she was walking a tightrope.

“You can go to school starting tomorrow.”

Words she had wanted before but didn’t want at all now came out of his mouth. Ji Hyun shook her head hard. She lacked the confidence to see Ha Jun’s face right away tomorrow after experiencing this. She needed time.

“No. Not yet······.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Interrupting her, Seung Ho raised his right hand toward her. The bandage that should have been wrapped was nowhere to be seen.

Ji Hyun’s surprised gaze lingered on his hand for a long time.

“Thanks to your diligent help, it has healed cleanly. So make sure to go to school starting tomorrow.”

In the deep darkness, Seung Ho was smiling.