The brand new blue sky without a single cloud looks like it has been painted with watercolors. The light brown eyes that have been admiring the sky for a while slowly look down.

Everything around has turned completely white overnight. The snow that started falling last night only stopped in the morning. It is Ji Hyun’s job to clear the snow piled up on the stone wall path between the main house and the annex.

Not wanting to waste the pristine white snowfield without any traces, Ji Hyun carefully steps onto the snow. The feeling of walking on the snow is very pleasant, but her feet in sneakers quickly lose warmth.

Ji Hyun suddenly remembers the day Seung Ho left. The moment their eyes met, she thought he would definitely say something, but he just smiled and left.

‘…… Why did he smile?’

Ji Hyun, who has been lost in thought, shakes her head. By the time she loses sensation in her feet, Ji Hyun lets out a soft shout and moves the broom vigorously.

As the winter break begins, the fear of exam studies and anxiety about going to college that Ji Hyun shared with her friends become distant.

“You’re in your third year of high school now, shouldn’t you attend a academy?”

Hyun Sook, who has heard about exam life from somewhere, recommends it several times with a worried face, but each time Ji Hyun stubbornly shakes her head.

“It’s okay, Aunt. I can do well on my own.”

If Hyun Sook knew how much the special lecture fees that prospective students must pay, she would be surprised and borrow money to send her to an academy. So Ji Hyun never tells her.

She doesn’t want to burden her aunt who has taken care of her any more. Instead, she clears the snow piled up to her ankles and spends time eating roasted sweet potatoes with Hyun Sook.

Sometimes she dozes off while solving problem books, but it’s okay. Ji Hyun, who spends time completely on her own, is satisfied.

How hard has she swept the snow……?

The front door of the annex opens and Hyun Sook appears.

“I told you to clear it roughly and come back, what took you so long? Come in quickly. I made fish cake soup.”

“Yes, Aunt. I’m coming now.”

Ji Hyun’s cheeks are red as she smiles brightly. Hyun Sook clicks her tongue as she looks Ji Hyun up and down. The cheap padded jacket with cotton and thin sneakers catch her eye.

“You cleared the path so cleanly wearing such thin clothes?”

“It’s okay. I’m not cold at all.”

Ji Hyun answers cheerfully as if it’s nothing, but her feet are already frozen. Hyun Sook’s eyes deepen.

“Don’t put on airs and come in quickly. You’ll only lose out if you catch a cold.”

“Yes.”

As Ji Hyun heads towards the front door, her nose tingles for no reason. Warmth blooms in a spot in her heart at Hyun Sook’s worried words. Special lectures, college, none of it matters. She just likes the peace surrounding her.

The modern-style villa was scientifically designed to showcase the spectacular scenery of Switzerland, and the best part was the wide panoramic windows.

Seung Ho and his entourage spent a lot of time in the living room with large windows overlooking the blue lake and snowy mountains. Most of their time was spent skiing or preparing for the evening party.

Seung Ho was the same. After arriving at the villa, he spent some time immersed in skiing.

Moving in the snow until he was soaked in sweat felt refreshing and put him in a good mood. At Min Woo’s request, he occasionally attended parties.

However, the entertainment didn’t last long. He quickly lost interest. Things really changed after receiving the gift. A girl who had been attracted to Seung Ho for a long time shyly approached him and handed him a gift.

“Um, I heard you like butterflies……”

Inside the glass ball, which she said she had specially ordered after obtaining information that he had a hobby of collecting butterflies, was a beautiful morpho butterfly with its wings spread.

He would have ignored it usually, but he must have really liked the gift as he often carried it around and gazed at it for a long time.

The distinct winter sunlight warmly illuminated every corner of the house through the large glass windows. As usual, all his friends went out to ski, but Seung Ho stayed at the villa.

Sitting in front of the crackling fireplace, Seung Ho’s gaze was not on the deep lake or the majestic snowy mountains, but on the glass sphere in his hand.

Looking at the familiar morpho butterfly reminded him of the mansion. Among the butterflies preserved by species, the morpho butterfly was large and beautiful, so it was displayed in the center.

In his recollection, there was always Ji Hyun. The light-colored eyes, completely different from the room’s owner, always looked at the morpho butterfly whenever she came and went.

Staring at the wings that looked like they would fly away at any moment, sparkling her eyes and exclaiming in admiration like that……

Seung Ho’s eyes deepened as he stared at the glass sphere.

“Ah! It’s cold!”

Having forgotten his gloves, Min Woo, who returned to the villa, discovered Seung Ho sitting in front of the fireplace.

These days, Min Woo found him, whom he had known since childhood, a little unfamiliar. He didn’t know about other things, but he used to enjoy skiing quite a bit, but this time he didn’t show much interest in skiing either. At first, he thought it was because of the jet lag, but it was the same even after a few days.

“Do you like the gift that much?”

Min Woo, who was about to put on his gloves and go out right away, changed his mind and plopped down next to him, striking up a conversation.

“Well……”

For something he looked at often, it was a indifferent answer.

“The girls went crazy because of you.”

Min Woo’s mouth twitched as he brought his feet close to the firewood and warmed his body.

“If I had known this would happen, I should have caught a butterfly for you a long time ago.”

The girl who gave the gift reportedly returned to the group and let out a cry of joy. Some envied the glass sphere that never left his hand, while others were jealous.

Among them, the most passionate about feeling sorry was Bo Ra. The problem was that the place she went around saying it wasn’t too late and that she would give the prettiest butterfly as a gift was a jewelry shop……

Min Woo, whose thoughts reached that point, couldn’t hold back his laughter. The situation where girls stepped up to offer butterflies and jewels to win Shin Seung Ho’s heart……

“You’re quite the precious princess.”

“Shut up.”

“Come on, let’s go out together. The kids will like it too.”

Seung Ho closed his eyes tightly as if he would not listen to any more invitations.

“No.”

“Okay. If that’s how you feel, I can’t help it. I’m going.”

“……”

Seung Ho was alone again. Slowly opening his closed eyes, he got up from the chair and walked closer to the window.

The majestic and white snowy mountains caught his eye. For some time after arriving here, he was surprised to realize that the scenery outside the window was not the garden of the mansion.

It felt unfamiliar. That those eyes that used to stare at the butterfly were not here……

“I absolutely hate you.”

Seung Ho’s eyes turned cold as he recalled the last words they exchanged. He remembered Ji Hyun’s face as she confronted him, asking why he tormented her so much.

No, to be precise, he had never forgotten it. What he said was sincere.

He hated Ji Hyun.

He couldn’t stand how she bit her lips and endured by his side, how her long eyelashes trembled, how her empty eyes looking at him seemed to say that he was nothing.

What little patience he had left had already run out when he saw Ji Hyun dealing with Kim Ha Jun. Ji Hyun, who stood still like a preserved butterfly in front of Seung Ho, was different with Ha Jun.

The hurt face, the angry eyes seemed to perfectly show the difference between him and Ha Jun. He couldn’t stand it. After looking at the scenery outside for a long time, Seung Ho picked up the glass sphere he was holding and held it up to the sunlight.

The distinct blue wings of the morpho butterfly sparkled beautifully in the light. Seung Ho’s eyes were dry as he looked at the unmoving butterfly.

“It’s not as fun as before.”

The glass sphere he let go of without any lingering attachment fell to the floor. Seung Ho finally realized what he wanted. The preserved butterfly could no longer be his joy.

He wanted a butterfly that would spread its beautiful wings, fly to him, and find rest only within him, a living butterfly.