Romance for You (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1

London Heathrow Airport.

As Ji Ho entered the gate, a quiet gasp escaped the flight attendant who met him at the entrance.

His strikingly handsome face and imposing height instantly captured attention.

Wrapped in a sleek black turtleneck sweater, his brown cashmere coat—reaching down to his knees—looked so stylish with every step he took that it evoked images of a runway.

Above all, his elegant, refined presence fit seamlessly into first class without the slightest hint of incongruity.

“Welcome aboard. We’re glad to have you.”

“Yes.”

The attendant’s face broke into a genuinely warm smile.

He was on his way back to Seoul after visiting his parents in London during winter break.

Settling deeply into his seat, Ji Ho stretched out his long legs, already dreading the long, dull flight ahead.

At the edge of his perpetually languid gaze, a woman who had just stepped into the cabin appeared.

Perhaps because it was rare to encounter someone his age in first class, a faint curiosity sparked in his eyes as he watched her.

Clear, defined features. A short bob revealing a long, snow-white neck.

She exuded an air of haughty intellect, yet her eyes held a strange emptiness.

Thud. Thud.

The woman walked in and, without so much as glancing at Ji Ho, plopped down into the seat right beside him, with only the aisle between them.

His handsome face seemed to stir no reaction in her whatsoever.

For a while, she simply stared blankly out the window.

“…Mom.”

After a moment, a low, strained voice slipped from her lips as she pressed her phone to her ear.

“Yeah… Don’t worry… I’ll call you once I land… You take care too, Mom.”

Her voice rang clearly through the still-quiet cabin before takeoff.

It trembled slightly, her words coming in hesitant fragments—as if she were holding back tears.

When the brief call ended, soft sobs followed shortly after.

“Huh… huk… huk…”

As her emotions intensified, her crying grew steadily louder with time.

Ji Ho frowned faintly at the unfamiliar woman’s weeping.

Later, when all cabin lights were off,

Ji Ho, unable to sleep despite tossing and turning, finally got up from his seat.

Heading toward the self-service bar in the aisle, he glanced sideways at the woman curled up next to him.

He’d assumed she was asleep because of the silence—but from above, he saw her shoulders trembling faintly.

Ji Ho tilted his head slightly.

A muffled sniffle drifted weakly from beneath the blanket covering her face.

Was she crying again after sobbing so much earlier?

He halted mid-step, stared at her silently for a moment, then slowly turned away.

**

The plane, gradually descending in altitude, landed on the runway with a loud roar and intense vibration.

The moment the arrival announcement finished, the woman shot up from her seat.

At that instant, her body swayed heavily, her bag slipping from her shoulder and spilling its contents onto the floor.

Clatter.

Dizzy and unsteady, she began picking up the scattered items.

Ji Ho picked up the wallet and passport that had landed near his feet and handed them to her.

“Here…”

“Oh. Thanks.”

For a brief second, their eyes met as she lifted her head.

Her eyes were red and swollen.

Her pale face was blotchy from dried tears, startlingly clear at such close range.

She must have cried all night.

Quickly lowering her gaze, she hurried out of the cabin.

A moment later, Ji Ho rose leisurely to collect his belongings.

Just then, a thin object beneath his foot caught his attention as he took a step forward.

Lifting his foot, he found a familiar-looking card lying alone on the floor—

a student ID bearing a clear photo and the inscription: [Jeong I Su, Pre-med, Korea University].

“…So we go to the same school.”

Ji Ho murmured softly to himself.

Since she’d only just left, he might still catch up to her.

Pocketing the ID, Ji Ho moved quickly.

Thanks to his haste, he arrived at baggage claim before his luggage appeared—but the woman was nowhere in sight.

Could she really have traveled all the way to London with just the one bag she’d dropped earlier?

Ji Ho frowned in puzzlement, still holding the student ID he hadn’t managed to return.

Normally, he would have immediately handed it in to the airport’s lost-and-found—but the memory of her red, swollen eyes made him hesitate.

It might be a bit bothersome, but with the new semester about to start and knowing both her name and major, returning it shouldn’t be too difficult…

Ji Ho slipped the student ID into his wallet.

**

First day of the new semester.

In March, the campus buzzed with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation; despite the early hour, students’ faces glowed with the vitality of spring.

On his way to the College of Business, Ji Ho glanced up at the grand buildings towering above.

Emblazoned across the top of one structure, the words [Korea University Hospital] sparkled in the sunlight.

The medical school stood on the right side of campus, accompanied by more than ten hospital buildings.

The area bustled with people in white lab coats moving briskly around the buildings, creating an atmosphere distinctly different—and somewhat unfamiliar—from the rest of the university.

Ji Ho walked slowly down the path he usually passed through indifferently, taking it in with new eyes.

He found himself hoping he might run into Jeong I Su by chance, simultaneously recalling both her student ID photo and her tear-streaked face.

If fortune smiled on him, he wouldn’t need to go out of his way to track her down.

His gaze lingered longer than usual on the faces of passing female students.

What did she usually look like?

Would he recognize her at a glance?

Lost in such thoughts, Ji Ho suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

He stopped walking and pulled it out.

Seeing Ha Jun’s name appear on the screen, Ji Ho’s eyes instantly brightened.

“Ha Jun!”

He answered the call cheerfully, as if he’d been waiting for it.

[Hey… Ji Ho. It’s me…]

Ha Jun responded in a dazed voice.

“You called at just the right time. I wanted to ask you something—didn’t you say you know a lot of people in med school?”

Ha Jun, sociable and active, had an exceptionally wide circle of friends.

“Do you happen to know a Jeong I Su from pre-med?”

[Jeong I Su? Yeah, I know her. She’s in the same ski club as me. Why’s she come up all of a sudden?]

Ha Jun, true to form, didn’t disappoint.

Ji Ho’s lips curled upward in a satisfied smile.

“That’s perfect.”

[Perfect for what?]

“Where are you right now?”

[Dude, I had an emergency appendectomy yesterday—I’m still in the hospital. I’ll probably be discharged by the weekend.]

“…What?”

So that’s why Ha Jun called so early in the morning.

Caught completely off guard, Ji Ho was momentarily speechless.

“Did the surgery go well?”

[Of course. It’s a routine procedure.]

“Still… you must’ve had a rough time.”

[Yep. But why are you asking about I Su?]

“I was going to ask you for a favor, but I’ll just handle it myself. Focus on resting and recovering well. I’ll see you after you’re discharged.”

After ending the call, Ji Ho ran a hand through his hair.

The ski club…

Just then, he decided the student union building—closer to the College of Business than the isolated medical school—would be the better place to start.

“Ji Ho, what are you doing standing here? Don’t we have first-period class today?”

Jun Woo, a classmate taking the same course, had spotted Ji Ho on his way and called out.

“Ah, yeah. Let’s go.”

“It’s almost 9 already.”

“Really?”

Had he been too relaxed?

Checking the time on his phone—8:47—

he realized they’d need to hurry to avoid being late.

“Let’s move! We’re gonna be late on the very first day!”

Prompted by Jun Woo, Ji Ho started walking—

now resigned to the fact he’d need to make the extra effort himself.

**

Friday afternoon.

Ji Ho entered the Jinri Building to attend his first class of the required general course, [Understanding Cinema].

Famous for being an easy credit, the large lecture hall—capable of seating 200—was packed with students.

The previously quiet room suddenly stirred as Ji Ho walked in.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Is Seo Ji Ho taking this class too?!”

“This is what they mean by a radiant aura. Every time I see him, I’m reminded—his presence is unreal.”

Groups of female students widened their eyes in unison, as if on cue, and all turned their full attention toward him.

“Wow… Look at him—head to toe wrapped in luxury brands. How much do you think all that costs?”

Clothing, bags, and shoes—all priced far beyond what any ordinary student allowance could cover.

They continued marveling at his tasteful and refined style.

“Don’t you think if Seo Ji Ho wore a 10,000-won T-shirt, it’d still look like a luxury brand? He doesn’t even need to spend so much…”

“He’s probably drowning in money—why worry? To him, this is probably like us buying a 10,000-won shirt.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you know? Seo Ji Ho’s grandfather founded SN Financial.”

“Seriously?”

Hearing this for the first time, the girl’s eyes nearly popped out.

SN Financial ranked number one every year in surveys of preferred financial-sector employers—making it one of the dream workplaces most coveted by university students.

“I heard that rumor too and looked it up—apparently, he inherited an enormous amount of stock as a child. His name even appeared in news articles.”

Her friend chimed in knowingly.

“Anyway, I already love this class before it’s even really started. Haha.”

Eyes gleaming with excitement swept over Ji Ho from all directions, accompanied by whispers of rumors and personal impressions.

Ji Ho took the weight of their gazes calmly as he sat down.

The murmuring only quieted when the professor entered.

“Today we’ll cover theoretical cinema terminology and watch one film, which you’ll later write a reflection paper on.”

After a brief introduction, the lecture began.

Since the class relied solely on note-taking without a textbook, students’ hands moved busily.

An hour later, the lights dimmed, and an old film began playing on the screen.

It told the poignant story of a father risking his life for his young son—a tale of tender love that weighed heavily on viewers’ hearts.

Near the film’s end, Ji Ho turned his head absentmindedly—and his gaze froze on a single spot.

The woman’s face, softly bathed in the screen’s reflected, hazy glow.

Across the semi-circular lecture hall, Jeong I Su sat watching the screen as still as a paused frame.

Recognizing her instantly, Ji Ho gave a wry smile.

They were in the same class.

An unexpected coincidence he hadn’t even considered.

Just as he regretted being unable to approach her immediately, a tear slid down her cheek.

Ji Ho tilted his head and shifted his focus from the screen to her.

The image of her from his memory gradually blurred, replaced by the vivid clarity of her face before him.

The melancholy, lonely melody of the cello drifting from the speakers felt like a soundtrack composed just for her.

The woman lowered her head and covered her face with both hands.

Her faintly trembling shoulders overlapped faintly with the memory of that day on the plane.

Why is she crying again today…

While the rest of the class fought drowsiness during the film’s calm latter half, Jeong I Su was the only one in tears.

Ji Ho, who usually disliked seeing women cry, found himself thinking for the first time that a woman’s tears could awaken a man’s protective instinct.

His eyes, no longer on the film, remained fixed on Jeong I Su until the end credits rolled.

Her student ID still remained unreturned, tucked safely in his wallet.

When class ended, Ji Ho quickly gathered his things and headed out—but the woman, who’d been seated near the exit, had already vanished.

Watching the crowd stream out of the lecture hall like receding tide, he let out a quiet, rueful laugh.

He’d missed her again.