-Bomi. Listen carefully. Sob. Won… Won has died.

What kind of news did I just hear?

Bomi’s ears went numb and she couldn’t even make a sound.

-It was an accident. I’m at the morgue now. I’ve met Won’s real family too.

Bomi’s lower abdomen tightened painfully.

It’s a lie. It’s not true.

His smiling face from this morning’s greeting remained vivid in her mind.

Even the soft touch of his lips on her cheek…

-They’ve been searching for a long time too, it seems. I was so distraught I couldn’t tell you about it.

This is a dream.

Bomi’s legs gave out and she barely managed to lean against the wall for support.

Her mind went blank at the devastating news she heard just half a day after he left.

-It was instantaneous death. Bomi?

Bomi struggled to breathe, but even as she was fainting, she cradled her belly.

-Han Bomi. Are you listening?

The voice of her aunt on the other end of the phone faded away.

In her fading consciousness, the desperate truth tore at Bomi’s heart.

Her lover and husband. And the father of the child in her womb.

Nakwon had died.

[This is the timeline separator]

‘I’m sorry I can only do this much for you right now.’

Won also seemed nervous, his voice more excited than usual. He slipped the rough, handmade ring onto Bomi’s slender finger. Nakwon, who had been rubbing the soft skin between Bomi’s fingers, looked up. The fresh scent of the forest. It was Nakwon’s scent that she loved.

When Bomi confessed that she was pregnant, Nakwon proposed without hesitation. It was amazing how her morning sickness settled when she was by his side.

Bomi’s heart raced harder than ever at Nakwon’s proposal.

‘I love you, Won.’

‘I love you, my spring.’

The man’s breath tickled Bomi’s lips.

When asked what he did before coming to Nakwon Village, he would smile bitterly and keep his mouth shut. Perhaps even the name Nakwon wasn’t real. She knew how reckless it was to promise a lifetime with a man who had so many secrets. Bomi had no regrets about this marriage that no one would approve of.

It had been over a decade since Bomi returned to Nakwon Village. The man living in the old house where she used to live with her mother. When she saw the black eyes of the man called Nakwon, she felt as if all the blood flowing through her veins was being pulled towards her heart, screaming.

Ah… The sound of willow branches swaying violently in the wind disoriented her ears, and her heart fluttered as if electrified, almost making her forget how to breathe. In that moment, Han Bomi fell in love for the first time in her life.

‘I’ll be a good husband to you.’

The obsidian-like eyes that Bomi had fallen for disappeared under the dense eyelashes.

My man. Bomi cupped Won’s cheek and looked up at him with moist eyes.

Won’s lips curved up, mouthing ‘Why?’. It felt like an untimely spring breeze was gently passing through his trembling lips.

Hot breaths intermingled as their lips overlapped.

Desiring the man more in the rising heat, she entangled herself passionately. The man blew a teasing breath on the edge of her lips.

A shiver ran through Bomi’s body.

In this moment, fitting together like perfect puzzle pieces, without fear of the past or worry for the future, Nakwon melted into Spring, and Spring melted into Nakwon.

‘Won. You’ll stay with me forever, right?’

She felt anxious because this moment was too happy.

‘Promise me, Won.’

Her voice trembled with anxiety.

‘I’m sorry.’

The man’s voice had turned cold, as if it had never been otherwise. His body, which had filled Bomi’s embrace, now felt chilly.

‘I can’t do that.’

Don’t say such things. You said you’d stay with me, that we’d be happy forever. Bomi shook her head, pulling on the man’s thick arm. He slipped through Bomi’s palms like a ghost.

‘Ah… No.’

Nakwon, who had suddenly gone far away, was becoming blurry. Bomi flailed, trying to grab Nakwon, but couldn’t even touch him with her fingertips. The place where he had been was empty.

‘Don’t go… Please don’t leave me behind.’

Bomi’s eyes welled up with tears. Once again, you’re leaving me behind…

Do you like that place without me so much? I feel precarious in this place without you. Like the ground beneath my feet right now.

Bang. With a loud noise, the ground beneath Bomi’s feet crumbled.

Buzz. Buzz.

Bomi woke from her dream to the repetitive vibration sound. It wasn’t easy to lift her eyelids, swollen from crying. She pressed the back of her hand firmly against her eyes. The floral pattern on the ceiling of the two-pyeong gosiwon she was staying in temporarily became clearer.

It was that dream again.

The dream of Nakwon, the man who disappeared from this world five years ago with news of an accident.

She wiped away the teardrops still wet on her eyes.

She thought time would make her forget, but Bomi was still longing for the dead man.

Bomi hid her stifling emotions and picked up her phone. Always working late into the night, she was constantly short on sleep. On days like this, she was grateful that even phone calls served as an alarm.

“Oh, Su Young.”

-You were sleeping, right? That’s why your elder brother gave you this wake-up call.

It was Su Young, her business partner and college classmate.

“Thanks. I was about to get up anyway. Today’s an important day.”

-Get ready and come out on time. Ugh… I’m nervous.

Su Young’s tension was palpable through the phone. Bomi unconsciously bit her lip too.

-I know you’re uncomfortable with Dowon Group, but…

“They recognize the value of Narae Creative, why would I be uncomfortable?”

Bomi couldn’t let her personal history ruin a professional opportunity.

Narae Creative, a startup, had skills but was in terrible financial shape. They had met a good investor, but ongoing projects fell through, and they even fell victim to fraud. Debts were piling up, and just as they were worrying about the company’s future, they heard miraculous news. Dowon Distribution announced a strategy to reduce operating costs of facilities like outlets by turning to online shopping, and using augmented reality (AR) for entertainment-based marketing strategies even offline. And they were recruiting companies to implement this strategy.

Narae Creative had developed various metaverse spaces using augmented reality technology, from games to shopping mall construction, and had the skills Dowon Distribution wanted.

Having beaten such formidable competitors to become the selected company, today was the day of redemption for Narae Creative, signing the collaboration contract and being rewarded for all their hard work so far.

‘Hwang Construction will be involved too, are you okay with that?’

Su Young had shown Bomi the recruitment notice and asked worriedly.

Bomi’s hesitation disappeared at the thought of the contract money she had never touched before and the welfare benefits provided by Dowon Group. The future was more important than the present, and the present more important than the past.

She wasn’t foolish enough to reject the only chance for Narae Creative to survive because of personal feelings.

Bomi quickly finished preparing and got on the bus.

Despite being jostled by the densely packed people, her lips curled up in anticipation of what was to come today.

It will go well. Everything will be fine now.

Arriving a little early, Bomi looked up at the building of Dowon Group, with its twin-like towers standing symmetrically. The Hwang Construction logo embedded in the left building caught her eye.

Don’t think about it.

“You can do it! Han Bomi.”

She couldn’t let go of her tension until she signed the contract.

Bomi took a deep breath as if trying to absorb all the good energy.

Vroom.

Startled by the engine noise of a car speeding by, Bomi stepped back.

A high-end car with dark tinted windows passed dangerously close in front of Bomi.

“Ah… How scary.”

Bomi stroked her chest and shifted her gaze to the black car stopping in front of the right building of Dowon Group. A couple more cars followed and stopped at a distance, and men in black suits who looked physically fit got out and stood by.

A company executive? The security is quite tight.

Bomi’s curiosity was piqued, wondering what kind of important person it could be. She pushed through the lined-up people and craned her neck. An executive of that level probably wouldn’t cross paths with a development company CEO like herself, but she thought she should at least know their face.

“I wonder what kind of person it is?”

She usually wasn’t interested in other people, but she must be quite excited today.

As the door of the sleek black car that seemed to reflect its owner’s personality opened, Bomi unconsciously swallowed. As the long legs of a man wearing well-polished shoes came into view, Bomi’s gaze moved up the man’s legs.

Ah!

As the man with a sturdy body wrapped in a navy suit, as if he had just exercised, stood up, an exclamation came from somewhere. All the people passing by the building stopped and turned their attention to the man.

His neatly parted hair didn’t allow for a single strand out of place, and the man’s face was so handsome it deserved praise as God’s finest work of art.

Thud.

The sound of her heart dropping echoed in her ears.

Bomi covered her mouth, swallowing the sound trying to escape between her fingers.

This can’t be.

The man, seemingly unaware of Bomi’s existence, walked confidently through the parted crowd.

His impression was somewhat sharp and cold, but Bomi knew that face too well.

It was him, who was said to have died five years ago.

“Won… sir.”

Bomi ran towards the man, pushing people aside like a madwoman.

She was so quick and desperate, like a squirrel, that even the bodyguards were momentarily caught off guard.

“What’s with that woman?”

“Is she a fan of the Director? We should catch her!”

One of the bodyguards noticed and reached out to grab Bomi. But Bomi was a step faster and grabbed the man’s sleeve.

“Won sir… Won sir.”

Her voice choked up, and just calling his name made her heart overflow. Tears welled up in Bomi’s large, deer-like eyes.

“You… You were alive. I knew it. I always… said it was a lie.”

She had loved him more than anyone and promised a future together, but 5 years ago, he suddenly disappeared from Bomi’s life. He was alive, he was perfectly fine all this time… Why hadn’t he contacted her even once during that time?

Bomi never confirmed Nakwon’s death with her own eyes. For some reason, his family didn’t want Bomi to come and gave her no information. Bomi went to Seoul but was rejected by the family and couldn’t meet them. That’s why she often fantasized that he might be alive somewhere.

“I imagined you coming back alive hundreds, thousands of times. But… This isn’t a dream, right?”

Her hand trembled anxiously, fearing that even this sleeve in her grasp might fade away like a dream.

Bomi barely moved her fingers to wrap around the man’s hand.

Unlike in her dreams, it was warm and solid. She could even feel the red veins protruding on the back of his hand under her palm.

Ah… Ah… Thank you.

Just as Bomi was shedding tears of gratitude, her hand fell into empty space.

“What is this woman?”

Bomi was startled by Nakwon’s cold tone, which she had never heard before. Her palm stung where the man had harshly pushed it away.

“Won sir?”

A look of disgust. In the chilly air, she couldn’t find the Nakwon she knew.

“I don’t know who you’re looking for, but you seem to be mistaken.”

The man frowned in displeasure and turned away.

“Won sir. Don’t you know me? Have you lost your memory and forgotten everything?”

As Bomi desperately tried to grab the man, he signaled to a bodyguard as if annoyed.

“Are you someone worth remembering?”

“Won…”

“You can’t do this here.”

Before Bomi could open her mouth, she was stopped by a bodyguard.

“Secretary Kim.”

“Yes, Director.”

Secretary Kim, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, took out an alcohol wipe and handed it over.

The man rubbed the back of his hand where Bomi had touched, as if something dirty had gotten on it.

“Change the security company immediately. I thought I told them not to let peddlers or religious groups anywhere near.”

His dry voice, devoid of inflection, was so harsh that the people around him hunched their shoulders.

“Yes, I understand.”

Secretary Kim answered mechanically, as if already used to it.

“Let go! Let me go! I finally… I finally met him after all this time! Won sir!”

Bomi struggled desperately, looking at the man getting further away as she was dragged away by the bodyguards.

“Hey. You’re about to get us fired. What’s your deal?”

“That man… I can’t let him go like this.”

I still have a mountain of things I couldn’t tell you… A hot lump rose in Bomi’s throat.

“Tsk. What? Are you an ex-lover or something?”

“How did you know?”

The bodyguard sighed at the woman’s naive response.

When it comes to men, at least go crazy gracefully…

“How many women do you think have tried to make connections like this? There were even women who brought children, trying to get a piece of the pie. Please use a more original method. Not like this, causing trouble for many people and not getting anywhere.”

Could it not be Nakwon? The bodyguard’s words made her doubt, adding to the sense of discomfort she had been feeling.

“… What is that person’s name?”

“Come on. If you’re going to pull a stunt, shouldn’t you at least know the person’s name?”

The bodyguard clicked his tongue at the woman’s stupidity. This woman would get caught if she tried to scam anywhere.

After Nakwon died, she learned that he had a family. And as expected, Nakwon wasn’t his real name from the beginning. He also had a real name… Bomi suddenly realized that she knew nothing about the man she had made love with and whispered love to every night. She couldn’t even know about his final funeral.

Seeing Bomi collapse from the shock of Nakwon’s obituary, her aunt told her to forget Nakwon for the sake of the child in her womb. Even when asked, the aunt who had delivered the news of Nakwon’s death wouldn’t reveal anything. Whether it was because Nakwon’s family was trying to cover up his death by blaming the people of Nakwon Village for hiding a missing person, Bomi’s aunt only said she couldn’t remember and told Bomi to forget about it, no matter how many times Bomi asked out of frustration.

What good would it do to confirm who that man was now…

“Bomi!”

Ha Su Young came running, calling out to the dejected and weakened Bomi.

“Let her go.”

He tried to separate Bomi from the security guard.

“Are you with her?”

“We came today for a contract with Dowon Distribution. I don’t understand why our CEO is being treated this way.”

When Ha Su Young showed the authorized pass, the security guard finally released Bomi.

“Sigh… If you came for a contract, you should focus on your work properly.”

The security guard’s reproachful words were heard, but Ha Su Young was too busy supporting the exhausted Bomi to pay attention.

“Bomi… What on earth happened?”

“Su Young. I… I met that person. He was alive. He wasn’t dead.”

“Bomi.”

Ha Su Young had an ominous feeling. He remembered Bomi’s state of mind from five years ago. Bomi, who had disappeared for a couple of months and then reappeared, was alone in that old house. She neglected eating and sleeping, even talking to herself in the air. Even the child in her womb was in danger.

Fearing that Bomi might die if left alone, they prevented her from going to Nakwon Village and moved her to her aunt’s house.

They thought she had gotten better, but Nakwon was still alive inside her.

“That person didn’t know me. Did he forget me? Is he really someone else? But he looks exactly the same?”

Bomi’s eyes became cloudy. In her memory, Won was a person for whom Bomi was the entire world. The man she met today looked exactly like Nakwon, but his aura was different.

“Doppelganger. They say there are three people in the world who look alike.”

Ha Su Young helped the dazed Bomi to her feet.

He swallowed his words, thinking it would be too cruel to tell Bomi that person was dead and she should forget him now.

“It’s just someone who looks similar.”

The man who wiped his hand as if he had touched a bug where Bomi’s hand had touched was Nakwon’s face, but he wasn’t Nakwon. Did I make a mistake? Did I mistake an illusion for reality because I missed him so much?

“Yes… I’m so foolish.”

Bomi touched her lips and stared blankly into space.

Nakwon is dead. I should finally accept it.

Because he left me something more precious than himself.

Buzz.

As the vibration on her wrist rang strongly, Bomi hurriedly pulled out her phone from her bag.

Touching her eyes, she signaled to Ha Su Young, who made a circle with his fingers and mouthed silently.

Pretty, Bomi.

“Oh, Yeo Reum!”

-Mom!

As she slid the phone screen, a round face with black eyes sparkling like jewels came into view.

The reason for Spring’s existence after Nakwon disappeared.

It was Summer, the child of Nakwon and Spring.