Early in the morning, journalists who received the breaking news gathered in front of Seo Jun’s house from dawn. Why are the fortress-like building and walls so high? It was impossible to even peek inside as much as a fingernail.

Even though it was now late afternoon, the journalists could only stamp their feet in the cold weather, helplessly waiting for Tae Seo Jun, who might appear at any moment.

Perhaps their wishes came true.

As if it had never been tightly closed, the bunker garage door opened smoothly, and a pitch-black car from its body to its windows stealthily poked out its front.

“Hey! There it comes!”

“It’s Tae Seo Jun!”

“Block the car! Quickly, don’t let it go anywhere!”

The quick-footed journalists rushed over there in a frenzy.

But they were all fooled.

Like making noise in the east and escaping to the west, the Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan carrying Tae Seo Jun smoothly slipped out through the back of the parking lot.

After neatly handling work reports and video conferences related to , Seo Jun left home and headed straight to in Samseong-dong.

The sleek, high-end car that looked like it belonged to the owner was parked on the 3rd basement level of the parking garage.

As Tae Seo Jun got out of the car, he seemed to have shed his former neat image, with the blue-gray color of his double suit exuding a deep decadence from the start.

As the man with perfect physique stepped out of the elevator, the lobby’s brilliant radiance pooled at his feet. His long legs took confident strides, walking elegantly as if on a red carpet, as he passed through the secretarial office and entered the CEO’s office.

“Lucky you, CEO.”

Seo Jun playfully greeted him after a three-year gap, crossing his long legs as he sat languidly on the sofa.

“You ignored my calls so much, and now you finally decided to move?”

“Well. It seemed like someone was desperately looking for me, so I came to check. Was I wrong?”

Won Hoo, who had been sitting in the most comfortable position with his legs propped up on the crystal desk, quickly lowered his feet to the floor as he spoke. As if that wasn’t enough of a welcoming reaction, Seo Jun wiggled one finger. It was a signal to come closer to him immediately.

“How should I punish this arrogant bastard to make myself feel better?”

Though his words were harsh, Won Hoo’s lithe body had already moved to sit close beside Seo Jun.

“Can you even punish me?”

“Well, nothing’s impossible. But I’ll let it slide this once. Since you’ve returned alive by the skin of your teeth.”

“I’m moved to tears by your leniency.”

The two men exchanged what seemed like jokes, but it was their own way of lightly circumventing heavy sincerity. It was no lie that Seo Jun had briefly visited the other world.

On the day of the terrorist attack, Seo Jun, who had collapsed from the strong impact, suffered muscle ruptures in his back and bruises all over his body. The most serious was the concussion, and it was considered a miracle that he only lost consciousness for a full day.

Won Hoo’s eyes narrowed as he carefully examined Tae Seo Jun.

Whether due to his quick recovery or not, he looked perfectly fine on the outside. No, more than fine – even Seo Jun’s slanted gaze and tone exuded an extreme elegance.

He seemed to have lost some weight since before enlisting, but Seo Jun, who had returned even more refined than 3 years ago, also had a crazy presence several times stronger than before.

To accurately describe the upgraded Tae Seo Jun’s aura, he was the very embodiment of a seasoned male wolf – hungry yet not losing his dignity.

“A good project that suits you perfectly has come in. Want to take a look at the script?”

Won Hoo cut to the chase and pushed the work first. He felt rushed because the perfect actor with 100% synchronization for the role that freely crossed between good and evil was right in front of him.

“It’s a blockbuster drama. The broadcast is set to start in summer, and they’ll begin production as soon as casting is finalized. The director is Yoon Ji Wan.”

“That guy who only does movies? What’s the occasion?”

“You perked up at the director’s name, right?”

Yoon Ji Wan was a film director considered a genius in Chungmuro, and it was every actor’s dream to work with him at least once.

Seo Jun, who had declined the director’s love calls a few times due to scheduling conflicts, found it somewhat unexpected that such a skilled person would venture into dramas, but didn’t think much else of it.

“No. I’m planning to rest for a while.”

“Can’t you change that thought?”

“……”

Waving his wide open palm without responding was a firm rejection.

Seo Jun’s gaze shifted to the window overlooking the park.

The clouds blooming white in the sky were fluffy like cotton. The trees lining the street still revealed bare branches, but it was the natural order of things that warm winds and sunlight carrying spring would soon melt the frozen world and sprout pale green buds.

Even the soon-to-set sunlight felt like spring, but his heart was still in the dead of winter. Feeling his chest full of desolate energy somehow suffocating, Seo Jun sighed and said,

“Forget about me. Give it to another actor. Opportunities should be fair.”

His voice was as dry as withered leaves in the cold wind.

“It’s not that our company doesn’t have any male actors who could handle that role, but they’re not as good as you. So just do this project as I say, okay?”

The words were long. Unless he had other intentions, Seo Jun knew better than anyone that Gu Won Hoo, who usually preferred brevity in everything, was different from usual.

“Don’t beat around the bush. Just say it straight.”

“Kid, your intuition is really something else.”

“So what’s your ulterior motive?”

“Actually, Oh Min Jung has been set as the female lead for that drama, but I’m trying to squeeze in one more female supporting role on the side. But since it’s a role that rivals the lead, there are so many applicants. Director Yoon said it might be possible if he connects you.”

Won Hoo even deployed his excellent business smile to gently persuade the indifferent Seo Jun.

“So, the director wants me, and you’re going to use that to insert the actress you have in mind into that drama?”

“That’s right. Her acting skills still seem a bit lacking, but that’s probably due to lack of experience. Above all, her visuals are too good to remain unknown.”

“Seems she lacks qualifications as an actress, so why drag me into such a trivial matter? Whoever it is, tell her to give up if she’s not capable. Same goes for you.”

Seo Jun’s expression, with one eyebrow raised crookedly, was as calm and solid as his slicked-back hair. At least until he heard her name.

“Ah, come on! Don’t be like that and help me out!”

“I said no.”

Picking up the Zippo lighter on the table and starting to fiddle with it, Seo Jun snickered softly as if it was out of the question.

He wasn’t going to do it anyway, but having an actress he was involved with would be quite distracting throughout the work, and Seo Jun found that bothersome from the start.

Knowing his inner thoughts all too well, Won Hoo flopped down on the sofa and tapped the armrest indifferently while muttering,

“You know too. When have I ever asked for a favor like this?”

“That’s what I’m saying. There’s clearly a casting department in charge of this, so why are you getting involved? Unless you have other feelings for this woman you’re trying to package deal with me.”

Seo Jun’s deep, intense eyes narrowed slightly.

“Hey, man, it’s not like that!”

Though it was meant as a light jab, Won Hoo jumped up as if struck by an axe.

“Then what is it?”

“Her name is Eom So Yeon, an actress who uses her real name. She’ll definitely make it big if she gets the right chance, but it’s pitiful that things have gone awry and she’s been struggling until now!”

“……”

Eom So Yeon.

He didn’t expect to hear her name here.

Furrowing his brow and tilting his head slightly, Seo Jun looked directly at Won Hoo but didn’t rush. He only asked quietly in a resonant voice.

“Where is that woman now?”

Won Hoo immediately moved to the desk and pressed the intercom button to speak to his secretary.

“Did Eom So Yeon come to the company today?”

-I did see her eating lunch with Manager Yeo Do Soon in the cafeteria. Should I contact Eom So Yeon?

“No, that’s fine. She’s probably in the practice room. I’ll do it.”

Having roughly determined So Yeon’s whereabouts, Won Hoo called out to Seo Jun, who was walking towards the door and getting up from the sofa.

“Where are you going?”

Did he suddenly change his mind? The conversation wasn’t even finished, so what was the point of leaving here? Won Hoo’s eyes turned askew with incredulity.

“My room.”

By “my room,” Seo Jun meant his director’s office.

“Weren’t you going to meet Eom So Yeon and accept the offer?”

“No, not that. I was just thinking of taking a look, but it seems pointless.”

“Wow…!”

Wow, I really want to hit him!

Unlike his usual self, the guy was toying with people, so Won Hoo smacked the back of Seo Jun’s head, who had his hand on the doorknob, with eyes full of irritation.

Perhaps feeling that gaze, Seo Jun, who was about to go out the door, stopped and stared at Won Hoo.

“What. What is it?”

“Is that woman twenty-six years old?”

“Did you know each other?”

“Well.”

Seo Jun left only a chuckle as if that couldn’t be possible and exited the CEO’s office.

The age and all. It seemed to be that Eom So Yeon. But so what? What was he going to do with that woman now?

There was no need to dredge up the past from 3 years ago, which would have gathered a layer of dust even if it was white. Seo Jun trudged along, not knowing where his feet were taking him. But his heart was beating wildly.

Eom So Yeon.

From the moment he heard that name in the CEO’s office.

That which he had started touching again at the deployment site was in his hand.

As he got on the elevator, Seo Jun’s fingertips hesitated at the 9th floor button before moving up to press the 10th floor. It was because the smoking area was on the roof.

Stepping out on the 10th floor, Seo Jun opened the door right in front and went outside. And after taking a few steps, he saw it. Someone standing alone at the edge of the rooftop garden.

“…!”

Even though it was a backlit silhouette, Seo Jun could tell.

That the slender figure bathed in the sunset glow was none other than her.

As soon as she was captured in his dark eyes, his breath, which had felt blocked for so long, suddenly cleared. With just that, Seo Jun could realize what had been the cause of the frustration that had been tormenting him all this time.

Funny as it may be, it was because of that woman after all.

A meeting and parting that didn’t even last a day.

A woman with whom things never began, so they could never end.

That unfinished lingering had been gnawing and eating away at his mind so much.

“Eom… So Yeon?”

The sound that came out tickling the tip of his tongue was unknown even to himself.

Was it because of the name that escaped his lips? Seo Jun’s calm lips curled into a sneer.

As if mocking God’s error, or fate’s cruel joke.

“!”

A low, smooth voice called out to her. It might have been an illusion brought on by her longing to see him, but the voice that reached So Yeon’s ears was not unfamiliar at all. Too shocked, a soft sob escaped her lips as she stifled a cry.

That’s when it happened.

Seo Jun strode up to Eom So Yeon.

Wiping her blurry vision with the back of her hand, So Yeon looked up at him standing before her with a dazed gaze.

Blinking her eyes repeatedly.

Staring and staring at the large figure of the dazzling man who seemed like an illusion.

“…!”

No matter how much she looked, it was him!

She could tell the man in front of her was Tae Seo Jun…

She could tell so well…

But…

Seo Jun silently looked down at the small, white face, and So Yeon kept looking up at his overly dazzling face with teary eyes. From a position where their noses would touch if he just lowered his head slightly.

“……”

“……”

A warm breeze seemed to blow between their intensely intertwined gazes.

It was a spring breeze melting hearts that had been frozen all winter.

The strong scent wafting from him gripped So Yeon’s heart tightly. As her long hair blown by the wind brushed against Seo Jun’s collar, his heart pounded uncontrollably.

Thump thump thump…

Turning back the hands of time, the two people sank into the past, traversing their memories.

That winter night that had been stopped for quite a long time.

Into that moment.