Woo Jin was using a braille terminal to read the text he had written converted to braille.

After reading for a while, he let out a small sigh and rubbed his fingertips with his thumb.

The braille on the terminal was made of sharp plastic, so his fingertips would hurt if he touched it for too long.

Though he couldn’t see, his fingertips were probably all red.

There was nothing better than paper for reading by hand, but printing out all these manuscripts was a very troublesome task.

Moreover, it’s difficult to edit braille printed on paper.

− I was curious about Seol Woo Jin.

Suddenly, he recalled what Soo Young had said.

What was she curious about? Was she curious about me, or curious about what it’s like to not be able to see…

She must be curious about what it would be like to be 100% blind, but he also wondered why she was curious.

Seol Ji Hyun and his grandfather had also tried to help him somehow when he couldn’t see.

He knows that even now, they are working hard for the welfare of the visually impaired.

But they are family…

Why Kim Soo Young, who is a stranger? Well, Na Eun was also a stranger, but she never stopped pushing Woo Jin to be able to do something, to be independent.

But Soo Young felt somehow different from Na Eun.

He couldn’t tell what was different, but he didn’t feel any pressure from Soo Young.

Is it because other people knew me when I could see, while she has only seen me when I can’t see?

She doesn’t compare me to Seol Woo Jin when he could see? No, it’s not that she doesn’t, she can’t.

He felt both fortunate and regretful at the same time.

If we had met then, I could have seen what this woman looked like…

But when I was 19, Kim Soo Young was 15? She would have been in middle school. She spouts off now, but she must have been even worse then.

Kim Soo Young as a middle schooler must have been charming too. She would have been smaller than now. Or not?

Girls mature early. Maybe she was similar to now…

Even now she loses her mind when she sees a handsome man, so it must have been worse then, right? Did she chase after idols? Join fan clubs and all that…

It was just imagination, but somehow he felt anger rising.

Suddenly thinking he hadn’t paid attention to his physique lately, he abruptly stood up to exercise.

But then his phone suddenly rang and a voice announced the caller.

Jung, Na, Eun. Jung, Na, Eun.

Woo Jin hesitated for a moment about whether to answer, then picked up the phone and pressed the call button.

“Hello.”

− It’s me. I heard you were sick?

“…Yeah.”

− Did you have trouble breathing? You used to get like that when you were excited or not feeling well, remember?

“…Why did you call?”

At his dry voice, Na Eun was silent for a moment before speaking cheerfully.

Woo Jin listened to her words with a bitter expression, noticing that she was deliberately speaking more cheerfully.

− There are some parts that need to be revised in the “Dragon God War” manuscript. Times have changed, right? So there are some parts I’d like to update for the current generation. Is that okay?

“Talk to Seol Ji Hyun about that.”

− How can Ji Hyun oppa revise this? The author should do it.

“How can I revise all those manuscripts? I’m busy.”

− You can do it gradually. And there’s also an opinion about dividing it into episodes. Not uploading it all at once. So you can edit it bit by bit.

Woo Jin quietly held his forehead. It was his debut work and he had written it very enjoyably.

When he was writing it, he was so immersed in that world that he didn’t care about his grandfather’s disregard or his father’s pressure.

Being a work written in youthful spirit, it might seem childish now and have many parts that need revision.

Still, he had no desire to look at the writing from when he could see again.

Recalling that time made him feel more miserable about the present, so he wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

But expressing these feelings to Na Eun in detail would hurt his pride, so Woo Jin said nothing.

However, Na Eun, who had always cared more about her own feelings than others’ since before, now seemed to care more about her work than Woo Jin’s feelings.

− Can’t I come to your house and revise it together? The team leader entrusted this task entirely to me. I want to do well.

To be honest, she wanted to meet him again under that pretext.

For her, restoring their relationship was more important than “Dragon God War” doing well on the platform.

Moreover, the team leader had noticed her personal connection with the author and was subtly pressuring her, so she needed to become close with Woo Jin again even more.

Whether he knew her feelings or not, Woo Jin continued to say nothing.

Na Eun looked at the screen to see if the call might have been disconnected, but the call time was still increasing.

“Woo Jin.”

− I… don’t care about that novel. If you want to revise it, do it yourself. You know all the content anyway.

“Are you uncomfortable meeting me?”

− It’s not that.

“Then why? You liked writing this back then, didn’t you? You were going to stop in the middle, but then the fan cafe went crazy and you found the strength to keep writing. Don’t you remember?”

− I don’t remember. I don’t remember!

At the sudden shout, Na Eun closed her mouth. She could hear his heavy breathing through the phone.

Na Eun suddenly felt choked up at his words.

It’s not just a simple book. It’s the time and memories they shared together.

Those times were precious, so she took on the launch of this out-of-print book.

Of course she would want to take on the launch of new popular works too.

“Dragon God War” was explosively popular at the time, but now times and generations have changed, so it’s uncertain how well it will sell.

But this man doesn’t even want to recall the time, the memories with her? Why? Because I left? Because I didn’t contact him once?

“…It was hard for you then, and hard for me too. That’s why we broke up. So now let’s…”

− We didn’t break up. You ran away. From me. When I was at my hardest…

Na Eun’s heart sank. There was something she kept telling herself in America.

I didn’t run away. I broke up with Seol Woo Jin after a fight.

“I was having a hard time too! What did you do to me? Don’t you remember that?”

As Na Eun’s voice filled with tears, Woo Jin spoke in a much lower voice.

− I remember. So just forget about me. Don’t think about uploading old-fashioned books like “Dragon God War”. Take on new works. Nurture new writers.

“I want to help you. I want to make you famous…”

− I don’t want to be famous, and I’m already famous under my pen name. You don’t need to help me. Don’t worry about me anymore. I’m hanging up.

As the call abruptly ended, Na Eun sat down and hugged her knees.

Feeling like she might burst into tears if someone touched her, she bit her lower lip hard and crouched for a long time in front of the emergency exit stairs.

[This is the timeline separator]

Arriving at Woo Jin’s house, Soo Young nervously headed towards the exercise room, hearing the familiar tap-tap, huff-huff sounds she had heard before.

Imagining his dense back muscles, she clutched her phone tightly, but the house owner, seemingly no longer interested in employee welfare, was running on the treadmill in all-black workout clothes.

As expected, he was running like his life depended on it.

She suddenly felt worried about whether he should be running like that when he had just been discharged from the hospital, but figured he must be well enough to run if he was doing it.

She raised her phone, making sure to completely cover the speaker at the bottom to prevent any sound. Just as she was about to press the button, Woo Jin suddenly jumped up, straddling the treadmill with his long legs spread wide on either side, and turned off the machine.

At that exact moment, the camera shutter went off with a click.

As eyes even brighter than the flash turned to look at her, Soo Young instinctively hid the phone behind her back and stammered.

“You’re, you’re running like your life depends on it again? Aren’t you tired?”

“What did you just do?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Did you take a candid photo of me?”

“Wh-what are you talking about! Aren’t you a bit too full of yourself? Why would I…”

At that, Woo Jin stepped down from the treadmill with his long legs and strode right up to her.

As their toes nearly touched, Soo Young’s upper body involuntarily leaned back from the pressure of his tall stature.

“Wh-why? What?”

“Delete it quickly.”

“I didn’t take a picture!”

“Do I need to mention my grandfather’s lawyer again?”

At that, Soo Young gulped and raised her phone. Then, click! Another photo.

“Hey!”

Woo Jin quickly swung his hand to snatch her phone, but his aim was off and his large hand ended up brushing against her chest.

“Eek! You pervert! Where are you touching!”

Soo Young screamed and covered her chest. Woo Jin also backed away in shock.

Where did I touch? I couldn’t even feel it properly. But judging by the height…

Not just Woo Jin’s face, but his entire neck turned bright red as if on fire.

“I didn’t touch! I just brushed past!”

“You touched me!”

As Soo Young raised her voice even more to cover up taking the photo, Woo Jin opened and closed his large hand while saying:

“This is touching, what I did was just…”

That hand motion was so obscene that Soo Young gasped for breath.

This guy, just because he can’t see…!

“Wh-wh-what are you doing? What are you doing right now?”

At that, he quickly lowered his fidgeting hand. That’s right… What am I doing right now?

“A-anyway, it’s not like that. It’s not what you think.”

“Not what? Don’t you know all sexual harassers say they didn’t mean to do it? Anyway, since Seol Woo Jin touched me, I’m keeping this photo. DEAL?”

“What did you take? What did you photograph?”

“Ah, it’s all blurry because you moved. I can’t even make out your eyes, nose, or mouth. I’ll just have to delete it.”

Soo Young deliberately tapped her phone screen with her fingernail.

“Did you really delete it?”

“Yes. I deleted it.”

“Tch, I’ll tell Seol Ji Hyun to check later!”

“Do whatever you want!”

Soo Young shouted as she spun around and fled to the kitchen.

Afraid he might chase after her, Soo Young pressed her body against the kitchen wall and peeked out just her head to check if he was coming or not, then quickly turned on her phone.

The screen was filled with Seol Woo Jin’s perfectly symmetrical face.

Despite being a close-up shot that should have been out of focus, even his clear amber eyes were captured perfectly.

Drenched in sweat with his lips slightly parted, it sparked strange imaginings despite being just a face photo.

Swiping to the next photo revealed his long body, with proportions that seemed impossible in real life, standing with legs spread wide on the treadmill.

Thinking that even a handsome man’s back view is different from ordinary people’s, Soo Young hugged her phone to her chest as if it were Seol Woo Jin himself and stomped her feet.

Ah… it’s too good. Ah… I want to save it as my messenger profile picture.

To think I’m the only one who can see this visual.

She felt both regretful and proud that she couldn’t share this reality. Did I save a country in my past life?

In the shower stall, as the water poured down from the showerhead, Woo Jin tried again and again to recreate with his thumb the sensation his other four fingers had felt.

She clearly made a fuss as if he had touched her chest… The height was definitely chest level… But why did it feel like touching a back?

As he thought this, he ran his fingertips over his own chest.

His own chest had more volume. Kim Soo Young… Her voice, her way of speaking. …Is she a man?

Come to think of it, even when she hugged him that time when drunk, he hadn’t felt any volume at all.

Just as Soo Young was regretful that she couldn’t share Seol Woo Jin’s photo, Woo Jin was equally regretful that he couldn’t confirm her with his eyes or hands.

[This is the timeline separator]

After Soo Young left work, Ji Hyun came with books. He said they were for Soo Young to record.

“There are three books in total. Give them to Soo Young when she comes tomorrow.”

As Ji Hyun said this while placing three books on Woo Jin’s desk, Woo Jin didn’t respond to this but brought up something else entirely.

“Steal Kim Soo Young’s phone and take a look.”

“Huh?”

“Kim Soo Young took a photo of me. She says she deleted it, but I can’t trust that. So Seol Ji Hyun, check and if it’s there, delete it.”

“Hey, how can I just look at someone else’s phone like that? Do you think Soo Young will just say ‘sure’ and show it to me if I ask?”

“Tell her you need to check something as the owner.”

Ji Hyun chuckled at Woo Jin’s unreasonable demand and cheerfully asked:

“You used to have your photo taken a lot by girls before, right? Ah, I heard you made a fuss about it then too. But I’m sure many of them still took photos secretly?”

“How is that the same as now?”

“What’s different?”

“You’re asking because you don’t know?”

Woo Jin growled, glaring at Ji Hyun as if annoyed, even though he couldn’t see him.

“Don’t worry. Surely Soo Young wouldn’t spread your photo around?”

“I just don’t want my current appearance to be made public anywhere.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll keep it for personal use.”

“Ah, really!”

As Woo Jin burst out angrily, Ji Hyun repeated “Okay, okay.”

“By the way, it seems Soo Young is interested in you.”

At Ji Hyun’s words, Woo Jin, who had been making a fuss until just now, suddenly closed his mouth tightly.

Ji Hyun didn’t miss the conflicted and excited expressions that simultaneously passed over his face.

“Treat her well.”

At Ji Hyun’s advice-laden words, Woo Jin retorted gruffly.

“Does she say I don’t treat her well?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything like that, but you know your own personality. That’s why I’m telling you to treat her well.”

Woo Jin, who had been glaring fiercely at Ji Hyun who had casually thrown what seemed like an insult, abruptly stood up from his seat.

“Seol Ji Hyun, you can go now.”

“Where are you going? Hm? Are you going to sleep already?”

“It’s time to listen to the audiobook.”

As he watched Woo Jin heading towards the bed as if he could see, Seol Ji Hyun tilted his head wondering what he meant, then soon smiled brightly.

“You listen carefully and check for points that need to be corrected when narrating, then let Soo Young know. That will be very helpful in producing the audiobook.”

“……”

“You’re Soo Young’s first reader? Before, Na Eun was the first reader of ‘Dragon God War’…”

“Ah, I told you to leave!”

Woo Jin finally yelled at Ji Hyun, who was chattering endlessly like a girl.