Hong Kong was beautiful from above.
Jinyoung had forgotten that.
As the plane descended, the city appeared beneath the clouds in layers of glass, water, and light.
The harbor stretched across the horizon.
Buildings rose between the mountains.
The streets glimmered in the afternoon sun.
He pressed his forehead against the window.
Somewhere down there, Kyrah was living her life.
The thought made his chest tighten.
He had imagined this moment countless times.
He had imagined stepping off the plane and feeling hopeful.
He had imagined finding her, apologizing, and finally explaining everything he had been too afraid to say.
But now that he was here, he felt something else.
Fear.
Real, undeniable fear.
What if she refused to see him?
What if she looked at him and felt nothing?
What if the woman he remembered no longer existed?
He swallowed.
The plane touched down.
Passengers began gathering their belongings.
Jinyoung remained seated for a moment.
Then he stood.
He had come to Hong Kong.
There was no turning back now.
The hotel room was immaculate.
A large window overlooked the harbor, and the afternoon light reflected off the water.
Jinyoung barely noticed any of it.
He dropped his suitcase beside the bed and took out his phone.
His first instinct was to call Kyrah.
He opened her contact.
Her name stared back at him.
He had not deleted it.
He had tried, once.
He had removed the number from his favorites, then restored it the following day.
He had told himself that keeping it was harmless.
But now, with his thumb hovering over the call button, he understood how much he had been holding on to.
He could call her.
He could hear her voice.
But what would he say?
Hello, Kyrah. I'm in Hong Kong.
The thought sounded absurd.
He closed the contact.
Then opened social media.
Linda's account appeared near the top of his search history.
He clicked on it.
Her recent posts showed glimpses of Hong Kong.
A restaurant.
A view of the harbor.
A photograph of Kyrah laughing with a drink in her hand.
Jinyoung stared at the picture.
She looked different.
Not in the way he had expected.
She looked rested.
Her face was fuller, her hair fell around her shoulders, and her smile seemed to come from somewhere deeper than the expression he remembered.
He enlarged the picture.
There was a hand resting on the table near hers.
A man's hand.
Jinyoung's stomach tightened.
He zoomed out.
The photograph didn't show the man's face.
He stared at it for several seconds.
Then closed the app.
He couldn't keep doing this.
He had come to see Kyrah.
Not to spend the entire trip searching through someone else's photographs.
He opened his messages.
Linda's number was still there.
He considered contacting her.
Then stopped.
Linda had never liked him.
And he knew exactly why.
He had hurt her best friend.
He had abandoned Kyrah when she needed him.
He had no reason to expect Linda to help him.
He put the phone down.
Then picked it up again.
He needed to find a way to see Kyrah.
Even if she refused to speak to him afterward.
The following morning, Jinyoung went to the company where Kyrah worked.
He had spent part of the night searching for information about HANEUL HOME.
The project had been mentioned in several business articles.
He had found references to its launch, its technology, and its growing presence in the market.
He had also found Kyrah's name.
Project head.
The title made something twist inside him.
She had done it.
She had built something of her own.
He arrived at the office shortly before ten.
The building was impressive.
Glass walls reflected the sunlight, and employees moved through the entrance with the confidence of people who knew exactly where they were going.
Jinyoung stepped inside.
He approached the reception desk.
"Good morning. I'm looking for Miss Kyrah Kim."
The receptionist looked up.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No. I was hoping to speak with her briefly."
"I'm sorry, sir. Miss Kim is currently on maternity leave."
The words stopped him.
"Maternity leave?"
"Yes."
He stared at her.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
The receptionist glanced at her screen.
"She's expected to return after her leave, but I don't have a confirmed date."
Jinyoung swallowed.
"Could you tell me where I might contact her?"
"I'm afraid we can't provide employees' personal information."
He nodded slowly.
"Of course."
He stepped away from the desk.
Maternity leave.
The words echoed in his mind.
Kyrah was eight months pregnant.
Or perhaps closer to nine now.
Peppa was almost here.
He had known the pregnancy was progressing.
He had known the baby would arrive eventually.
But standing in that lobby, hearing that she was already on leave, made everything feel frighteningly real.
He had missed so much.
He walked outside.
The sunlight was too bright.
He stood on the pavement, staring at the building.
For a moment, he thought about leaving.
Perhaps this was a sign.
Perhaps he should return to Seoul.
But then he remembered his promise to himself.
He had come to face what he had done.
Not to turn away because it was painful.
He took out his phone.
He needed another way.
That afternoon, Jinyoung searched through his old messages.
He found a conversation with Linda from months earlier.
It had been brief.
He had asked whether Kyrah was doing well.
Linda had replied that she was.
Nothing more.
But he remembered something she had mentioned in passing.
Kyrah had been staying in company-provided housing.
He opened the company's public website.
Then searched for information about the staff residence.
It took time.
He checked addresses.
Reviewed company documents.
Looked through public references.
Finally, he found a location connected to the housing arrangement.
He stared at the address.
His heart began to race.
He could go there.
He could wait outside.
He could see her.
But the thought made him uneasy.
What if she didn't want him there?
What if he frightened her?
He sat on the edge of the hotel bed.
He had promised himself that he would respect her choices.
And showing up uninvited at her home was not exactly respectful.
He looked at the address again.
Then closed the page.
For several minutes, he sat motionless.
He thought about calling her.
He thought about sending a message.
He thought about returning to Seoul.
But every option felt like another way of avoiding the truth.
He had come here because he wanted to see her.
And now he was afraid of what seeing her might reveal.
He stood.
He put on his jacket.
Then walked out of the hotel.
He would go to the residence.
But he would not force her to speak to him.
He would not demand an explanation.
He would simply see her.
And if she wanted him to leave, he would leave.
At least, that was what he told himself.
The journey felt longer than it should have.
Jinyoung sat in the back of a taxi, staring out the window.
The city moved around him.
People crossed the streets.
Buses passed.
Shops opened their doors.
Life continued.
He wondered what Kyrah was doing.
Was she resting?
Was she preparing for Peppa?
Was she thinking about the baby?
Was she happy?
The last question hurt the most.
He wanted her to be happy.
He knew that.
He also wanted to be the reason.
And that was the part he was ashamed to admit.
Because wanting to be the reason for her happiness did not mean he deserved to be.
The taxi stopped near the residence.
Jinyoung paid and stepped out.
He looked at the building.
It was modern and well-maintained, surrounded by trees and a small landscaped garden.
The entrance was bright.
A few residents walked in and out.
He stood across the street.
His heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his throat.
He had found her.
Or at least, he had found the place where she lived.
Now all he had to do was wait.
He looked toward the entrance.
And he was terrified of what he might see.