They say when someone from your past suddenly appears in your present, it means something unfinished is clawing its way back to the surface.
Well, unfinished doesn't even begin to cover it.
When the elevator doors opened on the ground floor of Damshing, I was mentally preparing for a brutal investor briefing—not for her. And yet, there she was. Seo Yeon.
Hair tied back messily, clutching a folder too tightly, wearing an expression that said please don't talk to me, universe. Of course the universe did exactly the opposite.
At first, I thought I was seeing a ghost.
Then she turned slightly, and it hit me like a brick to the chest.
Her face—still so expressive, like it never learned how to lie. Her eyes, wide with the kind of curiosity and chaos that I remembered too well.
Seo Yeon.My first real friend.My first love.The first person I ever chose to walk away from.
It wasn't just surprise I saw in her eyes. It was confusion. Hurt. And something else… like she hadn't decided yet if seeing me again was a good thing or a disaster.
Same here.
Six years. That's how long it had been.Six years since I ghosted her after graduation.No message. No goodbye. Just gone.
And I had my reasons. Real ones. Complicated, heavy ones.But none of them were strong enough to stop the guilt from growing roots in me.
I still remembered the last message she sent me:
"Are you okay? Why didn't you come today? Chin, at least say something. Please."
I never replied.
Back then, I told myself it was better to leave quietly than to explain the truth. I had convinced myself I was doing the noble thing. That disappearing would make it easier for her to move on.
Now I knew better.
Disappearing doesn't erase the pain. It just buries it where it can grow wild.
When I saw her standing in that elevator, I wasn't prepared. Not even a little. And when she said, "I didn't expect to see you anywhere," I knew I deserved it.
But even after all these years, the way she said my name—Chin—it didn't feel bitter. It felt hesitant. Guarded.
Hopeful?
I don't know. Maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to.
Still, I told her, "Good luck today."It was all I could say. Because if I said any more, I'd risk pulling every unspoken thing between us out into the open—and I wasn't sure either of us was ready for that.
Especially not now.
Not when she was about to become a part of my world again.
I walked into my office, shut the door, and let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. The city skyline glared back at me from behind the floor-to-ceiling glass, but all I could see was her face.
The way her expression flickered between disbelief and something softer. The way she looked like she'd been hit by a memory she wasn't expecting.
I hated how much I still noticed.And I hated myself more for never reaching out.
But six years ago, everything fell apart.
After my father's sudden health crisis, I was forced to drop my plans for university abroad and step into Damshing's business prematurely. Everyone thought I went overseas to study. That's what the school told people. That's what my mother told Seo Yeon.
But I never left Korea. I went straight into a life I never chose—working 14-hour days, taking care of my mother, and stepping into board meetings where no one took me seriously because of my age.
By the time I caught my breath, two years had passed. Then four. And then... reaching out to her felt like reopening a wound that had already scarred over.
At least, that's what I told myself.
"Mr. Chin," my assistant Soo Min knocked on the door and entered. "The candidate interviews just finished. I brought the shortlist."
I glanced at the folder, pretending I wasn't scanning for a name I already knew by heart.
Seo Yeon.
"She made it?" I asked, too quickly.
Soo Min blinked. "Uh—yes, actually. The team really liked her. She's a bit unconventional, but sharp. Warm energy. Strong writing samples."
Of course. That sounded exactly like her.
I nodded. "Schedule a follow-up with her. Let's see how she handles the creative brief."
"Will do."
As she left, I leaned back in my chair.
This wasn't just about a job anymore. This was about fate, or karma, or the universe deciding that my time was up.
I thought I could bury the past.Turns out, the past remembered everything.
Later that evening, I opened the drawer in my desk. Beneath the usual files and office clutter, I pulled out a small, crumpled envelope. Inside was a note I'd kept for years.
Seo Yeon's handwriting. Slightly tilted. A little messy.
"Hello Chin Gi Hei, I am sorry for today's action. I'll buy you lunch next time as an apology. Thank you."
I smiled sadly.
That was the first letter she ever gave me.And maybe... the first time anyone had ever truly seen me.
I didn't reply to it back then because I didn't know how to deal with someone like her. Someone unfiltered. Someone who felt everything and didn't hide from it.
And now? I still didn't know.
But this time, I didn't want to run.
Not again.