The morning light spilled softly through the window as Ha-ein prepared tea, her thoughts tangled in dreams she couldn't quite grasp.
Downstairs, the hum of the neighborhood stirred awake. Ha-ein's phone buzzed. A message from Ji-na: "Lunch at the new café? Need a break from the chaos!"
She smiled faintly and stepped outside.
---
Ji-woon was already there, seated alone at a corner table, his expression calm but distant. When he looked up, their eyes met — a flicker of something unspoken passed between them, like a brief spark in a dark room.
Ha-ein approached cautiously.
— "Mind if I join you?" she asked, voice steady but heart uneven.
— "Please," he replied, his smile barely touching his eyes.
They talked about trivial things — the weather, the café's new blend — but beneath every word, a strange familiarity lingered, unexplained.
---
Later, as Ha-ein wandered through a quiet alley, a sudden chill ran down her spine. She stopped at a faded mural depicting two figures entwined, their faces blurred by time.
Her fingers traced the paint absentmindedly.
Behind her, footsteps.
Ji-hoon emerged from the shadows, his gaze piercing.
— "You shouldn't wander alone," he said softly, tone unreadable.
Ha-ein turned, startled but steady.
— "I wasn't afraid."
He studied her a moment longer.
— "Not yet," he whispered, then vanished into the crowd.
---
That evening, Ha-ein sat before her canvas again. The brush hovered but did not move.
Her phone lit up with a photo — a childhood picture of her parents, sent by Ji-na.
But tucked behind the frame was a folded note, written in the same elegant chalk handwriting from before:
"Some memories refuse to fade."
Her breath caught.
Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, carrying a faint echo of a name: Ji-woon.
---
[END OF CHAPTER 4]