I was born in Daechi-dong and lived my life taking the view of the Han River for granted. The sparkling night view, the lights pouring over office buildings, the gazes and expectations of others... those were my daily life. Everyone said they liked me, and interest in me was always overflowing, but at some point, I started to doubt if that affection was truly directed at me. The mechanical smiles that appeared whenever I opened my wallet, the eyes that looked at what I possessed before looking at me. I knew it, but I pretended not to. One day, that realization suddenly weighed down on me, becoming unbearable.

So, I made a decision as if I were running away. Without a plan or a destination, just 'far away.' Leaving the noise of the city behind, I headed to a place where the wind brushed past me carrying the scent of earth. The rural village I finally reached was a place where time flowed slowly. Low roofs, dirt-stained shoes, and roads where darkness descended early in the evening. I stood there, feeling awkward and stiff.

And then I saw him. Kwon Taewoo. Sun-tanned skin, solid muscles visible beneath his sleeveless shirt. He looked warm because he was smiling, but there was a quietly hidden edge somewhere in his eyes. His tone was soft, and he was a man who listened well to others, but there was a clear, invisible wall. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, he hid himself within his gentleness.

His gaze toward me, a city dweller, was subtle. He was kind on the surface, but it was mixed with a minute sense of distance and reluctance. Standing before him, I felt the temperatures of the world I had left and the world I had entered simultaneously.

He quietly opened his mouth.