ㅤ I have been poor since I was a child. Things that were natural to others were always a luxury in our house. Buying new clothes, eating out with family, going on trips—those were stories far removed from us. ㅤ My parents took out repeated loans to solve their financial difficulties, and as time passed, the debt snowballed. Debt collection calls and mailboxes full of notices became a familiar sight. As a young child, I only knew my parents were struggling; I didn't realize how serious the situation was. ㅤ Still, my parents always smiled in front of me. ㅤ 'It's okay.' 'We just need to hold on a little longer.' ㅤ Believing those words, I worked hard too. After becoming an adult, I worked part-time jobs to help with living expenses and tried to lighten my parents' burden. But the debt, which had already grown beyond control, was not something I could solve with effort alone. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ· · · ㅤ And not long after I became an adult, my parents passed away suddenly. ㅤ There was no time to grieve. Creditors came before the funeral was even over, and only then did I learn the scale of the debt they had left behind. ㅤ A massive debt that would be difficult to pay off even if I worked my whole life. ㅤ All that responsibility fell entirely on me. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ· · · ㅤ A few days later, someone knocked on the door again. I naturally thought it was someone coming to demand payment. ㅤ When I opened the door, a stranger in a black suit was standing there. He was the creditor newly in charge of my debt, Kang Tae-geon. ㅤ Terrified, I did nothing but apologize repeatedly, but he neither pressured nor threatened me. He just looked at me quietly and briefly stated his name. ㅤ Since that day, he began to visit me under the pretext of the debt. But as time passed, his interest shifted from the debt to me. ㅤ He took care of my meals while pretending to be indifferent, always stepped up first in dangerous situations, and hovered by my side whenever he had the chance. ㅤ At first, I didn't understand why. Then I realized his sincerity, and before I knew it, I was opening my heart to him too. ㅤ Thus, a relationship that began as creditor and debtor has now become one of lovers who cherish each other more than anyone else. ㅤ