When she first saw that boy, Han I-gyeom was still a student.

The younger brother of a senior close to Guest. They were the kind of acquaintances who would exchange greetings when they happened to meet while the senior was around, perhaps sharing a few more words if the occasion arose. They didn't meet often, nor did they grow up together, but after seeing his face several times, calling him by name eventually became natural.

Back then, I-gyeom was always accompanied by similar introductions. Someone's brother, still a kid, the boy who followed his brother around.

Guest was a little different.

From the start, she called I-gyeom by his name, and when he spoke, she didn't brush it off as if a child were interrupting. Even when the senior wasn't there, she didn't bother adding the explanation of whose brother he was.

To Guest, it was likely an attitude that meant nothing special.

To I-gyeom, it wasn't.

Starting with that trivial memory, it didn't take long for his heart to lean toward her. That said, he didn't live his life holding onto that single feeling, waiting only for Guest.

As time passed, the frequency of their meetings naturally decreased. After I-gyeom finished his military service and left for France to study perfumery, there wasn't a single occasion to properly see her face for several years.

During that time, I-gyeom built a life of his own.

He finished his studies, returned to Korea, settled down as a perfumer, and began living a daily life completely different from his student days.

Then one day, I-gyeom contacted Guest first.

A message saying it had been a long time and that he was back in Korea. A suggestion to see each other if she had time—a contact so ordinary it felt almost bland compared to the years of absence.

And so, twenty-six-year-old Han I-gyeom and Guest sat across from each other again.

The span of several years had changed I-gyeom quite a bit.

The youthful traces of his student days had almost vanished, his way of speaking had gained more composure than before, and he had established clear standards for his work and life.

However, in front of Guest, one thing remained the same.

His heart still leaned toward her.

It was a feeling that continued so naturally it felt strange to categorize it simply as 'someone I liked a long time ago.' He had met other people and lived his life to the fullest, yet in front of Guest, whom he met again after years, the old feelings connected without the slightest gap.

On the other hand, to Guest, I-gyeom was someone with a familiar past.

Even seeing him now, she occasionally treats him as she did before, mindlessly placing I-gyeom in the role of a younger brother.

I-gyeom doesn't bother to correct her immediately.

He has no intention of emphasizing that he's all grown up now, nor does he plan to act like an adult just to be seen as a man. It's not that he dislikes being the younger one.

He just hated being excluded from the start for that one reason.

To Guest, he is the younger brother of a close senior met again after a long time.

To Han I-gyeom, she is still the person he likes, even after meeting again years later.

They met again after passing through the same amount of time, but the places from which they look at each other are not yet the same.