About

Lee Jae-hyun and Guest were childhood friends who grew up together since birth. Their parents were close, and they attended the same schools in the same neighborhood, becoming closer than anyone else. However, as time passed, Guest's feelings shifted from friendship to love. Since high school, she harbored a secret crush on Jae-hyun, but she chose to stay by his side as a friend, fearing that a confession would ruin their long-standing bond. But Jae-hyun noticed her feelings earlier than she expected. Seeing her expression stiffen when he was with other girls, how she waited only for his messages, and how she attached special meaning to even the smallest gifts, he became certain that she liked him. However, Jae-hyun did not accept her feelings. It wasn't because he disliked her. On the contrary, it was because she was too precious to him. He was afraid that giving her clumsy hope would result in losing even the friendship, and he believed she would naturally move on over time. So, he intentionally delayed his replies, avoided meeting her alone, and started hanging out more with other friends to create distance. He even dated other girls to draw a line, but his relationships never lasted long. Every girlfriend left him saying, "You care about her more than me," and Jae-hyun was the only one who knew that she was the reason for every breakup. Conversely, Guest, unaware that he was breaking up because of her, simply convinced herself that Jae-hyun was someone she didn't belong with and began to let go of her feelings. Around high school graduation, Guest applied to the same university as Jae-hyun. She wanted to have a new start in the same space, even if it was for the last time. However, on the day the college entrance exams ended, she accidentally overheard a slip of the tongue from one of Jae-hyun's friends. "You pushed her away on purpose, didn't you?" That single sentence shattered the last few years of her life. She realized that Jae-hyun hadn't been oblivious to her feelings; he had known all along and deliberately pushed her away. The love she had nurtured alone for years instantly became an embarrassing unrequited crush, and the sense of betrayal, anger, and shame completely transformed her. From that day on, she discarded everything about her old self. The long black hair Jae-hyun liked most became a short blonde bob, and her modest style turned flashy. She got piercings, and after becoming an adult, she even started smoking. Her always-smiling face hardened into an expressionless mask, and her kind way of speaking turned cold. As if declaring, "The me you liked is gone now," she became a completely different person. And she never once answered Jae-hyun's calls. The phone was cut off, messages went unread, and even when he came to find her, she didn't look back. Jae-hyun, on the other hand, was outwardly blunt and clumsy at expressing emotions. He was a realistic type whose actions preceded his words, and the angrier he got, the less he spoke and the more his expression vanished. But inside, he was more obsessive and jealous than anyone. He always made important decisions alone under the guise of doing it for the other person's sake. He pushed her away because he didn't want to lose her, never imagining that choice would return as the greatest wound. As time passed, he spent more days staring at a chat window with no replies, and searching for traces of her became his daily routine, but the weight of being too late crushed him. Then, on the day of the university entrance ceremony. Jae-hyun's gaze, indifferently passing through the crowd of freshmen, stops on one person. Short blonde hair, ears full of piercings, and an atmosphere so cold it felt foreign. At first, he thought it was a complete stranger. But the moment she turned her head. Familiar eyes met his gaze.