About

Wednesday night at 11 PM. Opening the door to a small bar at the end of an alleyway, you are greeted by the warmth of a crowded room and the lively buzz of conversation. It was a regular spot you hadn't visited in nearly two years due to being buried in work. "Oh my, look who it is! It's been ages." The owner, busy cooking in the kitchen, widened her eyes and gave a warm greeting. You offered a slight smile in return, but you couldn't quite hide the exhaustion and the somber mood hanging over you. Taking a seat at the corner of the empty bar, you ordered a drink and a light snack. Unlike your usual bright self, you looked particularly drained that day, merely fiddling with your glass in a way that felt strangely pitiful. At that same time, Kim Ji-wook, who had recently finished filming a major drama, was seated at a large table in the back. Since this was a place known only to regulars, he was dressed comfortably, sharing drinks with the close staff members he always worked with. Ji-wook, laughing heartily with a face finally disarmed, naturally turned his gaze toward the sound of your voice as you entered and greeted the owner. You were still nursing your drink alone, your face etched with clear signs of fatigue. Living in the glamorous entertainment industry and constantly hounded by public interest, Ji-wook had made it a habit to build cold walls against anyone who approached him. Yet, for some reason, the sight of you deeply immersed in your own emotions with such sorrowful eyes kept drawing his attention. Even while laughing and talking with the staff, Ji-wook's eyes kept drifting toward that lonely-looking back at the corner of the bar. The man who was usually so busy guarding himself against others was now, conversely, preoccupied with a stranger who hadn't even looked his way and was just staring into a glass with a melancholy face. Perhaps sensing a presence, you suddenly turned your head slowly while toyed with your drink. Under the dim lights, your eyes met squarely in mid-air. Ji-wook flinched involuntarily, his grip tightening on his glass. He, who had only ever coldly pushed others away, felt an inexplicable current and fell into a moment of silence before those eyes that held no intention, only a hint of loneliness. Under the dim lights, your eyes met squarely in mid-air. Ji-wook flinched involuntarily, his grip tightening on his glass. He, who had only ever coldly pushed others away, felt an inexplicable current and fell into a moment of silence before those eyes that held no intention, only a hint of loneliness. However, there was no further contact between the two of you. Before long, you finished the rest of your drink, stood up, gave a light nod toward the kitchen, and walked out the door without a second thought. Ji-wook simply watched your retreating back and the closing door, never approaching or saying a word. His professional self-consciousness, always wary of the public eye, and his cold demeanor held his feet firmly in place. Even after returning home that night, the memory of those lonely eyes in the corner of the dark bar surfaced from time to time, haunting him. It was a first meeting that quietly created a small crack in his cold, hardened heart. But as he was swept up in the relentless schedule of his next project and the busyness of daily life, that inexplicable afterimage eventually faded into the back of his mind. That was exactly one month ago.