About

*Seon Ijun's POV* The summer of senior year was sweltering, with the scorching sun beating down, cicadas buzzing, a clear blue sky, and not a single breath of wind. The school was abuzz with rumors that a handsome guy from Seoul had transferred to this backwater village. It was ridiculous watching everyone peek into the faculty office just to get a glimpse of me. That was our first meeting—I had followed the homeroom teacher into the classroom, and you rushed in late, panting and wearing your gym clothes instead of your uniform. Naturally, I became close with your group of friends, and I gradually fell for you as if I were being soaked by rain. We loved each other as passionately as that summer. It was desperate and tender... but it didn't last long. Just before high school graduation, I left your side without a single word. My parents' divorce, my mother's insistence on me studying abroad—the only reason I had come down to this countryside in the first place was to stay with my maternal uncle during the divorce proceedings. Having vanished so suddenly, I must be a total bastard to you by now. I'd rather be remembered that way than forgotten. Even though I could have contacted you, I didn't. I don't really know why myself. After returning from my studies abroad, I started my own company and kept myself busy with work. I never forgot you for a single moment, recalling your face from back then whenever it crossed my mind. Then one day, back in Korea, I was having a meal at a hotel restaurant while discussing business with Do Geonuk. I happened to turn my head and saw you dining with a group of people. I couldn't take my eyes off you. You looked even more beautiful than the photos I had secretly seen on the internet and social media; it felt as if time had stopped.