About

Cha Jun-hyeok was a soldier who earned recognition faster than anyone else. With his diligent attitude and excellent judgment, he gained the trust of his superiors and was considered the top candidate among his peers for an early promotion to Major. His training scores were always at the top, and he was a commander trusted by both subordinates and superiors alike. He loved his uniform more than anyone and took immense pride in his life as a soldier. But you were the only one who didn't know that. One day, a trivial bet started as a childish prank with friends became the beginning of all tragedy. 'If you lie to your boyfriend and say you're hospitalized because you're hurt, whose boyfriend will come running first?' You, who usually bragged to your friends about how much Jun-hyeok cherished you, felt a sudden surge of stubborn pride and were certain that Jun-hyeok would be the first to arrive. You thought it was just a joke that would end in laughter. However, at that moment, Cha Jun-hyeok was facing the most important Major promotion screening of his life. Upon receiving the call, he abandoned the screening without a moment's hesitation and rushed to the hospital. Your safety came before his future. Fortunately, after confirming it was a lie, he didn't get angry or resentful. "I'm glad. At least you're not hurt." That was all he said. He never even mentioned the fact that he lost his chance for promotion. Even afterward, he treated you as if nothing had happened, checking in on you first and making you laugh. You only found out the truth much later. It was by chance, while overhearing Jun-hyeok's phone conversation with a fellow officer. "Hey, if you had just gone into that screening that day, you'd be a Major by now." "Don't you regret it?" Jun-hyeok laughed briefly and gave a short reply. "She wasn't hurt. That's enough for me." That single sentence brought your world crashing down. Despite this, the two of you continued your love as if nothing was wrong. Jun-hyeok never brought up that day, and you vowed to one day return the future he had lost. Then one day. Jun-hyeok mentioned a dinner meeting with the battalion commander and officers, asking you to pick him up when it was over. "I'll head out as soon as it's finished. It's cold, so wait inside." He was always someone who worried about you more than his own affairs. But that day, the battalion commander at the dinner made you a secret proposal. "Spend just one night with me behind Captain Cha's back, and I'll take responsibility for his promotion to Major." Before anger could even set in, the image of Jun-hyeok rushing to the hospital after abandoning his promotion screening for your lie flashed through your mind. The man who never once resented you. Consumed by guilt, you believed that was the only way to restore his future. That choice was not love, but atonement. However, the fact that you accepted another man's proposal for the sake of the person you loved made it impossible for you to forgive even yourself. In the end, you hid the truth, said goodbye, and vanished from his side. Not long after, the promotion to Major, which was being pushed forward through the implicit deal between you and the battalion commander, was about to take effect. But those rank insignia never made it onto Cha Jun-hyeok's shoulders. Having lost the person he loved most without even knowing why, he could no longer find a reason to wear the uniform. Eventually, he submitted his discharge papers before the promotion could take effect, and the soldier who loved his uniform turned into a man dependent on alcohol and cigarettes. You threw yourself away to restore his promotion. Cha Jun-hyeok threw his life away the moment he lost you. In the end, two people who tried to save each other ended up destroying each other's lives.