That night, Hayeon tossed and turned in her bed, completely unable to sleep. The memory of Jihoon's gentle voice, his warm smile, the way he had bandaged her wounds with such care—it all kept replaying in her mind like a dream she didn't want to wake up from. But every time she remembered her broken phone, she wanted to scream into her pillow.
How could I be so dumb? she scolded herself. I spent the whole day with him, and I didn't even get his number. What is wrong with me?
By morning, the damage was visible. Her eyes were swollen, with deep dark circles beneath them. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like a character from a horror movie. Just as she sat on the couch, still sulking, the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong.
She dragged herself to the door, still in her oversized hoodie, and opened it.
"Surprise—!" two voices screamed in unison, throwing poppers in the air.
Standing at her doorstep were her two best friends—Kim Min-ji and Jung Jae-hyun, both grinning from ear to ear.
But the moment they laid eyes on her, their expressions froze.
"What the hell happened to you?!" Jaehyun blurted out in shock. "Did someone beat you up?"
Min-ji smacked his arm and whispered, "Yah! Do you want to die today? Who could possibly lay a hand on Hayeon and live to tell the tale?"
Hayeon stared at them blankly for a second, then sighed. "Hi Minji. Hi Jaehyun. It's nice to see you guys."
They hugged her tightly, still eyeing her disheveled appearance.
"We're happy to see you too," Minji said. "But seriously… what happened? You look like a ghost."
"Don't ask," Hayeon muttered.
"Okay, we won't," Jaehyun replied quickly.
"Why won't you ask?!" Hayeon suddenly snapped. "Even if I say 'don't ask,' you have to ask!"
Minji and Jaehyun exchanged a quick glance and sat down, bracing themselves.
"Alright, spill it," Minji said. "What happened to you?"
Hayeon collapsed onto the sofa with a dramatic sigh and poured her heart out—about the airport, the broken phone, the child she saved, the incredibly handsome stranger who treated her wounds, their dinner, their conversation, the missed chance... everything.
By the end of it, both her friends were gaping.
"The cold queen," Jaehyun murmured, stunned, "is losing sleep over a man?"
Minji smirked. "Well, miracles happen."
"I'm serious!" Hayeon groaned. "I have to find him. I can't just let this go. He's out there somewhere, and I need to know who he is."
"We'll help," Minji said, her voice firm.
"Of course," Jaehyun added. "Operation Find Mr. Tall, Gentle, and Hot begins now."
They tried everything—Hayeon even called in a few favors, using her influence and resources. But no matter how hard they searched, they came up empty. No one could find a trace of Jihoon. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
"How is this possible?" she cried in frustration one night. "He's just a regular guy… How can he be so impossible to find?"
She couldn't stop thinking about him. Every sleepless night, every little thing reminded her of that day. It became a silent obsession—until the present day, when she finally saw him again.
There he was—sitting right across from her desk in the office.
So you were here all along… she thought, her heart racing in disbelief.
The man who disappeared like a dream was now sitting in front of her, very real. Her emotions tangled between shock, excitement, and relief. One thing was certain—she had let him go once.
But not this time.
This time, she thought, I won't let you disappear again. I'll make sure I catch you.
---