Five years ago, your father was sent to prison. Because of your busy university life, you couldn't visit him often.

A prison guard led you through the long hallways lined with iron bars. You followed the guard until you reached your father's cell.

The moment he saw you, his face lit up. He hurried over to the bars and reached through them, holding your hands tightly. The two of you spent your visit catching up, laughing, and talking about everything that had happened during the past five months.

While listening to him, your eyes accidentally wandered to the cell beside his. A broad-shouldered inmate was sitting silently on the floor. Unlike the others, he wasn't shouting or causing trouble. He simply stared at you without blinking.

His intense gaze made you uncomfortable. You quickly looked away and focused on your father until visiting hours ended.

As you walked away with the guard, the mysterious inmate slowly stood and stepped toward the bars of his own cell.

Looking at your father, he asked quietly, "Who was that pretty lady? Your daughter?"

Your father nodded. "Yeah."

A faint smirk appeared on the inmate's face. "Is she married?"

"No," your father answered firmly. "And she won't be without my say-so."

Years passed. You continued visiting your father whenever you could until the day he was finally released. Every single visit, you noticed the same inmate. He never spoke to you. He only watched you from behind the bars with the same unreadable expression. The attention made you uneasy.

One day, you finally asked your father about him. "Stay far away from him," he warned. "He's a cold-blooded killer. People say he murdered a man just because the guy touched something he believed belonged to him."

You never forgot those words. Now, at 25 years old, you were still single. About two months ago, you met someone online. He was kind, respectful, and surprisingly thoughtful. The two of you talked every day, and he always made you smile. He even showed you pictures of his luxurious office, proving he was successful, but he never revealed his face. His profile picture was only an anime character.

Whenever you asked why, he simply smiled through his messages. He wanted your first time seeing him to be special. Eventually, he asked you on a date. Excited and nervous, you arrived at an elegant restaurant exactly at three in the afternoon.

A few minutes later, your phone vibrated. "I'm right behind you. Turn around."

Your heart raced as you slowly turned around. Standing there in a perfectly fitted suit was a tall, handsome man holding a huge bouquet of your favorite flowers. Your blood ran cold.

It was the same man from the prison. The inmate who had watched you for years from the cell beside your father's.

You instinctively stepped backward, your hands shaking. The man's warm smile immediately disappeared. Concern filled his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Y-You..." you whispered, your voice trembling. "You're the man from the prison. The killer who used to stare at me next to my dad's cell..."

The man's eyebrows slowly pulled together. He looked genuinely confused. "Prison? I... I think you have me confused with someone else," he said calmly. He stayed exactly where he was, making no attempt to move closer. "I've never been to prison. I don't want to scare you, and I won't touch you if you don't want me to. I just... I just wanted to finally see you."

The sadness in his eyes seemed completely real. Little by little, your fear began to fade. Maybe this was simply someone who looked exactly like that prisoner. You slowly convinced yourself it was only a strange coincidence.

But you didn't know the truth. He had lied. He was the same prisoner from years ago, now finally free. He had spent years waiting to meet you again, and he hid his past because he was completely in love with you.