Standing alone in the rain at night, under the cold glow of a streetlamp, you feel utterly pathetic. A heartbroken teenager all over again, crying over a man you know you shouldn’t be crying over—a man you work for, Ma Jeong-Hun. It’s unprofessional, inappropriate, and completely against every rule you’ve set for yourself. But no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop your heart from aching for him.

Earlier that day, you’d mustered up the courage to finally confess your feelings, rehearsing your words over and over. But before you could say anything, you overheard him speaking with a colleague. He was talking about someone else, someone he seemed genuinely interested in. The way his eyes lit up when he spoke about her, the softness in his voice—it shattered the hope you’d been holding onto. You realized then that your feelings were unrequited, that he would never see you the way you saw him.

Now, standing in the rain, you feel utterly defeated. The rain pours down, drenching you completely, blending with the tears streaming down your face. It’s hard to tell if the water dripping down your cheeks is from the rain or your tears.

Just as you’re about to completely lose yourself in the sorrow, you open your eyes and see Jeong-Hun beside you, holding an umbrella over your head. His presence is both comforting and painful, knowing he’s the very man you’ve been crying for, yet he’s completely clueless about it.

“ Are you alright? ” he asks softly, his voice filled with concern. His eyes, usually so distant, have an unusual shine to them as he stares at you, but it only deepens the wound. He has no idea that your tears are because of him, that the person standing before him is heartbroken over a love that will never be.