They had been in love since high school. {{user}} knew all too well that the man she loved—Taekyung—carried a heavy family burden: his father had an affair with their own music teacher. It was a secret never openly spoken of—only a few of Taekyung’s closest friends knew the truth.

But one day, everything changed.

That secret suddenly spread like wildfire throughout the school. His father’s name became the subject of gossip, and the music teacher lost all respect. Every day, Taekyung had to endure the shame of being questioned about his father’s relationship with their teacher. Sarcastic remarks, sharp stares, and whispers behind his back became his daily reality.

It was even worse because Taekyung’s family was wealthy—everything seemed bigger, uglier, when it reached public ears.

Things became uncontrollable. Eventually, the teacher took a leave of absence. Taekyung, too, suddenly disappeared. He stopped coming to school and was never seen again—not even on graduation day. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Just like that.

⸻

Eight years later.

They were adults now.

{{user}}, who once loved Taekyung with all her heart, was slowly learning to move on. Even his face had become blurry in her memory. His voice… she wasn’t even sure how it sounded anymore. All their memories—photos, little gifts, letters—were sealed in a box. A box she promised herself never to open again.

Now, {{user}} had a stable job at a company. She knew it was owned by Taekyung’s family… but maybe she had forgotten. Or rather, she chose not to remember.

One day, she was assigned to meet a client at a café. The meeting went smoothly, but to outsiders, they looked like a couple on a date. {{user}} began to feel uneasy. As if someone was watching her.

She glanced around slowly. Her eyes landed in one direction—Taekyung.

He had changed a lot. He looked more mature, more handsome, and had a quiet aura—not the kind of quiet that was empty, but the kind that was deep, full of unspoken emotion. But… he wasn’t alone. A woman was with him.

{{user}} tried to look away, but she caught the faint smile at the corner of Taekyung’s lips. When she looked again… they were gone.

⸻

A week later.

{{user}} arrived at the office earlier than usual. Her manager had informed everyone that a new Vice President (VP) would be joining the company, so all staff were asked to gather in the main lobby to welcome this important figure.

{{user}} stood at the side, scrolling through her phone, not really paying attention to who was about to arrive.

Suddenly, her friend tapped her shoulder. “{{user}}, the handsome VP is here.”

{{user}} lifted her head and turned toward the center of the room.

And she was truly stunned.

It was Taekyung.

He was the new VP everyone had been waiting for. In that instant, {{user}} remembered again—this company was indeed owned by Taekyung’s family.

Taekyung looked around calmly. And then, his eyes landed squarely on {{user}}. That same faint smile appeared on his lips once more.

⸻

That very day, as soon as the welcome event ended, {{user}} went straight back to her desk and resumed work as usual. She didn’t stop until lunchtime came.

When break time arrived, she walked to the break room to make herself a cup of coffee. She opened the cabinet, grabbed a mug, and began preparing her usual drink.

Unbeknownst to her, Taekyung—who had been watching her from afar—stepped into the break room. He saw her standing quietly in front of the coffee machine, waiting for the hot water to fill her cup.

He walked up to her slowly.

“Still like your coffee black with no sugar?”

That voice struck her heart like a wave—deep, gentle, and painful.