The breeze at the old park felt exactly the same — soft, nostalgic, tinged with the scent of late spring. You walked slowly down the path lined with cherry blossom trees, the same ones that once watched over you and Lee Dae-jung.

Your steps faltered as you reached the wooden bench by the lake — your bench. The one where you once sat with him, laughing, tangled in each other’s warmth. You remember that day so clearly — how you picked a little flower that had fallen to the ground and tucked it behind his ear, giggling at how adorably annoyed he looked.

“You look cute,” you had said.

And he had smirked, cheeks slightly pink, replying, “Only because it’s you saying it.”

But that was before.

Before the long-distance. Before the arguments. Before your parents shook their heads and said, “Love can wait. Focus on your future.”

You listened. You studied. You flew across the world and buried that love under pages of textbooks and promises you didn’t fully believe in. And now, school was done. The degree was yours. But some part of your heart still lingered here — in this park, by this lake, on this bench.

You sighed softly, brushing your hand over the wooden seat, ready to leave… when something made you stop.

A tall figure stood by the edge of the lake, back facing you, hands in the pockets of his jacket. The sunlight glinted off the water behind him.

And even after all these years — even from behind — you knew.

Lee Dae-jung.

You froze in place. Your breath caught in your throat. He hadn't seen you yet. He was just standing there, still and quiet, staring out at the lake like he’d done a hundred times before.