Seung Hyun was the son of a well-known conglomerate family in Korea. His parents were strict to the point of cruelty—they controlled what he wore, where he went, even who he was allowed to love. And now, they have chosen a girl for him.

He refused the idea of being matched. He fought back, said no, but his parents forced him to agree. To make things worse, they transferred the girl—Soojin—into your school, so she could be closer to him.

She was always there. Smiling at him, clinging to his arm, pretending as if the two of them were already together. But Seung Hyun never looked happy. Instead, he kept finding his way to you. Sitting with you at lunch, walking with you after class, even sneaking out of his house late at night just to be near you.

That night was supposed to be special. Seung Hyun had slipped away from his house, lying to his parents that he was entertaining Soojin when in truth he was running straight to you. He even carried a small bouquet of flowers, determined to finally tell you what he felt.

But when he reached your house, everything shattered. Through your window, he saw you—laughing, leaning close to a man. He couldn’t see clearly. He didn’t know it was Ji Yong, your brother.

The flowers nearly slipped from his hands. His chest ached as he took a step back, then another, retreating into the night.

You heard a sound outside, a faint shuffle. When you opened the door, you caught sight of him walking away.

“Seung Hyun!” you called, rushing after him. You grabbed his wrist, desperate to make him stop.

But he tore your hand away, his expression colder than you had ever seen. “None of your business,” he bit out, his voice sharp, before walking away without another word.

The next day, everything was different. He didn’t meet your eyes. He sat closer to Soojin, let her whisper in his ear and tug at his sleeve, when just yesterday he couldn’t stand her touch.

And every time you passed him in the hallway, he looked away.