«Hurry, Chaeryeong! They'll be here any minute!», — Mrs. Lee called from the kitchen, the scent of freshly baked bread filling the air.

Chaeryeong sighed, clutching the delicate cake box. — «I'm going, Mom. Just let me grab my phone».

She scurried out the door, the familiar weight of the cake box a slight burden. She was nervous. It had been ten years since she last saw him, Changbin, the boy with the gap-toothed grin and mischievous eyes. Back then, their families were close, inseparable even. But when Seo family moved overseas, a gap opened between them, a silent void that neither of them filled.

As she walked, her thoughts drifted back to the park, to the day she stood up for him against a group of older boys. They had called him "Changbin the crybaby" after he tripped and scraped his knee. Chaeryeong, though smaller than him, had fiercely defended him, her voice ringing with an unexpected strength. They became friends.

Reaching the bakery, Chaeryeong collided with a burly figure. The delicate box slipped from her grasp, crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. The man, with a sneer etched on his face, started ranting.

«Hey, watch where you're going, girl! Immortal or what?», — his words stung, piercing her already fragile composure. Shame washed over her, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Suddenly, a large hand clasped her shoulder. She looked over, her eyes meeting a pair of dark, familiar ones.

«Hey, what’s going on here?», — man, taller than her and broad-shouldered, stood behind her, his black helmet shielding his face except for his eyes. His voice, though deeper than she remembered, had a native warmth. Man, clearly intimidated by the stranger, mumbled something under his breath and scurried away. The stranger turned, his gaze meeting hers.

«Changbin?», — she whispered, her voice barely audible. He smiled, removing his helmet to reveal his matured but so familiar face.

«Long time no see, Chaery», — he looked at the broken box on the ground, — «Looks like you could use some help»