London mornings were always grey.
The sun had risen, but the clouds that covered the entire city seemed to hang high in the sky and showed no sign of clearing.
Sohee stood by the window and took a sip of coffee that wasn't getting warm.
She muttered to herself as she put down the cup, which had already lost all its steam.
“It looks like it’s going to rain again…”
Now I can read the weather in this city to some extent.
The feeling of the air and moisture clinging to the skin before it rains,
and
Before it rains, my heart always calms down first.
Still, Sohee didn't hate the city of London.
It was a precious city that gave me a new lease on life.
As I entered the training ground, a familiar smell hit my nose.
"I can never get used to the smell of metal, no matter how often I smell it."
At first it was a suffocating smell, but now it was unpleasant but gave me a sense of relief.
"concentration."
At the instructor's brief instructions, Sohee immediately lowered her posture.
Hook -
The opponent came in first.
The moment her arm reached out, Sohee quickly turned her body half a beat and hooked her elbow.
'It's now'
The sound of the body hitting the floor shook the training grounds greatly.
"Ugh!!!"
The opponent tapped out immediately.
"Haha... Surrender, surrender!!!!"
"…end"
The instructor looked at Sohee.
“It’s definitely different.”
Sohee caught her breath and wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.
"....... thank you"
“When I first came here, my mind was broken before my body.”
“…That’s right.”
“Not now.”
The instructor paused for a moment and then added quietly.
“Now you have the face of a full-fledged bodyguard. Good job.”
Sohee didn't respond to those words.
But somewhere in my chest, I felt something slowly hardening.
After finishing her shower, Sohee sat on the bed and dried her hair with a towel.
The face in the mirror looked a little different than before.
I felt like my eyes and mouth line were softer than before.
‘… So this is how people change.’
Not because the pain disappeared, but because I was able to stand with the pain.
I thought it was fortunate.
And then I looked in the mirror and stroked my face for no reason.
"... Well, it seems like I've gotten uglier than before...
"Didn't you manage it well...?"
Sohee suddenly wonders why she is thinking like this.
Sohee tilted her head back, leaned back on the bed, and picked up her cell phone.
Of course, there was no notification she wanted.
Nevertheless, I turned the screen on and off several times.
"… her"
A short laugh escaped.
How long has it been since we last contacted each other?
I stopped counting the days.
The moment I started counting, the longing seemed to become clearer.
What are you doing?
Same time,
Seoul's nights were much brighter than London's.
In the dark office, Jimin was standing by the window.
The city lights reflected off the windows, blurring his face.
“…5 years…
It's too long lol"
The muttered words fell into an empty space.
Jimin was asking himself.
Whether this choice was right.
Rather than letting it go, it wasn't that it ran away.
but,
"still…"
He took a slow breath.
"still,
“Because that’s how you survive.”
As I opened the drawer, an old item caught my eye.
It was a small piece of metal with a slight bullet hole left behind.
That day, in the elevator, I put it in her hand.
Jimin placed it on his palm and looked at it for a long time.
“Are you doing well, Sohee?”
There was no answer.
But strangely enough, he was okay.
Now I could believe that she would stand on her own somewhere.
So the two of them believed in each other in their hearts.
Back in London,
Sohee put on a light jacket over her training uniform and went outside.
It didn't rain, but the air was damp.
With every step I took, the sound of my heels echoed clearly on the floor.
"If I just get a little stronger... I wonder if I can go to Korea."
At that moment, the cell phone in my pocket vibrated.
— unknown
Sohee stopped for a moment.
My heart, for a moment, quickened.
“…?”
Sohee unlocked her phone and checked the message notification.
🗨️Are you thinking of coming to Korea?
—Swan Group
Sohee stared at the screen for a while and then slowly exhaled.
‘I guess it’s time… to come.’
She raised her head.
For a brief moment, light filtered through the gray sky.
Sohee entered Korea for a meeting with Swan Group.
The meeting with the Swan Group ended more quietly than expected.
There was no exaggerated hospitality or unnecessary probing.
“You don’t have to start working in Korea right away.”
A middle-aged man said as he organized his papers.
“This acquisition has already been internally sorted out…
“Just putting Han So-hee’s name on the list is enough.”
Sohee nodded.
“…If I just put my name on the acquisition,
“Until the next activity, I want to have some free time.”
“Of course, we will adjust the detailed schedule of activities later.
“Thank you for your hard work coming to Korea.”
"thank you."
As Sohee left the conference room, she felt strange.
‘The contract ended so quickly…
I didn't know free time could be given so easily.'
It was a moment I had been waiting for, but when I actually held it in my hands, it was more bland than I thought.
.
.
On the way back to the hotel. The scenery of Seoul passing by outside the car window was so familiar.
Rather, it felt unfamiliar.
'weird…'
Sohee thought to herself.
‘Honestly, when I came back, I thought something would fall apart.’
Nothing happened.
I also had the habit of going one more street in case I ran into Jimin.
The habit of bowing one's head was no longer necessary.
That fact was a little disappointing.
I needed some time alone.
I didn't want to meet anyone or explain anything.
Sohee took out her earphones and played her favorite song.
‘Should I just… walk?’
There was no destination.
I headed to a place where there weren't too many people, wherever my feet took me.
The Han River in the late afternoon was quieter than expected.
The waves sparkled whenever the wind blew.
Sohee leaned against the railing and took a slow breath.
"ha…"
I couldn't even remember when I last stood there without a care in the world.
'good night....'
really....
If it goes on like this, I won't even see him
I felt like I could survive.
‘…I guess I can survive.
.
.
but....'
That was when.
A familiar voice came from behind me as if by chance.
“I’m sorry...”
Sohee's heart stopped at that one syllable.
slowly,
I turned my head really slowly.
And then there he was.
Black coat, slightly sad-looking face,
But still
Eyes that look at me the same way.
It was Jimin.
For a moment, no thoughts came to mind.
Why are you here,
When did you come,
All of that
I followed a beat late.
“…Mr. Jimin?”
He stopped.
and
My eyes slowly grew wider.
“……”
There was no word for a few seconds.
Countless winds have passed by
The two of them stood there as if they had fallen out of time.
Han So-hee
At those words, Sohee's eyes instantly became hot.
'ah…'
So that's why you hesitated,
Because I like you so much.
Sohee didn't think about it anymore.
The feet moved first.
One step,
Two steps.
And then he ran straight into Jimin's arms.
“……!”
Jimin took a deep breath.
For a moment, my arm was lifted,
He immediately hugged her tightly.
“Sohee…”
Her hair touched the tip of his nose.
Even the familiar body temperature from the trembling breath
Sohee grabbed the hem of his clothes tightly.
“……What the...”
"...."
“Why are you suddenly appearing now as if by chance... Heuk...”
Jimin didn't answer.
Instead, I hugged her tighter.
As if if I let it go I'll never catch it again.
As if I'll never miss it again
“I missed you.”
It was a very low voice.
Sohee's shoulders trembled slightly.
“Me too.”
His breath trembled at that short answer.
The wind from the Han River blew past them.
For a long time, without letting go of each other.
Words were no longer needed.
.
.
.
.
.
Continued in the next episode >>