The Beginning
Before I knew it, everything changed the day I met him.
....
"Seo-Yoon wake up, you'll be late for work!" my mother shouted.
I jolted awake from my slumber as my heart pounded.
"W-What?" I Shouted as I rubbed my crusty eyes.
"You need to eat before leaving" She yelled as I could barley hear her.
I dragged myself out of bed half awake to grab my blazer, straighten my hair and put on my makeup.
my mom hugs me as I got downstairs to start eating.
"I love you Honey." She said as she smiled at me
"I love you too mom."
.
.
.
As I arrived to work, I sat down in my desk and started to overview digital campaigns.
My manager suddenly walks into the room without prior notice.
He came up to me and whispered that he wanted to talk to me in his office.
First he Abruptly interrupts us and now he wants me? I thought, but kept quiet.
While walking behind him, I started to become nervous as we got closer to his office.
"Sit down Seo-Yoon." He said as he gestured to the chair.
As we sat down, he reviewed the documents and clicked his pen repeatedly.
The silence felt so loud.
Then he spoke
"Seo-Yoon... You've been a loyal employee for over 6 years. However, After a thorough discussion with senior management, we’ve decided that your employment with the company will end today, effective immediately."
I gulped and took a deep breath in.
"Sorry I dont think I heard you properly." I said as I was fidgeting with my bracelet
He started writing on a piece of paper and moved it towards my direction.
Termination Letter: 02/12/2026
For a moment, everything felt like it froze
I stared down at the paper as tears started dropping on the form.
As I was signing the paper, my vision became blurry from holding the tears.
My manager abruptly took the paper after I signed it and mentioned if I have nothing else to say then to leave.
I was hesitant but eventually nodded while looking at the floor.
I stood up and grabbed my purse.
My legs moved before my mind could and I walked out the door.
The hallway felt longer than it ever did before.
I sat in my car with a blank stare
Then it hit me
I started crying as the tears wouldn't stop flowing down my cheeks
"Why?!" I shouted as I repetitively slammed the horn.
My chest tightened as if my heart had been torn out.
After calming down, I stared straight ahead and slowly turned on the ignition.
As the engine started, I turned my head slightly to look out the window and saw the sky had become dark, without realizing how much time had passed.
While tightening my grip on the wheel, I arrived back to my house.
I quietly climbed the stairs, careful to make no sound so I wouldn’t wake my mom.
The next morning arrived, when my mom came in my room, I finally told her everything. She didn’t react the way I expected, she was upset, disappointed, and silent for a long time.
"You need to get some type of job to survive Hon." She said as she crossed her arms
I looked away and heavily sighed.
It wasn't worth the time to argue with my mom.
Eventually, I sat up and opened my laptop.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before I typed part-time jobs near me.
One by one, listings filled the screen.
Cafés. Convenience stores. Small shops. Anything that would take me.
I applied to all of them.
Some rejected me immediately.
Some didn’t reply at all.
But I kept going anyway.
Day after day, I left the house early in the morning, handing out resumes with no certainty that anything would come from it.
Until eventually.
My phone rang and I got a call.
...
-Phone Conversation with recruiter-
"Hello! Is this Seo-Yeon?"
"Yes it is."
"Wonderful, I hope things are going well!"
"..."
"You seem like a good fit for this position, are you able to come in this afternoon around 7:00pm?"
"Yeah that works."
"Alright Seo-Yeon, have a good day!"
"Thank you."
..
I exhaled slowly and stood up, brushing off the nerves raging in my chest.
I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror..
“Just get through today,” I whispered to myself.
I decided to take a quick shower, letting the water wash over me as my thoughts refused to slow down. Everything still felt heavy, like I was carrying something I couldn’t put down.
I changed into simple clothes and tied my hair back, trying to look decent, even if I wasn't.
Two hours passed faster than I expected.
Before I knew it, I was grabbing my bag and heading out the door.
The evening air in Seoul felt cooler, softer, like the world was pretending nothing had happened yesterday.
But I remembered.
Every step toward the café felt heavier than the last.
I kept walking with a steady pace.
Because I didn’t have anything else left to lose.
Then dark clouds roared up quickly, swallowing the evening light.
I barely had time to notice before the first drop hit my skin.
Then It started pouring in a relentless and hard downfall.
My clothes felt heavy as the water soaked everything
"Are you serious universe!?" I said as I pointed my middle finger up.
The café was only a few steps away now, its warm light spilling onto the wet pavement.
I pushed through the rain, barely seeing through the water running down my face.
My hand reached for the door—
But before I could open it, a man stepped out.
We collided.
My shoulder hit his chest, and I stumbled off balance.
A cup slipped from his hand at the same time.
Coffee splashed across his white collared shirt
Time seemed to pause for a second.
The rain kept falling, but I didn’t move.
“I’m so sorry!” I blurted out as I bowed down, stepping back as panic hit me.
“I didn’t see you, I-”
Then, without a word, he took his blazer off.
I looked at him in a confused manner.
Before I could react, he stepped closer and gently placed it over my shoulders.
It was still slightly warm from his body heat, and it immediately blocked out the cold rain soaking through my clothes.
I stiffened. “Y-You don’t have to”
“It’s cold,” he said simply.
His voice was calm. Not annoyed. Not loud. Just steady.
"I'll clean your sh-."
He interrupted me and said he'll deal with it.
"oh I-"
Before I could respond, he stepped back toward the café door.
For a brief moment, I thought he might say something else.
But he didn’t.
He simply turned, pushed the door open, and walked inside.
And just like that…
he was gone.
I stood there in the rain, his blazer still draped over my shoulders, staring at the rain as he walked away.
I didn’t know who he was.
But I had a feeling
this wasn’t going to be the last time I saw him.
