Chapter 1
February 8, 2025
Jeongin’s birthday was a grand celebration with his hyungs. They laughed, ate, and even did an Instagram live for STAYs, staying up until midnight. But as the night ended, a familiar longing settled in his heart.
February 9, 2025
With a bouquet of fresh flowers and a bag of snacks, Jeongin drove to Busan early in the morning. He visited his family first, catching up with them over breakfast. But by the afternoon, he was at Nakdong River, where he knew someone was waiting—his best friend, even if only in memory.
He spread a mat on the ground, placed the flowers down, and sighed. The gentle waves of the river reflected the overcast sky.
“Ha Yeon-ah, I’m here again.” He smiled sadly. “I turned twenty-five yesterday. Can you believe it? I’m not the same Jeongin you used to nag all the time.” He chuckled, picking at the grass. “Stray Kids is doing well. We’ve won awards, traveled the world. But you know... sometimes, I still feel like that kid in ninth grade who pushed you away.”
A cool breeze brushed past him, and Jeongin felt the familiar weight of regret settle in his chest.
“I still wonder… What if I hadn’t ignored you that day? Would you still be here?” He clenched his fists. “Would you have stayed if I had told you that you weren’t annoying? That I actually liked having you around?”
Just then, a soft whimper interrupted his thoughts. A small dog, with warm brown eyes, padded toward him, sniffing curiously at the flowers. Jeongin blinked before offering his hand.
“Hey there, little one.” He smiled, petting the dog’s head. “You remind me of her.”
The dog wagged its tail enthusiastically, making Jeongin laugh.
“I’ll call you Yeonie, after my best friend. You don’t mind, do you?”
The dog barked happily, as if approving the name.
Meanwhile, at Incheon Airport, Baek Ha Yeon inhaled deeply as she stepped onto Korean soil once again.
“I’m back,” she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips.
She quickly hailed a taxi and headed straight to Sujeong-dong, Busan. As the familiar streets came into view, memories flooded her mind. Her childhood home remained just as it was, though slightly worn from time. Sitting on the porch, she observed how the town had grown, bustling with more people than before.
Then, like a lightning strike, a memory surfaced—of a puppy caught in the river’s current.
Her eyes widened. The river.
She hurried off, her heart pounding. As she approached the riverbank, her breath hitched.
There, under the grey sky, was a familiar figure, sitting on a mat, talking to the water.
Jeongin.
She watched, her emotions swirling. The years apart had changed him, yet he was still the boy she remembered—the boy who had once been her whole world.
Before she could call out to him, the dog she had come to see bolted towards her.
“Puppy?” Ha Yeon gasped as the dog jumped on her, licking her hands and face.
Startled, Jeongin turned toward the commotion. His eyes landed on the woman standing a few feet away.
He froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
His mind screamed that it couldn’t be possible.
Ha Yeon, the girl he mourned every year, the friend he had lost to the river—was standing right in front of him.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Ha Yeon, seeing his stunned expression, let out a soft laugh. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Foxy?”
His lips trembled. His heart pounded.
“Ha Yeon…?” he whispered, disbelief thick in his voice.
Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. “Yeah, it’s me, Jeongin.”
The flowers in his hands slipped through his fingers.
The world around them blurred.
And for the first time in years, Yang Jeongin saw the ghost of his past come back to life.
