Chapter 01
“I laughed when I heard about my own death.”
The morning was cozy, with rain dripping softly outside the window. The scent of wet earth filled the air, accompanied by the distant chirping of birds.
As the morning slowly unfolded, a girl with a messy bun lay comfortably in bed, wearing a cream-colored hoodie and brown trousers. Her favorite stuffed toy rested beside her.
Her eyes were swollen with sleep. She had just woken up, but she was still lying comfortably in bed. Slowly, she turned her head toward the bedside table and reached for her phone.
8:13 a.m.
“Ahhh!”
She made a frustrated face before closing her eyes again.
A knock sounded at the door.
She ignored it, too sleepy to bother getting up.
A few footsteps approached her room.
“Zayra! Hey, wake up.”
The voice sounded familiar.
It was her cousin, Maheen.
“Zayra, look at the time! You're getting late. Wake up, please.”
“Ughhh, don't.”
Maheen tried to pull the blanket away from her.
“Don't you want to go to university today?” she asked.
“No. So let me sleep in peace now.”
“But why?” Maheen asked curiously. “You never miss a class. What's up today?”
“I'll tell you if you give me a cup of coffee,” Zayra said mysteriously.
“Okay. Go freshen up. I'll bring you some coffee.”
After freshening up, Zayra changed into comfortable clothes and walked downstairs, her phone in one hand.She dropped herself onto the sofa in the living room and unlocked her phone, scrolling absentmindedly through the screen.A few minutes later, Maheen appeared from the kitchen, holding a steaming mug of coffee.“Here.”She handed the mug to Zayra.Zayra smiled. “Finally.”She took a sip, letting the warmth of the coffee wake her up.Maheen sat beside her and looked at her suspiciously.“Now tell me. What happened?”Zayra raised an eyebrow.“What?”“You've been acting weird since you woke up. You never skip university, and today you suddenly don't want to go. So…” Maheen leaned closer. “Tell me.”Zayra tried to hide her smile behind her mug.“Be quiet.”Maheen frowned.“Why?”“Because it's a surprise.”“A surprise?” Maheen's eyes widened. “For whom?”“You'll find out.”“Zayra!”Zayra laughed softly.“Where's Mama?”“She went to school.”Zayra's mother was a teacher, so she usually left early in the morning.Maheen crossed her arms.“Okay, enough with the suspense. Tell me what happened.”Zayra took another sip of coffee, trying to contain her excitement.“Fine.”She placed the mug on the table.“I got a scholarship.”Maheen blinked.“A scholarship?”Zayra nodded.“To Germany.”For a moment, Maheen simply stared at her.Then—“WHAT?”Zayra burst out laughing.“Keep your voice down!”“You're going to Germany?!”“Yes.”“For how long?”“For my further studies.”Maheen stared at her as if she had just announced that she was moving to another planet.“You're serious?”Zayra smiled.“Completely.”Germany.A place she had only ever seen in pictures.A place she never imagined she'd actually go.And yet, somehow, it was about to become the beginning of everything.
Ethan Han The sound of an electric guitar echoed through the house.
Loud.Raw.Unapologetic.A middle-aged woman stopped outside a bedroom door and sighed.She already knew who was responsible.She opened the door.Inside stood Ethan Han.Twenty-something, Korean-American, and unmistakably athletic.He had always been disciplined about his fitness, rarely missing a workout. His broad shoulders, defined arms, and strong physique showed the results of years of training. Even the simple sleeveless shirt he wore made his athletic build obvious. His dark hair was damp from a recent shower, falling messily over his forehead.Yet Ethan seemed completely unaware of the world around him.An electric guitar rested against him as his fingers moved effortlessly across the strings. The veins along his forearms became more prominent as he played, his expression completely focused on the music.His mother stood in the doorway with an increasingly frustrated expression.“Ethan.”Nothing.The guitar continued.She narrowed her eyes.Then—BANG!She slammed the door.The music stopped.Ethan slowly looked toward her.“Are you coming for lunch or not?”He gave her a blank look.“Your appa and unnie are waiting. Halmoni and halaboji will be here any minute. Get up. Now.”Ethan's expression clearly said he had absolutely no interest in whatever she was saying.Without arguing, he placed the guitar aside and walked toward the bathroom.A while later, the entire family was gathered around the dining table.Ethan sat quietly, eating while everyone else talked.Across the table, his halaboji gave him a long, unimpressed side-eye.Then he turned toward Ethan's father.“I told you to bring him up properly,” he said. “And you made him into a musician?”Ethan's hand paused.His halaboji shook his head.“What are you planning to do with him? You're making me look foolish in front of the whole family.”Ethan pushed his chair back.“I've finished.”He stood up and started walking away.“Ethan.”His unnie stopped him.He turned around.“Sit down.”Before Ethan could respond, his halaboji's voice filled the room.“Where are your manners? Sit.”Ethan clenched his jaw.After a moment, he reluctantly sat back down.His halaboji reached for an envelope lying beside his plate and slid it across the table.Ethan looked at it.“What's that?”“Your admission letter.”Ethan frowned.“My admission letter?”He picked up the envelope.“Where?”“Germany.”Ethan's eyebrows pulled together.“Germany?”“More specifically, Heidelberg University.”He looked at his father.“What?”“You're going to Heidelberg University for BBA.”Ethan stared at him.Then he gave a short, disbelieving laugh.“What? Dad, I told you I'm not interested in business.”“I know.”“No. I'm serious. I'm not doing this.”His father's expression hardened.“You don't have a choice.”Ethan's jaw tightened.“I've spent years working on music. That's what I want.”His halaboji put his chopsticks down.“Then do whatever you want.”Ethan looked at him.“As long as it's not music.”The words hung heavily over the table.Ethan stared at his family for a few seconds before pushing his chair back.He picked up the envelope.Then he walked upstairs without saying another word.A moment later—BANG!His bedroom door slammed shut.Germany.Heidelberg University.BBA.Everything Ethan Han had spent years trying to avoid was suddenly waiting for him on the other side of the world.
That day, two lives were quietly moving toward the same destination.
In one house, Zayra sat on her bed, staring at her scholarship letter with the biggest smile on her face.
Germany.
A new country.
A new university.
A new beginning.
She had no idea what waited for her there.
Meanwhile, across the world, Ethan Han sat alone in his room, his admission letter lying untouched on the desk.
Germany was the last place he wanted to be.
He wanted music.
His family had chosen business.
And now, apparently, he had no choice but to leave.
Two strangers.
Two completely different reasons.
One destination.
Neither of them knew it yet, but Heidelberg wasn't just going to change their lives.
It was going to put them in each other's way.
And sometimes, the person you trust the least...
is the person who knows the truth you were never meant to find.
