Chapter One
"Min Jae! Did you eat?"
Seo Hana darted around the cramped apartment, juggling a toothbrush in one hand and a frying pan in the other. Her younger brother peeked out from the tiny bedroom, his hair sticking up like a chicken's nest.
"You burned the eggs again," Min Jae said flatly.
"That's called extra smoky flavor! Rich people pay thousands for this," Hana declared proudly, waving her spatula like a weapon.
"Yeah, by 'rich people' you mean the trash can," he shot back with a snort.
Hana hurled a pillow at him, laughing. For a moment, they could pretend they were just a normal family — not one with a gambler for a father and bills stacked higher than the fridge.
---
The marketing firm buzzed with chatter, keyboards clacking like raindrops. Hana rushed in, nearly tripping over the water cooler.
"Seo Hana, late again? Did you sleep through your three alarms?" a coworker teased.
"Three? Please. I have six alarms. I just snoozed them all," Hana said with a grin.
Laughter rippled across the room. Unlike other companies, her workplace was full of young, chaotic staff — half working, half gossiping.
"Hey, who stole my coffee?" someone shouted.
"It wasn't me! …Okay, maybe it was," another admitted sheepishly.
Sliding into her chair with exaggerated drama, Hana spread her arms.
"Relax, everyone! I'm here now. The fun can begin."
The whole room groaned, and a paper ball was thrown at her. Hana caught it midair with a bow.
"Thank you, thank you. Autographs later," she said, earning another wave of laughter.
---
Later, in the break room, Hana slumped at the table, sipping her instant coffee like it was fine wine. Soo Jin leaned over with a whisper.
"Did you hear? Team Leader Kim confessed to HR yesterday… again."
Hana nearly choked. "Again?! That's the third rejection! At this rate, he's going for the Guinness World Record."
The room erupted with laughter. Someone clapped, someone nearly spilled their cup.
Moments like this made work almost bearable.
---
After work, Hana met her best friend, Ha Rin, at a bustling street food stall. Ha Rin, as always, was glowing in her designer outfit, drawing stares from half the men walking by.
"My boyfriend broke up with me. Again," Ha Rin pouted.
"At this point, do you collect breakups like limited-edition handbags?" Hana teased.
"Yah! Do you want tteokbokki or not?" Ha Rin smacked her arm, but the corners of her lips were already twitching.
They laughed, their voices mixing with sizzling pans and vendor shouts. To strangers, they looked like two carefree women in their twenties. But Hana felt the weight pressing against her ribs — a weight she hadn't told Ha Rin about yet.
---
Late that night, Hana curled up on the couch, watching a horror movie.
When the ghost appeared on screen, she screamed and buried her face in a pillow. "Why do I do this to myself?!" she groaned, before peeking through her fingers anyway.
---
The next morning, Hana stood at the crowded bus stop, clutching her bag. The sky cracked open and rain poured down without warning.
Groans echoed as everyone scattered for cover. Hana, of course, had forgotten her umbrella. She stood there, hair plastered to her face, muttering curses at the sky.
A shadow fell over her.
She blinked up — and her breath caught.
It was him.
Her ex-boyfriend, Ji Hoon, stood beside her, holding an umbrella over both their heads. His shirt was slightly damp, his hair dripping at the ends, but his eyes were as sharp as ever.
"Still forgetting umbrellas, huh?" he said quietly.
Hana's throat tightened. Out of all the people in Seoul, why him? Why now?