The chilling London wind brushed against Len's cheeks as he stepped out of the metro station, the fog swallowing half the street like a silent ghost. Ten years had passed… yet his heart still carried a name he refused to speak.
Ji-Yeon.
A shadow from his past.
A pain that shaped his present.
Len adjusted the strap of his worn-out bag and walked toward EASTRION GLOBAL, one of the biggest Korean-owned fashion companies in Europe—known for luxury textile design and high-end apparel. Today… he had an interview. Not just for a job, but for a new beginning he desperately needed.
The building towered above the city like a monument of ambition. Glass walls reflected the sky, but Len's eyes were stuck on the revolving doors. Every instinct inside him felt tight, nervous, almost suffocating.
"Why does this place feel familiar…?" he whispered to himself.
Inside the lobby, everything shone—golden lights, marble floors, voices echoing softly. Workers rushed with tablets and swatches of fabric. Designers argued about color palettes. Models rehearsed poses. It was a world far away from the quiet, broken corner of his heart.
Len walked to the reception desk.
"Interview candidate? Name?"
"Len," he replied softly.
The receptionist marked something on her tablet.
"Please wait on the left. Someone from the HR team will arrive."
Len nodded and took a seat near the large glass window.
That was when his heartbeat stopped.
Across the lobby…
Walking with two senior executives…
Holding files close to her chest…
Hair tied neatly…
Eyes sharp and focused…
Ji-Yeon.
The same Ji-Yeon.
But different.
Stronger.
Colder.
Untouchable.
Her presence shook the air around her. She didn't see him. She didn't even glance in his direction. As if destiny had erased him from her memory entirely.
Len's chest tightened painfully.
"After everything… after all those nights… after the silence…"
"She really forgot me?"
Ji-Yeon walked past him—just a few meters away—and didn't stop, didn't blink, didn't pause.
But something was strange.
The moment she passed… the faint smell of her old perfume… the same one she wore ten years ago… brushed against Len's senses.
Like destiny whispering, "Not yet."
Len clenched his fists.
He didn't know whether to smile, cry, or walk away.
But he didn't move.
A voice suddenly echoed in the hall—
"Excuse me, you're Len, right?"
A woman around his age stood there. Soft brown hair, bright eyes, confident posture. Her badge read:
"Hana — HR Coordinator"
She smiled warmly, very different from Ji-Yeon's icy aura.
"Yes, I'm Len," he stood up awkwardly.
"Follow me. Your interview will start soon."
She led him through the long corridor.
While walking, Hana glanced at him.
"You look nervous."
"A little… this place is huge."
She laughed softly.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do well."
Her kindness was gentle… comforting… and for a moment, Len felt his chest loosen.
But then…
As they passed another glass hallway, Len saw Ji-Yeon again—this time alone, signing documents. Their eyes almost met, almost collided with the weight of their history.
But she turned away.
Len's steps faltered.
Hana noticed.
"Oh? Do you know Director Ji-Yeon?"
Len swallowed hard.
"…Director?"
"Yes," Hana nodded. "She's one of the youngest creative directors in Europe. Everyone respects her. She's talented but… a little cold."
Len forced a smile.
"I see."
Cold…
Yeah. He knew that part too well.
But seeing her success…
Her confidence…
The world she conquered while he was struggling…
It burned him inside.
Not in anger.
But in regret.
Hana stopped outside a meeting room.
"Your interview will begin shortly. Take a deep breath," she said with an encouraging smile.
Len nodded, but his mind was elsewhere.
He wasn't ready to face Ji-Yeon.
Not now.
Not like this.
Yet fate had already decided their collision.
Inside the glass room, Len sat alone, waiting. The ticking clock echoed too loudly, filling the silence.
But then—
The door opened.
Soft footsteps.
Len looked up.
And his soul froze.
Ji-Yeon walked in.
Calm.
Professional.
Expression unreadable.
A pen in her hand.
A file under her arm.
Their eyes met.
Ten years of unsaid words collapsed into a single moment.
Ji-Yeon inhaled sharply—but only for a millisecond.
Then her face returned to its cold mask.
"Candidate… Len?"
Her voice was steady, formal.
Len swallowed.
"Yes."
"…Let's begin the evaluation."
No smile.
No recognition.
No warmth.
Just ice.
But deep inside her eyes…
There was a tremble.
A shadow of something buried too deep to show.
The interview started.
She questioned him.
He answered.
She maintained distance.
He pretended not to break.
But every second, their past echoed between the lines.
At the end, Ji-Yeon closed the file.
"Your evaluation will be reviewed. You may leave."
Len stood slowly.
"Ji-Yeon…" he whispered.
Her fingers froze above the file.
A single heartbeat.
A silent storm.
"I'm the director here," she said sharply. "Use my professional title."
"…Director Ji-Yeon," he corrected painfully.
She didn't look at him.
He walked toward the door.
But before exiting…
He heard her voice tremble—just once.
"Why… why are you here?"
Len's breath cracked.
He turned slightly.
"Because… I still haven't moved on."
Ji-Yeon's eyes widened—but only for a second.
"Leave," she whispered.
Len stepped out.
The door closed behind him.
And inside—
Ji-Yeon finally let her tears fall.
The past wasn't dead.
It was waiting.
Burning.
Ready to explode again.
The love triangle…
The reunion…
The buried heartbreak…
Everything had just begun.
Chapter 20 end. But
Chapter 21 coming soon.
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