Chapter 1….
There are days that just don’t go right.
Days that are said to be “cursed,” when even the smallest things go wrong and nothing seems to go your way.
From the very morning of her move, the gray sky looked like it was about to dump snow in chunks.
Spring was approaching, yet the temperature had plummeted, and the dry air cracked her skin with ease.
She carried her moving boxes up to the third floor of a building without an elevator. The moment one of the boxes burst open, she felt a creeping sense of unease.
When she opened the front door, a warning beep from the door lock indicated the battery was low.
She decided to buy new batteries later and began organizing the larger boxes, only to find that the light bulb in the old floor lamp was broken.
“Maybe I should have just paid a little extra and moved on an auspicious day,” she muttered.
Perhaps even superstitions were worth listening to, like her grandmother always said.
Haeju let out a small sigh.
At twenty years old, with just about a week before her first semester, her start as a freshman was gloomy.
She’d always been unlucky, though recently she thought her luck had finally improved—apparently just a feeling.
Haeju Seo. When she saw her name marked “accepted” on the portal, she thought her streak of misfortune was finally over.
She had been admitted immediately to the Korean University she had long dreamed of.
For a high school senior, college admission was everything, and success in getting in felt like the end of all hardship.
Little did she know, that was only the beginning.
“There’s a supermarket nearby.”
Thinking she’d grab the batteries and the bulb, she took her old, rusted vinyl umbrella and stepped outside.
“…Something’s definitely up today.”
A few minutes later, she arrived at the supermarket, only to find a notice saying it was closed for interior renovations for the time being. Even the small bench in front was covered with a tarp.
To reach the nearest convenience store, she had to walk down a hill.
Her face turned bright red from the cold, even after just a few minutes outside. Her feet were freezing despite wearing socks, and her breath rose like smoke.
Ever since she had twisted her foot while moving boxes earlier, her slipper’s toe strap rattled and scraped the ground with every step.
Going down was one thing, but thinking about going back up this hill made her feel utterly hopeless. Haeju sighed and continued walking.
The convenience store was at the corner at the bottom of the hill.
She bought the light bulb and batteries and, as she stepped outside, snow began to fall heavily.
She checked her phone, and sure enough, a heavy snow advisory had been issued.
To make matters worse, her umbrella snapped as the rusted ribs twisted while she tried to open it. The torn vinyl flapped against the frame.
“Nothing seems to go right today.”
She had an extra umbrella at home, but buying a new one felt like a waste of money.
Haeju held her hand toward the sky. A single snowflake landed on her palm and melted almost instantly.
Her home was nearby, and since it was just snow, she figured she could walk back without the umbrella. She left it in the convenience store trash and pulled her padded hood down over her head.
Dragging her uncomfortable slippers around the corner, the headlights of a car suddenly flashed in front of her.
Beep!
“Ah!”
At the same moment, her slipper slipped on the icy ground, and she twisted her toes.
She fell hard on the asphalt, right in front of the unknown car.
It was a scene that could easily be mistaken for an insurance scam.
“Hah, ugh…”
The snow poured down, the weather was cold and dry, and her already freezing hands scraped against the asphalt.
She couldn’t see it, but her knees were probably scraped too.
Of course. Life would never go smoothly for her.
And of all days, tomorrow was her café part-time training, which would require plenty of hand use.
Her eyes reddened with frustration.
At least no one had seen her fall this miserably… she thought that was a small blessing.
“Wow, you almost flew. That must have hurt.”
Someone seemed to be watching. She heard surprise and awe in a low voice.
Haeju lifted her head in the direction of the voice.
The person was tall enough that she had to tilt her head to see his face.
He wore navy jogger pants and a hoodie, with a thick jumper that looked very warm.
His broad shoulders and large frame made him look well-dressed even in casual sweats.
He stood by the car with a black umbrella slung over his shoulder. Perhaps he had been about to smoke—a cigarette and lighter were between his fingers.
Snow quickly accumulated on the black umbrella.
“Are you okay?”
His masculine voice carried to her, and she noticed his strong, defined jawline.
Fair skin, vivid lips, a prominent nose, sharp eyes with a slightly rough edge, and thick, neat eyebrows.
He looked rugged but was undeniably handsome.
She wondered if he was an actor, but there was no nearby filming set. And of course, celebrities rarely appear in this small apartment area.
As Haeju parted her lips to reply, his expression changed.
The surprised, frozen look shifted into one of contemplation, and he raised one eyebrow slightly.
“For an insurance scam, your acting could use work.”
“…I’m not doing that,” Haeju said, frowning.
Behind him was a blue sports car parked—an open-top car that looked completely out of place in the snowy weather.
She thought to herself: what a strange person.
