Chapter 1. A Mistaken Encounter
“Honestly… you’ve got eyes, don’t you? And yet you call that a confession? Both you for saying it, and me for listening to it.”
His voice was ice-cold. Sleet drifted through the air and clung to her flushed cheeks before melting away.
So, how did things end up like this…?
It was the year-end party where all law school students gathered.
For several days, she had felt a chill creeping through her body. When she woke up that morning, her head was spinning and her fever had risen so high that her vision swayed. With a winter cold came the usual pairing of cough and runny nose.
Under normal circumstances, Gi Sena would have been curled up in bed under a warm blanket, unable to think straight from the severity of her illness.
If it hadn’t been for her friend Jeonghee’s call.
“Everyone’s coming today—even the third- and fourth-years! Oh, right! Seongmin is coming too. He just returned this semester!”
“Senior Chae Seongmin?”
Just as actors with “Min” in their name were all handsome, Chae Seongmin was practically a revolution in the law department filled with bookish humanities students.
“You might not care, but it’s chaos right now. Even the part-timers are canceling their shifts to come.”
“Sounds like a big party this year…”
“Yeah! It’s huge! So unless you’re literally dying, get over here. Oh! You know that senior who passed the bar exam recently?”
“Senior Ryu Kanghyun?”
“Yeah! It’s going to be insane today. I heard he even passed the interview stage. Anyway, he’s coming too! Apparently he doesn’t usually attend these gatherings after returning, but Seongmin is dragging him along. They’re close.”
There wasn’t a single law student who didn’t know Chae Seongmin and Ryu Kanghyun.
Chae Seongmin—kind, intelligent, already possessing everything one could want, and on top of that, blessed with striking good looks that made women’s hearts flutter.
And in stark contrast, Ryu Kanghyun—sharp-featured, cold, rarely seen smiling, and blunt to the point of intimidation.
Part of their fame came from their picture-perfect appearances. When they stood together, their synergy only amplified.
Chae Seongmin was the kind of senior you wanted as a mentor—like an angel.
Ryu Kanghyun, on the other hand, was the kind you’d rather avoid—like a ferocious guard dog.
As for Ryu Kanghyun—he had completed the required law credits, immediately taken the bar exam, and passed. He had already become a legend at H University. The kind of person who could appear on TV with an indifferent face and say, “Studying was the easiest thing in the world.”
Whatever the case, a drinking gathering with Chae Seongmin? As Jeonghee said, unless she was on her deathbed, there was no way she could miss it.
Forgetting her illness, Sena carefully chose a pretty outfit and rushed to the student bar. Pushing past juniors and classmates competing for the seat beside Chae Seongmin, she barely managed to secure a spot nearby.
Her heart fluttered as she accepted the drinks he handed her, gulping them down as if they were honeyed water.
And then—
“I’m going on an exchange program next semester.”
It wasn’t just Sena who was disappointed. Everyone at the table let out a collective sigh.
The chatter around her faded into the distance. Sena’s eyes trembled violently. An exchange program meant going abroad.
She hadn’t even properly spoken to him yet…
She had hoped that if they took the same classes next semester, they might grow closer. Maybe they’d even end up in the same group project. She had imagined working harder than anyone else just to spend time with him.
But now, that hope collapsed into a wave of emptiness.
She had dragged her sick body here just to see him…
If this was how it would turn out, she shouldn’t have come at all.
“This isn’t a year-end party… it’s a farewell party…”
Sniffling through her cold-stuffed nose, Sena muttered to herself.
It hurt.
She had never realized how painful unrequited love could be. She had never liked someone first before. She had always been the one receiving confessions—never the one unable to speak her own feelings.
Upset, she drank more alcohol than she could handle. Tears threatened to spill over, and she couldn’t stay inside any longer.
Unable to blend in with the cheerful crowd, she slipped out of the bar before making a fool of herself.
Standing on the terrace beside the entrance, she tried to cool her overheated head.
The cold air stung her nose. Curling herself tighter into a blue plastic chair, she stared distantly at the lively crowd inside.
A love that never even got the chance to be confessed—lost before it began.
A heavy lump formed in her chest.
Maybe this is for the best. What if I had confessed to someone who’s about to go abroad? It would’ve just been awkward… Maybe I should at least tell him to have a safe trip.
Her chest felt tight, her head dizzy. The mix of cold medicine and alcohol blurred her vision.
Where did he say he was going…? I wish I could follow him… Why now? I’m only two years away from graduating… I should’ve gotten closer to him. Then maybe I could’ve asked him to keep in touch… or at least exchange emails…
Just then, someone approached her and spoke.
The words sounded distant, muffled—she couldn’t understand.
Did you drink too much? Are you okay? Probably something like that.
Assuming as much, Sena buried her face in her knees and nodded.
A short laugh sounded above her.
Then warmth settled over her shoulders—a thick brown jacket.
Footsteps moved away, followed by the click of a lighter.
When she lifted her head, she saw the back of a tall man smoking a short distance away.
Her vision was still hazy, but anyone kind enough to drape their jacket over her in this freezing weather…
It had to be Chae Seongmin.
The warmth lingering in the jacket, the fresh, clean scent—it matched him perfectly. Her heart, which had barely calmed, began to race again.
Ah… how can I possibly give up on someone this kind, Senior…
Her mood sank even deeper.
She wasn’t generous enough to easily let go of someone stepping toward such a bright future.
Gi Sena, who had always gotten what she wanted, couldn’t accept the end of this one-sided love without even trying.
Even if it wouldn’t come true—she wanted to confess at least once.
Senior… take care while you’re abroad. Please keep in touch sometimes.
A light, non-burdensome confession.
Not “I like you,” but “I liked you.”
I like you. I liked you.
And if, when you come back, you’re not seeing anyone… please give me a chance then.
No… that was too long. Too pathetic.
She needed something simpler. Something memorable, yet sincere…
Before she could decide what to say, the man finished his cigarette and walked back toward her.
“…Senior.”
“……”
She wanted to smile—not too serious, not too casual—and tell him her feelings gently.
But the moment she saw the sleet falling before her eyes, everything she had carefully held together collapsed.
It was the first snow.
“Hic… Senior… I actually… I really, really like you…!”
“……”
“So… can’t you not go on that exchange program? I didn’t even get to confess yet… I mean—no, that’s not it. Your study abroad—hic—I want to go too. No, just don’t go. Or take me with you…!”
“Ha…”
“I’ll treat you better… I’ve never liked anyone before… I can’t let you go like this… Please… can you date me, even just for a month?”
Her words tumbled out without order, without control.
It was pathetic.
She had never been this pathetic in her life.
The confident, composed confession she had imagined was reduced to a childish tantrum—thanks to her fever, the alcohol, and her frozen brain.
Receiving no answer, Sena lowered her head even further. Once the dam broke, her emotions overflowed uncontrollably.
She hiccupped and cried like a child, shoulders trembling, wiping her tears with the back of her hand while sniffling loudly.
Then—
“How ridiculous. Were you always this kind of person?”
The noise from inside the bar seemed to vanish instantly. The atmosphere around her turned cold and desolate.
“You’ve got perfectly good eyes, don’t you? And yet you call that a confession? Both you for saying it—and me for listening.”
Cold. The sleet clung to her cheeks and melted. Her burning face cooled instantly.
“The guy’s going abroad with another woman, and you still felt like confessing?”
…What?
Another woman?
She hadn’t heard that at all. From the moment she heard he was studying abroad, her mind had fixated on that alone.
Her vision spun.
If she had known he was going with someone else, she wouldn’t have confessed—she wouldn’t have even stayed.
“Either you’re too drunk to think straight, or you’re just stupid. You look normal enough, but your personality’s… unique.”
Sena’s face turned paler than paper.
She didn’t know if it was from the freezing temperature—or the sharp, icy tone of his voice.
“Not exactly something you’d say while watching the first snow of the year.”
“……”
Blinking rapidly, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
What… was going on?
If this was a nightmare, she needed to wake up.
The man standing before her…
Was not Chae Seongmin.
It was Ryu Kanghyun.
This jacket… wasn’t it hanging on Seongmin’s chair? Then why—why him, of all people?
She shook her head hard.
Get a grip, Gi Sena. Are you still drunk?
No.
The alcohol had completely worn off. Her vision was clear.
Even when she raised her chin and looked straight at him, his face didn’t change.
The man with sharp eyes and a displeased expression—
The very one she wanted to avoid—
Ryu Kanghyun.
“Hic.”
Startled, she hiccupped involuntarily. Kanghyun let out a dry scoff.
Her mind went blank.
She needed to say something—anything—to fix this.
But all that came out of her parted lips were incoherent, foolish sounds.
Gasping for breath—
“Ah-choo!!”
She sneezed.
And with that powerful sneeze, something that had been clogging her nose came rushing out.
As her trembling eyes widened, Ryu Kanghyun’s distorted expression came sharply into view.
At this point, confessing to a man who had another woman—
That was no longer the problem.
The real problem was something else entirely.
