It’s the second night

Episode 1

It was a day in April when snow was falling heavily.

Thick snow poured down like blood over the fully bloomed cherry blossoms.

People who screamed in excitement couldn’t even tell if what was falling was cherry blossoms or snow. They were too busy pressing their camera shutters.

Snow in April?

It was fascinating.

But that fascination quickly disappeared.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A building in the center of Seoul collapsed, shaking the ground with a loud explosion.

It was broad daylight.

People who had been taking pictures with snow and cherry blossom petals in their palms lifted their heads in fear.

A thick cloud of dust rose. The city was soon filled with the sound of sirens, and news channels hurried to report the breaking news.

The collapsed building belonged to Ino Group’s training center in Gangnam.

The scene looked like a battlefield. Amidst the chaos, an ambulance sped away.

Wee-woo! Wee-woo!

The ambulance, blaring its siren, rushed through the streets of Seoul. The busy roads cleared instantly to let it pass.

Inside that ambulance was the first survivor pulled from the disaster. An estimated twenty victims were still trapped.

The ambulance arrived at SH Hospital, owned by Seohyun Group.

The medical team had already been notified and was waiting in front of the emergency room.

As soon as the ambulance doors opened, reporters who had arrived beforehand started flashing their cameras.

A woman, clearly in critical condition, was carried out. She was unconscious.

Urgent hands moved her onto a wheeled stretcher, and a paramedic quickly reported her condition.

“28-year-old Yoo Haein. Full-body burns, bleeding at the back of the head. No consciousness. We performed CPR the entire way, but there was no response.”

At those words, a doctor immediately climbed onto the stretcher and continued CPR.

The stretcher wheels rolled fast as more medical staff rushed in to save her.

Medical scissors cut through her clothes, revealing her burned skin.

“Charging for defibrillation!”

The doctor doing CPR stepped back.

“50 joules.”

“Charge.”

“Shock!”

The defibrillator sent a jolt of electricity through her frail body, making it jump.

“Continue CPR.”

Strong hands pressed against her ribs, hard enough to break bones.

Again.

“Charge!”

“Shock!”

Her body convulsed.

They repeated the process over and over.

But the signals didn’t look good.

“Don’t stop CPR.”

“Switching in.”

“No, I’ll do it.”

“Professor? Professor!”

Urgent voices overlapped.

Then, a familiar sound echoed.

Beeeeeeeeep—.

The long, flat beep signaled a stopped heart.

Despair filled the medical team’s faces.

A voice cut through the despair—not hopeless, but desperate.
“No, keep going. We have to save her!”
“It’s useless.”
“At least pretend to try. If not, we’re all dead.”
“Who is this patient?”

“She’s the future daughter-in-law of Seo Do-woo, the chairman of Seohyun Group!”
The medical team’s hands moved quickly again.
Beep. Beep. Beep—.
The steady beeping of the machine swallowed the long, flat tone from earlier.
It felt like being covered by a soaking wet blanket. The whole body was unbearably heavy. Even the eyelids felt like they had metal weights on them.
Someone once said, the body is light as a feather, but the soul is heavy as a rock.
So if the body felt this heavy, it must mean she was still alive. At least her soul hadn’t left her body yet.
She tried to move—her fingers, or even just a toe.
“Ugh…”
The pain was unbearable. A groan escaped her lips.
But if she could move, it meant there was no nerve damage.
Feeling a little relieved, she took a deep breath in… then out.
Her breathing function seemed fine.
But the ringing in her ears wouldn’t stop. Her vision was still dark. The pain refused to fade.
Her mind was hazy, her senses dull.
She could hear voices but couldn’t tell who they belonged to. The sound of wheels rolling echoed around her.
She had no idea how much time had passed or how she had survived.
She was like an inanimate object—no will, no movement—as blood was drawn, photos were taken, and her eyelids were lifted.
Time passed again.
It wasn’t until she managed to sit up on her own that she finally thought—I really did survive.
The usually noisy room was suddenly quiet.
Feeling something was off, she pushed herself up.
Her vision was still blocked by gauze. Was she blind?
Reaching out, her fingers fumbled against the empty air.
She called out, voice hoarse and weak.
“Is… is anyone there?”
Her vocal cords hadn’t recovered yet. The sound that came out was rough and whispery.
“Doctor? Nurse?”
She just wanted someone to answer.
“Anyone?”
With her sight gone, her other senses sharpened.
She felt a presence nearby.
“Hello?”
Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps approached. A man?
The sterile hospital air, thick with disinfectant, was suddenly mixed with something else. A faint floral scent. A subtle, unfamiliar cologne.
Did she know anyone who wore a fragrance like that?
“Sunbae?”
That old bachelor who never cared about his scent—did he finally buy cologne?
“Wait… no. Sunbae was in the accident with me.”
“Oh. Then… was it all just a dream?”
Yes. That had to be it. That explained all the strange things. Even the snow in April.
“It was just a terrible nightmare.”
The fire, the searing pain of her burning skin, the unbearable agony of her body breaking apart—
“I died in that dream.”
Cool fingertips brushed against the gauze covering her eyes.

“Sunbae?”

As the gauze was removed, a sudden brightness made her squeeze her eyes shut.
Then, a voice reached her ears.
A voice she didn’t recognize.

Slowly, she lifted her eyelids. Harsh light stung her vision as blurry silhouettes came into focus.

Her sight was returning.

Like a camera lens adjusting, her vision sharpened, and a face appeared—standing against the light, looking straight into her eyes.
“You can see.”
“You can really see.”

It took her a moment to understand what he meant. Processing the situation came first.
“What…?”

She blinked twice, slowly, like a camera narrowing its aperture, trying to bring the image into focus.

“What did you say?”
As soon as she got a clear look at his face, words failed her.

Sometimes, people say that actors look so stunning in real life that cameras can’t capture their glow.

Seeing this man in person felt exactly like that—like someone too breathtaking for a mere screen.

Sharp eyebrows. Deep, single-lidded eyes. A strong, well-defined nose. Lips sculpted with precision, exuding both sensuality and restraint.

How could a man’s face be so flawless yet so dangerously alluring at the same time?

…But who is he?
She had no idea.
“Who… are you?”
With looks like that, she should have remembered him, even if they had just passed by on the street.

But no matter how hard she searched her memory, nothing came up.
She knew men with similar features, but not him. It wasn’t that person. It couldn’t be.

The bouquet in his hand suggested he was a visitor, here to see a patient.

Or maybe he had simply entered the wrong hospital room.
“Do you… know me?”
She asked cautiously.

The man’s lips curled, forming a cold, almost mocking smile.

“You don’t remember me?”

His tone carried a hint of disbelief, as if the very idea was absurd.
Still, she couldn’t lie and say she did.
She shook her head slightly, studying him carefully.

Her vision was clearing, and now she could take in every detail.

He wasn’t just good-looking.

He was tall. Broad shoulders. A well-built chest.

His frame was strong, athletic—like a baseball player or a swimmer. His legs were long, his proportions impeccable.

“You really don’t remember?”

Her gaze traveled from his head to his toes, then back up again.
Their eyes met.
“I don’t.”
“You don’t?”
His eyes narrowed as he studied her in return.

His gaze was sharp, dissecting—lingering on her forehead, nose bridge, cheeks, chin. Then, the injuries covered with gauze—her left collarbone, her hands.

Everywhere she was hurt, his eyes scanned as if cutting through her with a blade.

Finally, his piercing gaze landed back on her eyes.

She stared back.

His eyes were… strange.

Pale and cold, razor-sharp, yet mesmerizingly beautiful.

They held her in place, tightening around her like an invisible rope, making her throat feel dry.

For a long moment, he just looked at her.

Then, his lips curved into a smirk.
“Interesting.”
The smirk deepened, and his voice turned icy.
“Not only can you see now, but you don’t even remember me?”
“Perfect.”
She couldn’t respond.

She still wasn’t sure if this was a dream or reality.

And whatever this man was saying… she didn’t understand any of it.

Everything happening around her felt like some kind of hidden camera prank.

She even considered asking him if that was the case.
But while she was lost in confusion, the man seemed to have already made up his mind.
“Good.”
He nodded slightly, then spoke again.
“You don’t have any reason to refuse now, do you?”

Then, without warning—
“Yoo Hae-in.”
…Huh?
“Let’s end our engagement.”