Episode 1:The town that remembered her~♡

The city never really slept. Seoul’s heartbeat echoed in the sound of taxis, hurried footsteps, and neon lights blinking like they had stories to tell.

Hana Park adjusted the strap of her bag as she stepped out of Incheon Airport, inhaling the air she hadn’t breathed in sixteen years. It felt strange — familiar, yet distant. She used to run through these streets as a child, hand-in-hand with her best friend, laughing until the sun dipped behind the buildings.

That best friend had a name — Jhoon Lee.

She still remembered his messy hair and the way he used to pout when she stole his ice cream. They had promised to stay friends forever.

But forever had its limits.

When Hana was eight, her father’s job transfer took them to Texas. She’d cried on the plane, pressing her face against the window, watching Seoul disappear under the clouds. She never got to say a proper goodbye — not really.

And now, at twenty-four, she was back. Not for memories. For work.

Her new job at Lune Corporation — one of Seoul’s most prestigious companies — was everything she’d worked for. A fresh start.

She didn’t know fate had already started weaving an old thread back into her life.

---

The First Day

The lobby of Lune Corp gleamed like it belonged in a movie. Glass walls, marble floors, and employees who looked like they had their lives figured out. Hana clutched her folder tightly, nerves dancing in her stomach.

“New recruit?” a voice asked beside her.

She turned to see a woman with sleek hair and confident eyes.

“Yes, I’m Hana Park. Marketing team.”

“Ah, I’m Minji. Finance. Welcome aboard.” The woman smiled, lowering her voice. “Word of advice — don’t mess up around the CEO. He’s… intense.”

Hana laughed softly. “Got it. I’ll try not to breathe wrong.”

Minji smirked. “You’ll see what I mean soon.”

Before Hana could ask more, the elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and a man in a charcoal suit stepped out. Conversations died instantly. Phones lowered. Even the receptionist straightened.

“Good morning, CEO Lee,” someone greeted with a bow.

Hana followed everyone’s gaze — and her breath caught.

The man walked with the calm confidence of someone who knew his place in the world. Sharp jawline, clean-cut hair, eyes that looked like they’d seen too much and trusted too little. His expression was unreadable — distant but commanding.

Jhoon Lee.

The name flickered in her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. “No way,” she thought.

Her Jhoon was a playful boy who collected marbles and drew on the pavement with chalk.

This man was nothing like him.

He passed her without a glance, and Hana’s heart gave a small, inexplicable twist.

---

Same City, Different People

Work at Lune Corp was fast-paced and demanding, but Hana liked challenges. She threw herself into her projects, trying not to think about the déjà vu that Seoul kept giving her.

Some nights, she walked past the playground near her old neighborhood. The swings still squeaked. The treehouse was gone, but she could still see it — the one where she and Jhoon had carved their initials: H + J \= Trouble.

She smiled at the memory, unaware that a black car sometimes stopped across the street at the same time — and its driver, Jhoon, often glanced out the window, feeling a tug of nostalgia he couldn’t explain.

He didn’t know why that spot always caught his attention.

Maybe because once, long ago, it was the center of his whole world.

---

The Meeting

A week later, Hana’s team was called for a presentation with the executive board.

It was her first chance to prove herself.

Her slides were ready, her points sharp — but her heart almost stopped when she saw him sitting at the head of the table.

CEO Lee Jhoon.

He nodded briefly to the team. “Let’s begin.”

As Hana presented, his gaze occasionally flicked toward her, unreadable. Something about her mannerisms — the way she tilted her head when she thought — stirred something faint in him.

After the meeting, while others left, Jhoon stayed behind, tapping his pen.

“You’re new,” he said without looking up.

“Yes, sir. Hana Park.”

“Park…” He repeated the name slowly, like tasting an echo. “Good presentation. You think differently.”

“Thank you.” She bowed slightly, her pulse racing.

He looked up then — their eyes met.

For a brief second, the air shifted.

He didn’t recognize her, but something in him wanted to.

And Hana… she couldn’t look away either.

---

Past Shadows

That night, Jhoon sat in his penthouse, a glass of whiskey untouched beside him. He had everything — power, respect, success — but his life felt like a string wound too tightly.

He didn’t remember much from before his parents’ divorce.

Only flashes — laughter in a playground, a girl’s small hand gripping his, the scent of cherry blossoms.

Sometimes, when he dreamed, he heard her voice. “Jhoon-ah, promise we’ll be best friends forever!”

He’d wake up frustrated, trying to recall her face.

He never could.

Until now.

Something about that new employee — Hana — kept tugging at the locked door in his memory.

---

The Lost Letter

Two days later, while organizing old company records in the archive room, Hana stumbled upon a cardboard box marked Community Project — Lune Kids 2008.

Curious, she opened it. Inside were drawings, photos, and letters from a children’s program Lune had sponsored years ago — back when it was a smaller company.

She smiled at the colorful scribbles until one familiar handwriting made her freeze.

“To Hana. Don’t forget me. I’ll wait until you come back to play again. — Jhoon.”

Her breath hitched.

She sat down slowly, her fingers trembling.

Could it be him?

The same Jhoon she’d known before leaving?

The letter was old, smudged — but her name, his name, their childish doodles of stick figures under the cherry blossom tree… they were unmistakable.

Tears pricked her eyes.

All this time, she’d thought he’d forgotten. But he hadn’t.

He had written this — and somehow, fate had hidden it in the company where both had ended up.

“Jhoon…” she whispered, touching the letter softly.

---

Collision of Fates

The next day, Hana found herself in the elevator with him again.

It was just the two of them.

The air was awkwardly quiet until he spoke.

“You look distracted, Miss Park.”

“Oh, uh— just tired, sir,” she said quickly, clutching her bag where the letter now rested.

His gaze dropped briefly to her hands, then back to her face. “You remind me of someone,” he murmured, almost to himself.

Her heart skipped. “Someone… you knew?”

He nodded slowly. “A long time ago. But I can’t remember her face.”

Before Hana could say anything, the elevator doors opened, and he stepped out.

The doors closed again before she realized she hadn’t moved.

She leaned against the wall, whispering, “You already found her, Jhoon.”

---

Old Names, New People

That evening, Lune Corp hosted a formal dinner for the marketing team’s success. Hana attended reluctantly, feeling out of place among the polished suits and luxury.

Halfway through the night, someone called her name.

“Hana Park?”

She turned. It was Jhoon, glass in hand, his expression softer than usual.

“You did well today,” he said. “I don’t usually attend these gatherings, but you made quite the impression.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied, her voice steady though her heart wasn’t.

He tilted his head. “Tell me, Miss Park… have we met before?”

The question hung between them, fragile.

She forced a small smile. “I don’t think so, sir. I moved away from Seoul when I was little.”

“Where to?”

“Texas.”

His eyes flickered — something inside him tightened.

“Texas…” he repeated under his breath.

For a heartbeat, he looked at her like he almost saw the eight-year-old girl again.

Then someone called him from across the hall, and the moment broke.

He left with a polite nod, but Hana stood there, heart pounding, tears threatening.

He didn’t remember.

And she couldn’t tell him — not yet.

---

The Beginning Again

Later that night, as the streets glowed with Seoul’s sleepless lights, Hana walked to the old playground once more. The cherry blossom trees had grown taller, their petals whispering in the breeze.

She sat on the swing and pulled out the letter, reading it again.

“Don’t forget me.”

She smiled sadly. “You didn’t forget, Jhoon. You just… lost the way back.”

Behind her, a car stopped quietly.

From the driver’s seat, Jhoon watched her silhouette under the streetlight — that same spot, that same swing he used to push when they were kids.

He didn’t know why he’d driven there again. He just felt drawn — like something invisible was pulling him home.

He stepped out, the cool wind brushing against him.

When he took a step forward, Hana turned — their eyes meeting across sixteen years of distance.

Recognition didn’t strike yet.

But something deeper did — a pulse of familiarity neither could explain.

“Miss Park?” he asked quietly, surprised to see her there.

She blinked, hiding the letter quickly. “CEO Lee… I was just… thinking.”

He glanced at the swing, then at her. “I used to come here too. When I was a kid.”

“Really?” she asked softly.

He nodded. “With someone important. But… I forgot her face.”

Her throat tightened. “Maybe you’ll remember… someday.”

He looked at her then — really looked.

And for the first time, a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

“Maybe I already have.”

The wind carried cherry blossom petals between them — like the city itself was whispering, Welcome back.

---

To be continued... 🌸

Next Episode: “The Photograph and the Memory.”

---

Episode 2: The Photograph and the Stranger’s Smile

Morning sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows of Lune Corporation, washing the floors in shades of gold. Hana adjusted her lanyard and took a deep breath before stepping into the building. It had only been two weeks since she joined, but it already felt like she’d lived several lives here — between nervous presentations, surprise encounters, and one too many near-heartbeats with her CEO.

But today wasn’t just another Monday.

Today, she was being assigned her first major project.

---

The Marketing Dream Team

“Everyone, this is your new project,” announced Team Leader So Eun, a woman in her mid-thirties with sharp eyeliner and a voice that could command silence in seconds. “We’re collaborating with a fashion brand called Aurora Seoul. They want a fresh campaign that captures youth and nostalgia. Hana, you’ll be working closely with our design and PR leads.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hana said quickly.

Beside her, a tall guy leaned on his chair and smirked. “Guess that means we’re stuck together, rookie.”

She turned — it was Minho Kang, the company’s creative designer. Wavy hair, mischievous eyes, and a habit of tapping his pen to some imaginary rhythm.

“I’ve heard you’re hardworking,” he continued, flashing a half-smile. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Much.”

Hana laughed. “Good to know.”

So Eun clapped her hands. “Minho, Hana, and Jin-ah will handle the main visuals and concept pitch. You’ll report directly to the executive office — meaning CEO Lee himself.”

At that, Hana’s breath caught for a fraction of a second.

Minho noticed, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied. “Just... didn’t expect the CEO to be involved directly.”

“You’ll get used to him,” Minho said. “Or not. Depends on how much he yells.”

---

Meanwhile — The CEO’s Shadow

Inside the executive office, Jhoon Lee flipped through reports, his expression unreadable as always. His secretary, Yerin, stood nearby, notebook in hand.

“Sir, about the Aurora Seoul campaign,” she began, “Team Leader So Eun has assigned three members: Minho Kang, Jin-ah Choi, and Hana Park.”

At that name, Jhoon’s pen paused mid-air.

“Hana Park…” he repeated softly.

“Yes, sir. The new marketing recruit.”

Something stirred again — that faint pull he couldn’t name. Her name felt like a memory pressed between old book pages.

Yerin studied him quietly. She’d worked with him for years, long enough to know when something — or someone — unsettled the calm mask he wore.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

He shook his head. “No. Schedule a briefing with them this Friday. I want to hear their initial concept.”

“Yes, sir.”

As she turned to leave, she glanced back once. Jhoon was staring out the window, lost in thought.

That was new.

---

The Brainstorming Chaos

The next few days were a blur of sketches, ideas, and long hours.

Hana worked alongside Minho and Jin-ah, a PR specialist with warm brown eyes and a gentle personality — the kind of girl everyone instantly liked.

“So, the theme is ‘Youth and Nostalgia,’” Jin-ah said, scribbling on a notepad. “How do we show that visually?”

“Maybe through time,” Hana suggested. “Like past and present versions of the same person — reminding viewers how far they’ve come, but how some things never change.”

Minho snapped his fingers. “Yes! We could use childhood photos — but re-imagined. Like, what if we recreate an old memory as an adult?”

Jin-ah smiled. “That’s beautiful.”

Hana’s heart fluttered for reasons she didn’t understand. Maybe because she had just found one of her own childhood memories in a dusty letterbox.

She quickly masked her expression. “Let’s put that in the mood board.”

---

The Photograph

That night, while organizing concept materials, Hana opened the folder marked Visual Inspiration. Inside were old photo samples from an archived campaign — photos of kids in Seoul playgrounds, holding balloons, laughing under cherry blossoms.

Her fingers stilled when she saw one specific photograph.

Two children — a girl with braids and a boy with bright eyes — sitting side by side on a swing, smiling at the camera. The background was the same playground she’d visited every night.

She didn’t need to guess. She knew.

It was her. And Jhoon.

The date at the bottom said 2008.

Her breath caught. “How… how did this end up here?”

Before she could process it, Minho appeared at her desk. “Still here, huh? You’re starting to rival my workaholic record.”

Hana quickly closed the folder. “Yeah, just finishing up.”

Minho sat across from her, stretching lazily. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Maybe I have,” she said softly, half-joking.

“Well, if it’s a friendly ghost, tell it to help with our pitch,” he teased.

Hana smiled faintly, but her mind was miles away — stuck between a photo, a playground, and a boy she used to know.

---

A Hint of the Past

Friday came faster than expected. The team walked into the executive meeting room, tension buzzing in the air.

Jhoon sat at the head of the table again — the same cold calm, the same sharp focus.

Hana avoided his eyes, clutching the presentation clicker tightly.

Minho began confidently, explaining the theme, visuals, and emotional hook of their campaign. “We want to show that no matter how far people go, a part of their childhood — their innocence — always stays.”

Jhoon listened silently, fingers interlaced, his gaze occasionally flicking toward Hana.

When it was her turn, she clicked to the next slide — the photo.

The same one.

The projector light hit the wall, and for a moment, the room fell completely silent.

Two children on a swing. Cherry blossoms falling.

Jhoon’s eyes widened, just slightly — but enough for Yerin to notice from the side.

Something shocked him.

He leaned forward, his voice unusually quiet. “Where did you get this photograph?”

Hana hesitated. “It was in the Lune archive, sir. I thought it fit the theme of nostalgia.”

He stared at the image longer than he should’ve. The boy in the photo — he knew that smile. He’d seen it in dreams, in flashes that haunted him. But the girl’s face — her face — that was the blur he could never remember.

“Good choice,” he finally said, masking his voice again. “You may proceed.”

But his heart wasn’t listening to logic anymore.

---

The Intertwined Routine

After that meeting, the project went full speed. Hana found herself spending more time around Jhoon’s office than she’d ever expected. He didn’t talk much — but whenever she presented, his gaze lingered too long, like he was trying to solve her.

Minho, ever the observer, started noticing too.

One afternoon, while they were setting up mock ads, he leaned closer and said, “So… what’s going on between you and the CEO?”

Hana almost dropped her pen. “What? Nothing!”

He chuckled. “Relax, I was joking. But he does look at you like he’s trying to remember your soul or something.”

“Stop,” she groaned, cheeks pink. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure, sure,” Minho said, grinning. “But hey, if he starts remembering your past lives, tell him to give me a raise.”

She laughed despite herself. “You’re impossible.”

That’s when Jin-ah joined them, holding iced coffees. “You two flirting again?”

“We were just talking about ghosts and CEOs,” Minho said innocently.

Jin-ah rolled her eyes. “Same thing, really.”

The three of them burst into laughter, the kind that made Hana feel warm.

It had been a long time since she’d had friends like this — the kind that made Seoul feel less lonely.

---

Late-Night Conversations

A few nights later, Hana stayed back to finish editing the campaign storyboard. The office was nearly empty, save for the faint hum of the city outside.

She didn’t notice when Jhoon appeared at the doorway.

“You’re still here,” he said quietly.

She jumped slightly, turning around. “Sir! I was just wrapping up.”

He walked closer, stopping beside her desk. “You work too hard.”

She smiled awkwardly. “I like what I do.”

He glanced at the board, eyes landing on the same photograph again. “That picture... it feels familiar,” he murmured.

“Maybe you’ve been there,” she said gently.

“Maybe,” he replied. Then, after a pause: “Do you believe in déjà vu?”

She looked at him, heart tightening. “I think some people are meant to meet again, even if they forget each other once.”

His eyes met hers — steady, searching.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Then his phone buzzed, breaking the silence.

He cleared his throat, stepping back. “Get some rest, Miss Park.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he left, Hana sat back in her chair, whispering to the empty office,

“I wish you could remember.”

---

The Seeds of Memory

That night, Jhoon dreamt again.

A little girl laughing under cherry blossoms, calling his name.

Her braids swinging as she ran.

His hand reaching out — then losing hers in the wind.

He woke up sweating, heart pounding.

For the first time, he whispered the name aloud, half-asleep:

“Hana...”

He didn’t know why it felt right.

But somewhere across the city, Hana stirred in her sleep, a tear slipping down her cheek for reasons she couldn’t name.

---

And Elsewhere...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Seoul, a young woman scrolled through her phone, stopping on a news article about Lune Corp’s upcoming campaign. Her painted nails tapped thoughtfully on Jhoon’s photo.

“Looks like you’ve changed, Lee Jhoon,” she murmured, smirking.

Her name was So-mi, Jhoon’s former classmate — and someone who’d once wanted more than friendship.

And she didn’t like competition.

Especially not from a new girl named Hana Park.

---

To Be Continued...

Episode 3: Echoes in the Rain

The sky over Seoul had been gray all day, a heavy, brooding gray that pressed down on the city. By late afternoon, the clouds finally broke, letting loose sheets of rain that drummed relentlessly against the glass windows of Lune Corporation.

Hana Park sighed, tapping her pen against the desk. She had just finished the last storyboard edits for the Aurora Seoul campaign and was about to pack up when Minho called out from the doorway.

“Hey, don’t leave yet — looks like a storm’s coming!”

Hana glanced outside and froze. Sheets of rain blurred the streets, turning them into rivers of reflections. “I… I can’t drive in this,” she muttered.

Minho grinned. “Lucky for you, I live nearby. Hop in — I’ll get you home.”

Before Hana could respond, a voice behind her startled her.

“You shouldn’t go out in this weather,” said Jhoon Lee, calm as ever, though his gaze lingered on her a moment longer than usual.

Hana turned quickly. “I—I’ll be fine, sir. I have Minho helping me.”

He raised an eyebrow, voice steady but soft. “If Minho is taking you, then… fine. Just be careful.”

“Y-yes, sir,” she replied, her heart thumping.

---

The Elevator Ride

As Hana stepped into the elevator with Minho, the doors closed with a soft ding.

“Are you okay?” Minho asked, glancing at her soaked notes.

“I will be,” she said, forcing a smile. But her mind was still on Jhoon — the way he had lingered at her desk, the faint trace of curiosity in his eyes, the way his words seemed… personal.

Minho noticed her distraction. “You keep staring at him,” he teased lightly.

“I’m not!” Hana said, cheeks pink.

“Uh-huh,” he said, smirking. “Sure. Totally normal to get flustered around the CEO.”

Hana groaned and looked out the elevator window at the rain, wishing she could explain that it wasn’t admiration — it was memory, a strange pull she didn’t fully understand.

---

Trapped in the Storm

By the time they reached the street, the rain was relentless. Minho tossed her an umbrella, but the wind bent it almost immediately.

“We need another plan,” he said, shivering.

Hana’s mind raced. She noticed the company’s shuttle parked nearby, but it was already occupied. Then she saw a familiar black sedan parked across the street — Jhoon’s car.

“Wait… isn’t that the CEO’s car?” Minho asked.

Hana froze. She hadn’t expected to see him here, but something told her fate was nudging her forward.

Before she could move, Jhoon stepped out of the car, umbrella in hand, his hair damp, but his posture calm.

“Miss Park,” he said. “You shouldn’t be out in this.”

Hana hesitated, but the rain was soaking her completely. “I… I have no other way home.”

“Then get in. I’ll drive you,” he said simply.

---

The Ride Home

The car was silent at first. Hana’s eyes were glued to the rain streaking past the windows, and Jhoon’s hands gripped the wheel.

After a while, he broke the silence. “The storm reminds me of… a day long ago. I used to love running in the rain.”

Hana’s head snapped up. “You did?”

He gave a small, almost wistful smile. “When I was a kid. Before I knew… responsibility.”

She nodded, a lump forming in her throat. “I remember running in the rain too… with someone.”

Something in his expression flickered, though he didn’t speak.

They rode in quiet together, both feeling a strange familiarity — like two pieces of a puzzle almost fitting, but not quite.

---

A Hint of Recognition

Halfway home, Jhoon’s voice cut through. “You… remind me of someone.”

Hana’s heart skipped. “Really?”

“Yes,” he said softly. “Someone from a long time ago. But I can’t… remember clearly.”

She swallowed hard, emotions twisting in her chest. She could tell him — tell him everything — but she knew it was too soon. “Maybe some memories are meant to come back slowly,” she whispered.

He glanced at her briefly. His usual composed expression faltered for a fraction of a second, revealing something more human — curiosity, longing, and a strange sense of déjà vu.

---

The Side Characters Emerge

Back at Lune Corp, not everyone was oblivious to Hana’s presence.

So-mi, Jhoon’s former classmate and a woman with a competitive streak, had noticed Hana in the office. Sleek, sharp, and always alert, So-mi had been friends with Jhoon before he became CEO — though “friend” was a generous term.

Watching Hana’s interactions with Jhoon, So-mi felt a surge of irritation.

Who is this girl? And why does he keep looking at her like that?

She wasn’t about to find out casually. So-mi decided she would dig into Hana’s background — just in case this newcomer was someone important to him, or worse… a rival.

---

The Unexpected Connection

Later that evening, Hana finally stepped inside her apartment. Soaked and tired, she peeled off her wet jacket and collapsed onto the couch.

Her phone buzzed — a message from Minho:

“You made it. Safe? Don’t die on me in the rain. - M”

She smiled and replied quickly, but her mind was elsewhere.

A single thought kept returning:

Jhoon. Why do I feel like I’ve known him forever?

Meanwhile, somewhere across town, Jhoon leaned against his office window, watching the rain, gripping the steering wheel he had parked.

He couldn’t explain it. A feeling — warm, familiar, inexplicable — had followed him all the way back to the office. Hana Park.

He whispered her name under his breath, almost scared to admit it aloud. “Hana…”

---

Foreshadowing the Next Twist

As the rain subsided the next day, a mysterious package arrived at Hana’s desk. Inside was a small, old-fashioned envelope.

No return address. Just her name.

She opened it carefully. Inside was a photograph: the same playground she had loved as a child. And in the background, barely visible, two tiny figures — a boy and a girl.

Hana froze. Her fingers trembled. It was almost… as if someone else knew the past she had thought was lost forever.

She looked up, her eyes scanning the office. Jhoon was in the distance, talking to Yerin, but she didn’t dare approach him yet.

And somewhere, hidden in the shadows, So-mi had been watching too. Smiling faintly, a plan already forming in her mind.

The story was only beginning.

---

To Be Continued…

Next Episode: “Rain-Kissed Memories” ☔

> Hana discovers a clue from the past that draws her closer to Jhoon — but So-mi interferes, sparking subtle tension and office rivalry. Meanwhile, the CEO begins noticing that his dreams and memories are starting to overlap with reality.

to be continued---