The Photograph and The Stranger's Smile~

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...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***