Echoes in the Rain~

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---

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