Threads of yesterday~

The morning started quiet. Too quiet. Hana reached the office early, hoping for some peace before So-mi’s sharp heels started echoing across the floor again. She took a sip of her coffee and stared at her laptop screen, pretending to work. But her mind was somewhere else.

That photograph again.

That stupid, haunting photograph.

She had dreamed about it last night — blurry laughter, swings, a paper airplane flying across a playground. When she woke up, her chest hurt. Was that… me?

Her phone buzzed.

A message from So-mi:

> “Hey, Jhoon asked for you in the conference room. Urgent.”

Hana frowned. Weird… he usually just calls. Still, she grabbed her files and hurried over.

The room was empty.

No Jhoon. No meeting. Just silence.

Then she heard footsteps.

So-mi appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, smirk already there.

“Oh… you came,” So-mi said sweetly. “He’ll be late. Maybe next time, check before running off like that.”

Something inside Hana snapped a little.

She forced a smile. “Next time, maybe send clearer messages.”

She brushed past her, but she could feel So-mi’s stare burning through her back.

By the time Hana reached her desk again, Jhoon was there — leaning beside her chair, calm as always, checking a document.

“You look… annoyed,” he said without looking up.

Hana blinked. “Do I?”

He finally met her eyes, and for a second, something flickered. Like recognition. Then gone.

“Maybe just tired,” he said softly.

Her heart skipped. That tone. It felt like someone she used to know.

Stop it, Hana. She turned away, pretending to organize her papers.

Later that day, the rain started again — soft, steady, same as that night. People rushed to close windows, and the smell of wet earth filled the office. Hana liked it. It felt familiar, like a memory she couldn’t reach.

Jhoon stood by the window, watching the rain in silence. Minho joked about something in the background, but his voice faded. Hana saw Jhoon lift his hand slightly — raindrops touching the glass — and for a moment, he looked… lost.

Her chest tightened again.

Why does he look like someone I once waited for in the rain?

At lunch, So-mi sat across from Jhoon, pretending to scroll through her phone. “You’ve been distracted lately,” she said casually.

He looked up, frowning. “Have I?”

She smiled. “It’s that new assistant, isn’t it? Hana. She’s got you thinking.”

Jhoon said nothing, but his silence was loud.

So-mi leaned closer. “Careful, Jhoon. Not every face that feels familiar belongs in your story.”

He looked at her sharply. Something about her tone bothered him. Deep down, he knew she wasn’t wrong — but not for the reason she thought.

When the day ended, Hana stayed late again. The rain hadn’t stopped. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, watching the blurred city lights.

Somewhere behind her, footsteps approached.

“Hana?” Jhoon’s voice.

She turned slowly. “Yeah?”

“You should head home. It’s late.”

“I like the rain,” she murmured. “It’s… peaceful.”

He hesitated, standing just close enough for her to feel his presence. “It reminds me of something,” he said quietly. “Something I can’t remember.”

Her breath caught.

She wanted to ask what. But instead, she just nodded. “Yeah… me too.”

For a moment, they both just stood there — two strangers, tied by something they couldn’t name. The rain kept falling, steady and soft, like it was trying to whisper the truth neither of them could hear yet.

To Be Continued...

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