“Do you remember the letter you received that day?” the man began, leaning forward slightly.

“How could I forget? It’s her first and last memory for me,” Taesan replied, his gaze fixed on the ground.

“What did it say?”

“Umm…” Taesan hesitated, but the man cut him off before he could continue.

“'I’m sorry, Taesan, but we can’t be together' That’s what it said, right?” The man’s voice was steady, his focus entirely on Taesan.

Taesan’s eyes widened in horror. His voice came out muffled. “H-how—how do you know that?”

“I know everything, kid,” the man replied without hesitation.

“Who are you?” Taesan asked, his hands trembling slightly.

“That’s not important right now,” the man said firmly. “But what I’m about to tell you is. So, listen carefully.”

Taesan nodded, staying silent.

“Yoon Ma-ri. She’s still alive. She didn’t drown herself that day. It was all a setup—a trap to make the world believe she had taken her own life. But she’s alive, Taesan. She had to fake her death because of her father.”

Taesan blinked in disbelief. “Why?” he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper.

The man sighed. “Her father. He’s the source of all her suffering. Your crush on her? It wasn’t one-sided. She loved and admired you just as much as you did her. But that’s what led to her misery.”

The man suddenly stopped, his entire demeanor shifting. He stood up abruptly, startling Taesan.

“Shush,” he whispered, raising his hand.

The room fell into complete silence for a long, tense moment. After what felt like an eternity, the man walked to the door and glanced outside. When he returned, his face was grim.

“What just happened?” Taesan asked cautiously.

“Nothing. Maybe he’s about to visit you,” the man muttered.

“Who?”

“Her father,” he replied. “He’s the one who brought you here in the first place. I’m just here to keep an eye on you.”

Taesan couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer. “You were saying something earlier?”

The man sighed, sitting back down. “Yes. Yoon Ma-ri’s life was perfect when her mom was around. They had a happy family. But one day, her mom died in a car crash while driving to pick her up from school. From that day on, everything changed. Her father started drinking heavily and blamed her for her mother’s death.” he paused before continuing, “Amid all that chaos, he somehow found out about her feelings for you. And he did everything he could to keep her away from you. He even spread rumors about her death to cut her off from the world.”

Taesan’s fists clenched. “Why would he do that? Doesn’t he care about his daughter’s happiness?”

“He doesn’t. To him, she’s the reason for her mom’s death, and he wants her to suffer for it. Anyone she gets close to—he does whatever it takes to separate them. When he found out about her feelings for you, he went to extreme lengths to ensure you could never be together.”

“That’s sick,” Taesan muttered, disgusted.

“You’re right, he’s worse than that. But right now, the most important thing is your safety.”

Taesan frowned. “What do you mean?”

The man leaned forward. “He wants you dead, Taesan. He thinks that’s the only way to keep his daughter away from you.”

“Does she know about this?”

“Not entirely. But she knows enough.”

Taesan’s brows furrowed. “How did he even find out about me?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” the man admitted.

“Where is she now?”

“Somewhere close. But I don’t know exactly where.”

Taesan’s voice softened. “Can you tell me who you are now?”

The man hesitated before answering. “I’m Ma-ri’s maternal uncle. The only reason I’m doing this is because he has someone I care about deeply. I can’t lose her too.” His voice cracked slightly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Taesan studied him closely. “Are you willing to help us?” he asked, his tone firm, eyes searching for answer...