Chapter 2 A Promise Under the Cherry Tree

The sky began to turn orange-pink, small clouds drifting lazily along the horizon like a painting someone had carefully touched up as a gift.

Everything seemed to end well, but deep down Lee Seo-yeon knew this was only the beginning of a much bigger story.

Lee Seo-yeon smiled without realizing it. A strange feeling formed in their chest. It wasn’t fear, but an excitement they hadn’t felt in a very long time.

On the old wooden table lay a sheet of paper. The handwriting on it was strangely familiar, as though they had seen it once in a dream.

All the way back, Lee Seo-yeon replayed those words again and again. Perhaps the answer they had been searching for had been closer than they ever thought.

“If this keeps up, we’ll need a new plan.” The voice was soft but firm enough to make everyone there turn and look.

A cool wind passed by carrying the faint scent of rain, as if nature itself knew something was about to change forever.

“Are you really sure you want to do that?” the other person asked, raising an eyebrow. Lee Seo-yeon nodded slowly, with no hesitation left in their eyes.

Footsteps drew closer, one step at a time, until at last they stopped before the same door. The silence that followed lasted so long they could almost hear their own heartbeat.

Time passed slowly, as if stretched out, every second filled with suspense, until the sound of a bell finally broke the silence.

Morning sunlight slipped through the thin curtains into the room. Birdsong from far away made the air feel too peaceful to believe that yesterday had been such a mess.