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chapter 1
Prologue
Yoona’s gaze involuntarily swept over the large man almost filling the doorway. She had only known he was big, but she had never imagined he had such a well-built body.
Eternity’s body, radiating warmth as if he had just showered, resembled those of trainers she had only seen in gym advertisements. Every muscle, large and small, was so finely sculpted that there seemed to be no room for any extra fat.
Realizing she had thoroughly stared at the man’s body, Yoona hastily averted her eyes. Eternity then stepped forward toward her.
“…I’m sorry, boss.”
A familiar scent wafted from the man, who spoke in a soft, deep voice.
Why did it smell so familiar?
Digging through her memory, Yoona’s face went pale as she found the answer. It was the scent that had lingered on her bed.
“….”
From that moment, her entire body began to tremble. Memories she had forgotten under the influence of alcohol replayed in her mind.
Late at night, Yoona had carried the unconscious Eternity into her home and laid him on the bed with her strength.
Then, flustered, she had climbed onto him and stripped her clothes off.
As that memory surfaced, a sudden sensation stirred.
The warm mound beneath her buttocks… the bulge she remembered was Eternity’s.
Any man who had seen a woman strip while straddling him, pressing sensitive parts together in a game of ‘catch me if you can,’ would surely react the same way. Overcome with sheer embarrassment, Yoona’s face flushed bright red.
You’re insane, Han Yoona.
And on top of that, the other person was a part-time worker four years younger than her.
Just as Yoona’s trembling lips couldn’t form words, Eternity’s body pressed closely against hers. Startled, she dropped the glass bottle she had been holding, which shattered with a loud crash.
Backing away to leave the room, Yoona heard Eternity speak.
“…Don’t run.”
“….”
A sweet scent of apple syrup filled the air.
“We live in an era where even divorced men and women appear on dating shows. Don’t ever feel intimidated. Congratulations on your admission.”
Yoona read aloud the note sent by a divorce lawyer. She was about the same age as her mother and had been the person who cheered the most when twenty-seven-year-old Yoona announced her plan to enroll in university.
As she transferred the flowers from the bouquet that came with the note into a plastic bottle, Yoona steeled herself with a determined resolve.
“You can do this, Han Yoona. Let’s show them who really looked down on a high school graduate all those years. Fight through to graduation.”
A high school graduate from a rural town. That was what Yoona had been forced to hear endlessly throughout her marriage—from her in-laws and her husband, who should have been her steadfast support.
Her own family hadn’t been much help either. She was unsure if she could consider her family—consisting only of a stepmother who felt more like a grandmother and a stepbrother closer to a father figure—as her “true home.”
“…Still, I shouldn’t think of it that way.”
Her brother had been strict and intimidating, but he never made her do unpleasant tasks. Her stepmother had taken her in and cared for her.
“…They’re people I should be grateful to.”
So she decided not to dwell on the thought that marrying so young, as her brother wished, had been a mistake. For a few months, her ex-husband had been a loving partner, from the dating period through the early honeymoon stage.
So even if her in-laws openly showed disapproval, she thought she could find happiness by trusting her husband. She had been foolishly naive back then.
“And then he cheats? What a terrible person!”
Suddenly overwhelmed with anger, Yoona slammed the dishcloth she had been using to wipe water off the table with a loud thwack.
Her ex-husband’s affairs weren’t just once—they were multiple. Yoona decided to divorce after discovering the third woman. There could have been more she hadn’t found out about.
Still fuming, Yoona sought comfort in the things she had painstakingly accumulated over the years. The bookshelves.
Textbooks and bundles of past exam papers she had kept as memories, despite her ex-husband’s constant remarks about them being messy, and the stacks of study guides she had bought during the divorce proceedings.
During the six years she spent supporting her in-laws and husband, she hadn’t had much time for herself. But during the one year of the divorce process, she studied so hard that she felt as if she might die from exhaustion. She didn’t remember sleeping more than four hours at a stretch.
“I’ve dug my own grave.”
As soon as a portion of the hefty alimony and settlement money from the mistress was deposited, she had rashly opened a café, claiming she would pursue everything she wanted.
She felt particularly sorry for her only part-time worker. That person had supported the café and, by extension, Yoona, who was suddenly obsessed with preparing for the university entrance exam. Without that competent part-timer, running the café—and even getting admitted to the university she longed for—would have been impossible.
Checking the time, Yoona realized she needed to pull herself together.
The excitement had kept her awake all night, and now the sun was rising. It was the first day of university she had been waiting for so long. And it was the starting point where her stagnant life began to get back on track.
Yoona stood in front of the clothes hanging on her rack.
“…Hmm.”
She had agonized over what to wear, but now that it was time to put it on, she hesitated again.
Most of the clothes she owned had been bought by her husband or mother-in-law during her marriage—the so-called “Gangnam daughter-in-law look.” She had sold or discarded much of it, but the remaining clothes weren’t much different.
After leaving her husband’s house, she had been too busy to shop properly. Aside from those outfits, all she had were tracksuits bought from a supermarket for commuting and home use. The worry was meaningless.
“…I’ll just wear this.”
She had chosen the most ordinary outfit she had. Nodding resolutely, Yoona headed to the bathroom.
“Huff… huff…”
Yoona panted, running as fast as someone in heels could manage. She had set out early to attend the mentor-mentee orientation, but got caught in an unexpected parking problem.
She had thought leaving early would give her plenty of time, but the parking lot at the business building was smaller than expected. She double-parked in a rush, and during the brief moment of climbing the stairs, she received a call asking her to move her car.
She dashed back, resolved the problem, and checked her watch—she was severely late. With half her mind already scattered, she hurried to the lecture hall where the orientation was presumably taking place—and encountered an even bigger problem. Nobody was there.
“What do I do… Did they already move?”
Panicked, Yoona started running again. The mentor-mentee event was in the small auditorium on the basement floor. Both first and second-year students were supposed to be there, and she was late on her first day.
She ran across the hard artificial marble floor in her heels, oblivious to the pain in her feet, and threw open the heavy door. It banged against the wall with a loud clang.
It was inevitable that the attention of the nearly full auditorium would fall on her. Already embarrassed, Yoona couldn’t lift her head.
“S-sorry! I asked someone to move the car… huff…”
Struggling to catch her breath, she searched desperately for a seat. Her mind was in chaos.
A heavy silence fell around her. The dramatic entrance had drawn attention, but she could also feel people scrutinizing her from head to toe. Yoona’s eyes darted nervously.
It didn’t take long for her to understand why. Even if she lived three lifetimes, her attire would still stand out from other students.
No first or second-year student wore a tweed jacket with a semi-formal dress underneath. And her handbag and shoes bore luxury brand logos. Even though she had chosen the most unassuming outfit she had, she still looked like the “Gangnam daughter-in-law” Han Yoona.
She thought, “If I had known this would happen, I would’ve bought something new.”
She overheard a few whispers:
“Twenty-seven… that must be her.”
“Is she in our class…?”
Yoona quickly shoved her car keys into her bag. Not only was she hearing the gossip, but the shiny Mercedes logo made it even more embarrassing. She couldn’t even make an excuse that it was a second-hand car registered in her name by her ex-husband.
As she fumbled, a male student approached her. He was holding the mentor-mentee lottery box, and seemed to be the second-year class representative. He skimmed through what appeared to be the student roster and asked:
“Um… Han Yoona… you’re a freshman… right?”
“Ah, yes!”
“That’s… correct. Did you… hear what we’re supposed to do?”
“Yes, yes. I definitely put the memo in my bag…”
Somewhere, a voice said, “Why not just take a photo? Who writes notes these days?”
Feeling embarrassed that her first day had already gone awry, Yoona struggled to hide her flustered expression. The second-year representative continued:
“We’re checking because second-years are drawing first-year numbers. Number 36, Han Yoona. That’s you, right?”
“Yes! Number 36.”
Yoona finally lifted her head and answered energetically, forcing a smile.
“The lottery is over. You just need to meet your mentor and exchange contact info.”
With that, the second-year rep turned and walked away. Finally able to catch her breath, Yoona was about to look for her mentor when she felt a large presence beside her. She turned her head, and a note was handed to her. At the same moment, a familiar voice called down from above:
“Number 36. Right?”
Yoona lifted her head to respond, her eyes widening in shock.
“…Youngwon?”
