It was during a winter, just before her high school graduation, that Eunsu first met Jinhyuk.

Up until that point, no one in her household paid much attention to her. She had always been like a shadow within her family.

Eunsu, for her part, had no desire to interact with the people bound to her by the label of “family.” She did her best to live quietly, with her only dream being to get into a good university, find a good job, and leave home.

However, her problem lay in working too hard to achieve that dream.

As soon as she was accepted into Myungsung University, the country’s most prestigious institution, her father’s eyes lit up with astonishment. For the first time since acknowledging Eunsu as his child, he began to show a level of interest he never had before.

“Yes, yes! I knew this day would come! I always said there’d be a day when someone from our family would get into Myungsung University! Hahaha!”

Seo Minguk, Eunsu’s father, was the head of Gangsan Finance Group, whose stocks had recently been on the rise. However, despite its polished name, everyone knew the company’s roots lay in private moneylending.

Even Seo himself had tried to shake off the coarse mannerisms he’d picked up from years in the moneylending business, but it was difficult. He had pinned his hopes on his children, but all six of them, except for Eunsu, had inherited his dim-wittedness.

Naturally, his attention fixated on Eunsu, the lone exception. Driven by a desire to connect her with someone from a respectable family, he began dragging her to various events.

“Make sure to greet everyone you meet. Don’t forget to smile. Make a lasting impression, got it?”

It was at one such party, where she had been reluctantly brought along, that Eunsu first met Jinhyuk. Of course, she had heard a lot about Woo Jinhyuk even before meeting him.

He was the youngest of the three sons of the Myungsung University chairman, a prodigy from the university’s renowned business school, known not only for his brilliance but also for being the most strikingly handsome among his brothers. On top of that, his indifference to women made him a “perfect fantasy” in the eyes of many. She had heard these stories numerous times.

The moment she saw him, she immediately realised, This must be Woo Jinhyuk. For the first time, she felt the rumours hadn’t done someone justice.

He’s truly stunning.

Of course, Jinhyuk passed by her as though she were an inanimate object. Eunsu, pretending not to care, quickly averted her gaze. She had no intention of trying to get close to him, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have had the courage to approach him first.

Two months later, she encountered him again at a freshman orientation event.

It was a loud, boisterous gathering with lots of people and alcohol—none of which she enjoyed. She tried to slip away quietly but was caught and dragged along by overzealous upperclassmen.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to drink! Just stay with us.”

“Yeah, today’s the day when most of the seniors gather. You’ll regret it if you miss this.”

“Just sit for a while, and if it gets too much, you can leave. Simple as that.”

Though reluctant, Eunsu attended. Thankfully, it wasn’t as rowdy as she’d feared. Perhaps due to past scandals, no one pressured her to drink.

“Let’s have a toast with the first glass!”

She left more than half of that first drink untouched, but no one commented. Some seniors, initially approaching her to say something, backed off the moment they met her gaze. A few even patted her head, telling her to drink water instead of alcohol.

Still, after about two hours, she began to feel the effects of the alcohol. Following the mood, she ended up drinking a full glass of beer.

It was the most she had ever consumed, leaving her dizzy, uncomfortable, and sleepy. Stepping outside to escape the noise, she realized too late that she had forgotten her bag inside.

“Ah, stupid.”

She sat down in a dark alley next to the bar, sighing heavily.

She didn’t want to go back in, but her wallet was in her bag, so she couldn’t go home without it. She had no friends to ask for help, either. She was, quite literally, cornered.

“Such an idiot,” she muttered again, just as a small tap sound came from nearby.

Her alcohol-blurred gaze shifted, and the first thing she saw was the faint glow of a cigarette. Then, the long, elegant fingers holding it. Her eyes followed the hand to its owner, and she let out a quiet gasp.

“Fancy meeting you here!”

One of Jinhyuk’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, I just didn’t think someone like you would come to a place like this,” she said, her words flowing more freely than usual, likely due to the alcohol.

Hearing her response, a slight smile tugged at the corners of Jinhyuk’s lips.