“Good job, Assistant Han Bom.”
A smile spread across Team Leader Kim Tae-il’s face as he patted Bom’s shoulder in encouragement.
“You’re the one who worked hard, Team Leader. I’m just relieved the contract went through.”
Bom credited the successful contract to Team Leader Kim. For nearly a month, she had been constantly in touch with the buyer, coordinating every detail. It was her responsibility to deal with the notoriously picky client, to the point where the contract had to be revised multiple times before finalization. But she never once showed signs of being tired. She had only done the work given to her, diligently.
“We have more time left than I thought. What are you going to do, Assistant Han?”
At Kim’s words, Bom raised her wristwatch. 3:30 p.m. in New York time. Her flight back to Korea was scheduled for the next afternoon. She had unexpectedly gained some personal time.
“Well, I haven’t really thought about it yet…”
Trailing off, Bom sank into thought. The client had been so demanding that she didn’t know what could happen next. She figured he might still make things difficult until the day of departure, so she had been reviewing the contract dozens of times, never sparing a moment to think about free time.
There were things she wanted to do, since it was her first time abroad.
In truth, Bom had never traveled overseas before. After being promoted from assisting Manager Lee Chae-won and Deputy Yoon So-hee in the overseas business department, she was assigned a client of her own.
She had been so excited when the business trip was scheduled. But that excitement had vanished the moment she landed in New York. Determined not to make any mistakes on her first business trip, she hadn’t been able to take in the beautiful streets or scenery.
“What about you, Team Leader? What are your plans?”
“My son asked me to get him something, so I’m planning to browse some shops.”
In response to Bom’s question, Team Leader Kim answered. His gaze fell on Bom as he asked if she wanted to come along. It wasn’t hard to tell it was just a courtesy question.
“You go ahead, Team Leader. I’ll just rest in my room.”
“Will you?”
As if he had been waiting for that answer, Kim asked. As a man in his 40s, it would surely be uncomfortable for him to tour around with a much younger female employee.
“Yes. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m a bit tired.”
“Well, if you’re tired, there’s nothing I can do. I might be late, so let’s each grab dinner separately.”
Just as she was about to answer, Kim glanced up at the clear sky and added,
“They said it’d rain this afternoon, but it’s sunny as ever. Still, just in case—don’t forget your umbrella.”
“I won’t.”
As the taxi carrying Kim drove off with a swish, the wind blew. Bom shivered slightly from the chill in the air.
November.
Too cold to be autumn, yet too ambiguous to be called winter—late autumn.
Rubbing her stinging nose, Bom thought of someone.
A man she had met in a vague season and fallen hopelessly for. Around this time every year, she would find herself thinking of him—unconsciously.
First snow. First love. First kiss.
Shaking off her thoughts, Bom gave a small shake of her head and began to walk.
“I should get some sleep.”
Now that she was alone, her tense body finally relaxed.
Returning to her room, she took off her trench coat and collapsed onto the plush bed. Pushing away the fatigue of the day from her mind, she soon drifted into sleep.
How much time had passed?
When Bom finally forced her heavy eyelids open, dusk had settled outside the window. She picked up her phone from the bedside table to check the time. It was close to 7 p.m. in Paris time.
“No messages from the team leader.”
Seeing her quiet phone screen, a mix of relief and hesitation crossed her eyes. Her half-asleep gaze drifted out the window. Bright neon lights glowed vividly in the dark. She had only meant to nap briefly, but had slept until nightfall.
“What should I eat for dinner?”
Only now did hunger set in. She thought about grabbing a simple burger, but remembered she hadn’t had a proper meal since arriving on the trip. She found herself wanting at least one decent meal. So she began searching restaurants on her phone.
“That looks good.”
The seafood pasta featured on a blog looked incredibly appetizing. The blog also mentioned their signature dishes: vegetable salad with burrata cheese, mashed potatoes, and lasagna topped with beef.
Just seeing the food photos made her even hungrier. Putting on her trench coat and slinging a small crossbody bag over her shoulder, she quickly slipped on her shoes.
A taxi was easy to catch in front of the hotel. Once she gave the driver the destination, the car smoothly pulled away. As they raced through the night streets, her gaze drifted out the window.
Groups of young people filled the sidewalks, street performances gave life to the New York evening—it was only now she truly noticed it all. Just hours ago, none of it had registered in her mind.
Before long, the taxi stopped near her destination. She took out some cash from her bag and handed it to the driver before stepping out. A strange view spread before her eyes.
“Where’s the restaurant again?”
Mumbling to herself, she took out her phone. Opening her map app, she quickly found the restaurant’s location. Just as she turned her body to the left while checking the app—
“Are you alone?”
A foreign man approached Bom and spoke in a friendly tone. Dressed in shabby clothes, the man’s face looked rough. Trying not to show her unease, she gave him a guarded look.
“Where are you going? I can show you.”
“Thank you, but I can find it myself. Excuse me.”
She bowed her head politely and tried to sidestep, but the man moved again to block her path. Bom glared up at him.
“Could you sign this? I’m working to help refugees. Your signature will help send aid supplies to them.”
Unlike before, the foreigner now looked earnest as he offered her a paper and pen. Her wariness began to waver. The prejudice she’d briefly felt began to fade. She was hungry, but it wouldn’t take long to sign.
Bom took the paper the man offered. As she lowered the pen to sign—
Someone grabbed her wrist.
“You shouldn’t go around signing things like that in places like this.”
The low baritone voice pierced her ears, sending a strange sensation through her. Was it just her imagination? It felt eerily familiar.
No way. Running into him in a place like this…
Her stiff neck tilted back. Just before her thoughts vanished, she saw a strikingly handsome East Asian man in the shadows. Her eyes wavered like waves crashing to shore. Strength left her hand, and the pen slipped through her fingers, clattering onto the cement.
“……”
He was the man who always came to mind when winter came.
With the first snow, her first kiss with him came flooding back.
How could she ever forget?
Her first love.
She couldn’t believe this was real. After eight years—how could she run into her first love in the middle of New York?
His unwavering gaze, filled with disbelief, met hers.
Dark eyes whose depth was impossible to measure.
Seo Jung-hoo’s eyes.
In that fleeting moment, Jung-hoo’s eyes caught something. He grabbed the foreigner’s wrist tightly. In the man’s hand was a women’s wallet. He had taken it from Bom’s bag while she was dazed. Jung-hoo’s sharp gaze locked onto him.
“You’d better hand that over quietly.”
“Let go of me!”
Even after being caught red-handed, the man was shameless, struggling to escape Jung-hoo’s grip. Calmly, Jung-hoo twisted the man’s arm behind his back.
“Ahh!”
“You’re not listening, are you.”
With a cold chuckle, Jung-hoo twisted the man’s wrist further. The foreigner cried out louder, but still clung desperately to the wallet.
“Let go! I said let go!”
As Bom stared blankly at the scene, she realized people around them were starting to watch. She had to stop this from escalating. She tugged on Jung-hoo’s coat.
“Someone might get hurt.”
At her worried voice, Jung-hoo finally loosened his grip. The man, his face contorted in pain, began spewing curses. Still showing no sign of remorse, the man drew a colder look from Jung-hoo.
“Do I need to call the police for you to give it back?”
The moment the word “police” slipped from Jung-hoo’s mouth, the foreigner’s face twisted in panic. Only then did Bom realize how dangerous the situation could’ve been. If she had signed without thinking, thinking it was for a good cause… A chill ran down her spine.
Unable to resist Jung-hoo’s grip anymore, the man’s hand finally dropped the wallet. Jung-hoo casually retrieved it and spoke in an icy tone.
“It’d be best if I never see you again.”
At Jung-hoo’s warning, the man snatched the paper from Bom and fled the scene. Jung-hoo, who had been watching him go, shifted his gaze to Bom. He held out the wallet. But Bom, overwhelmed by how surreal everything felt, could only stare blankly at him.
Neither of them spoke for a while. In the silence that followed the commotion, they simply stared at each other.
The distance between them was vast.
It had been eight long years.
