One morning, Tae-sung and Kim Bon-hwa were having breakfast with Park Michi while Minjin slept soundly in her bedroom.

The sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the kitchen table. As they sipped their coffee, Kim Bon-hwa glanced at Tae-sung and asked, “Do you think Minjin-ah will be heading back to America soon? ” 

Tae-sung paused. “I don’t know; she hasn’t said anything to me yet.” 

Kim Bon-hwa hesitated and said, “Maybe something happened to her there. Something that made her want to stay here longer.” 

Tae-sung sighed. “I’ll ask her later.” 

But before he could say more, a sudden headache struck him. He winced, pressing his fingers against his temple. 

Kim Bon-hwa noticed immediately and asked. “Are you okay, yeobo? ” 

He nodded. “I’m fine,” he said, though his voice was tight. 

“Maybe you should take a week off work to rest,” she suggested gently. 

But Tae-sung shook his head. “No, I can’t afford to take time off right now. There's too much to do." He then stood up and leaned down to kiss Kim Bon-hwa on the head. “Don’t worry, I’m okay. See you later.”

He headed out the door, leaving Kim Bon-hwa with a concerned look. 

However, instead of going to work, Tae-sung drove straight to the hospital, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. He parked and made his way to the neurology department, heading directly to the clinic for his appointment. The secretary called through the phone, informing the doctor that he had arrived, and then after that, she instructed him to go straight to the door.

When he entered the room, Minjun was sitting behind his desk while rereading Tae-sung's medical file.

Minjun looked up and stood to politely bow. "Annyeong haseyo, hyung."

Tae-sung faintly smiled. "How are you, Minjun-ah?"

Minjun smiled. "I am fine, Hyung. Please take your seat."

Tae-sung sat down heavily in the chair across from Minjun. "How are you feeling, hyung?" 

Tae-sung sighed. "The painkillers aren’t working anymore."

Minjun’s brow furrowed with worry. "You should consider the surgery, Hyung. It’s the best option." 

But Tae-sung shook his head firmly. "No, I’m not ready for that."

"Will you rate the pain you are feeling from one to ten? Be honest with me, Hyung, please," Minjun asked worriedly.

Tae-sung sighed deeply. "I think it is becoming ten, Minjun-ah."

Minjun sighed. "Hyung, I can't prescribe you higher dosages of painkillers. I'll advise you to take an MRI first, and let's see what we need to do next. If the result is as we expected, please, Hyung, consider the surgery. If this gets worse, it might become too late."

He then picked up his pen and began writing a prescription. "Just take this painkiller, but take them at least 4 hours apart. Are you still drinking caffeinated drinks, hyung?"

Tae-sung faintly chuckled. "Since Minjin's back, she's been making delicious coffee for us—"

Minjun's eyes widened after hearing him speak about Minjin.

Tae-sung awkwardly smiled. "Minjin has been with us."

Minjun managed to smile and remained professional. "I understand, Hyung. But please don't be stubborn and stop drinking caffeinated drinks."

Tae-sung nodded, taking the prescription, and faintly chuckled. "Araso, seosaengnim." He stared at the prescription, but he hesitated to speak for a moment, and Minjun noticed it. 

"Is there something else, Hyung?" 

Tae-sung looked at him. "If you see her, please don’t tell her about my illness." 

Minjun nodded. "Ne, Hyung."

"Thank you, Minjun-ah," Tae-sung said with a faint smile.

###

Minjin arrived at the Taekwondo Academy, slipping into her uniform and securing her belt with practiced ease. As she tightened the knot, a familiar rush of adrenaline coursed through her—the anticipation of a good sparring match always set her nerves alight.

Instructor Kim called her over, assigning her to a practice sparring session.

Just as she stepped onto the mat, the academy doors swung open, and Heo Yeong-hwan walked in.

He took a seat at the edge of the training area, his eyes fixed on the match that was about to begin. Minjin, a black belt since high school, stood with steady confidence. Her opponent mirrored her determination, and as soon as the match began, both fighters moved cautiously, assessing each other’s strengths.

The energy between them was electric—each strike was calculated, each movement sharp and precise.

At first, the match appeared evenly matched, with both fighters landing hits and skillfully blocking counterattacks. However, as the match progressed, Minjin shifted tactics. Transitioning from a defensive approach to an aggressive offense, she caught her opponent off guard. She unleashed a rapid succession of well-aimed kicks, forcing her opponent to retreat. Her speed and intensity were overwhelming, quickly tipping the fight in her favor.

After seven intense minutes, Minjin was declared the winner. Breathing heavily but with a triumphant smile, she bowed respectfully to her opponent, who returned the gesture. She removed her head protector, revealing her striking, messy, high-bun blue hair.

From the sidelines, Heo Yeong-hwan watched with wide eyes. At first, he had almost failed to recognize her. Then, a grin spread across his face as he stood and walked toward her.

“Annyeong, Minjin-ah,” he greeted warmly.

Minjin turned, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my god! Yeong-hwan-ah!"

Yeong-hwan smiled. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

Minjin nodded with a smile. “Sure.”

They chose a cozy restaurant nearby, one that served bibimbap, sundae, and tteokbokki. The air was rich with the comforting aroma of Korean street food as they sat across from each other.

As he stirred his bowl, Yeong-hwan looked up and asked, “When did you come back to Korea?”

“A couple of months ago,” Minjin replied while taking a small bite of sundae.

He nodded thoughtfully. “And do you know when you’ll return to America?”

Minjin paused for a while. “I’m not sure yet.”

A brief silence settled between them before Yeong-hwan hesitantly asked, “Have you met Lee Deji-noona and Mun Sara yet?”

Minjin nodded. “Yeah, I’ve already seen Deji-noona.”

Yeong-hwan hesitated, fiddling with his chopsticks as though debating whether to continue. “How are you doing after the divorce?”

Minjin sighed as she chewed. “It hurt, but I’ve moved on.”

Yeong-hwan studied her expression before cautiously bringing up another question. “And... Have you seen Minjun yet?”

Minjin smiled and shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”

Yeong-hwan nodded slowly. “I heard he has a girlfriend now,” he said carefully, watching her reaction.

Minjin simply continued eating with a smile. “I know. He’s had plenty.”

For a brief moment, silence lingered between them.

Heo Yeong-hwan’s gaze drifted to the floral tattoo on Minjin’s forearm before settling on her face and the messy high bun of her blue hair. A smile tugged at his lips—she looked exactly as he remembered, as if time had barely touched her.

“Why are you staring at me?” Minjin asked suddenly, popping a piece of sundae into her mouth.

Heo Yeong-hwan tried to suppress his grin. “You still look young. But now, you’ve got more of a hip style—with the blue hair and a tattoo.”

Minjin chuckled softly. “Since leaving Korea, I’ve experimented a lot with my hair. When I got married, I dyed it back to black—to look more formal, at least.”

Yeong-hwan smiled. “I liked your short, boyish black hair back in high school. But honestly, I think every hairstyle suits you.”

Minjin tilted her head slightly before asking, “What about you? Are you married yet?”

Yeong-hwan chuckled and shook his head. “Ani, I’m too busy. I don’t have time for that.”

Minjin was about to speak when her iPhone suddenly rang from inside her black backpack. She rummaged through it, retrieved the phone, and slipped the pink wristband around her hand. Yeong-hwan couldn’t help but smile when he noticed both her phone and its strap were pink.

When Minjin glanced at the screen, she saw Kim Bon-hwa’s name flashing. “Excuse me,” she said to Yeong-hwan as she answered the call.

The moment she picked up, she was met with the sound of Kim Bon-hwa sobbing, her voice barely intelligible through the tears.

“Unnie, what happened?” Minjin asked urgently.

It took a moment before Bon-hwa managed to speak. “Minjin-ah… It’s Tae-sung. He’s at SNU Hospital,” she said between choked sobs.

Panic surged through Minjin’s chest. “I’ll be right there,” she said quickly before ending the call. She turned to Yeong-hwan. "I’m sorry, but I have to go—Oppa was just rushed to the hospital.”

Yeong-hwan’s face immediately shifted to concern. “I’ll take you there.”