After losing his parents at the age of three, Lee Yun was raised by his grandmother in a small house filled with warm memories.

But on his sixteenth birthday, his grandmother passed away, leaving him completely alone.

From that day onward, Lee Yun survived on his own.

He worked part-time jobs during the day and studied late into the night just to survive.

After years of hardship, he was finally accepted into the prestigious Hanguk University through a scholarship.

For the first time in years, Lee Yun thought his life was finally getting better.

He never imagined that a single meeting would change everything.

At Hanguk University, everyone knows Han Tae.

Cold, handsome, and impossible to approach, he attracts attention wherever he goes.

Girls obsess over him.

Guys either admire him or fear him.

To everyone else, he is the perfect heir of a wealthy family.

Excellent grades.

Expensive clothes.

A calm and composed attitude.

But behind that image lies a life nobody knows about.

Han Tae never cared about college.

He never cared about people.

And he definitely never cared about relationships.

Until he met Lee Yun.

Chapter 1 — Their Eyes Met

Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of Lee Yun's life.

Yet as he stood in front of Hanguk University's gates, all he could think about was money.

The strap of his old backpack dug into his shoulder.

His shoes were worn out.

His clothes looked worn compared to the students around him.

Laughter echoed throughout the campus.

Freshmen filled the university grounds with excited voices and nervous smiles.

For most of them, today marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

For Lee Yun...

It was simply another day he needed to survive.

Colorful banners covered every corner of the campus.

Seniors stood near club booths, enthusiastically trying to recruit new students.

"Join the dance club!"

"We're looking for new members!"

"Freshmen! Over here!"

The entire campus buzzed with energy.

Meanwhile, Lee Yun quietly stood in the middle of it all.

His tired eyes wandered across the unfamiliar campus.

He had worked too hard to get here.

Too many sleepless nights.

Too many part-time jobs.

Too many sacrifices.

There was no room left for dreams anymore.

Only survival.

As groups of freshmen rushed past him, a sudden commotion near one of the club booths caught his attention.

Several seniors surrounded a tall young man.

"Please join our club!"

"You'd seriously become our center!"

"At least think about it!"

The young man looked completely uninterested.

With messy brown hair loosely tied back and sharp, intimidating eyes, he was unbelievably handsome.

So handsome that he almost looked unreal.

Even while standing silently, he attracted everyone's attention.

Yet the cold expression on his face made people hesitate to approach him.

Without realizing it, Lee Yun found himself staring at the stranger.

For some reason...

Among the endless noise and countless faces around him...

That person stood out the most.

Then suddenly—

"HAN TAE!"

Someone called out from behind Lee Yun.

At the sound of his name, the handsome young man slowly turned his head.

But instead of looking toward the person who called him—

His eyes landed directly on Lee Yun.

For a brief moment...

Time seemed to stop.

The noise around them disappeared.

The crowd faded into the background.

And for the very first time—

Their eyes met.