A blinding, agonizing pain ripped through Kim Min-Joon's head. It was the last sensation he remembered—the heavy, sickening impact of metal on bone, the face of his betrayer, the utter humiliation of being overpowered. Then, nothingness.
He gasped, a violent, rattling breath that tasted of dust and salt. He shot upright, his heart hammering against his ribs, his body drenched in cold sweat. He was alive.
But he was not in the cold, blood-stained Busan warehouse.
He was in his own bed, in his own Seoul penthouse.
The room was bathed in the soft, morning light filtering through the automated blinds. The scent of jasmine and expensive linen filled the air. It was his master suite, pristine and silent.
Min-Joon looked around, his body shaking. He frantically checked his head—no wound, only a dull, throbbing ache that felt like a severe migraine. He touched his ankles, remembering the crushing grip of the metal chain—no marks, just the smooth skin of a man who had slept in silk pajamas.
It was a nightmare. A terrifying, vivid, all-consuming nightmare of betrayal, murder, and financial ruin.
He stumbled out of bed and rushed to the glass wall. The city was exactly as it should be—ordered, immense, and entirely under his financial influence. He grabbed his phone and checked the date: October 15, 2017.
He frowned. The last memory of the nightmare had been November 2025.
He rushed to his study. The security system was green. The K.M. Finance Holdings' market status was robust, exactly where it should be in 2017. He was 30 years old, exactly five years younger than he had been in the nightmare.
The most crucial fact: He was not married. His digital calendar showed no recurring dinners, no shared social events, no Kang Seo-Yun. The timeline had been reset, exactly as the decree intended. The nightmare had happened in a reality that no longer existed.
Min-Joon, the master strategist, could not process this illogical anomaly. He was alive, younger, and richer, but the cold dread of the betrayal still lingered, a phantom pain in his psyche. He needed answers. He needed control.
He got dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored suit, his movements automatic, but his mind reeling. He had to go to the office; he needed the sanctuary of numbers and systems to ground him.
Meanwhile, in a bustling, crowded intersection outside the K.M. Holdings tower in central Seoul, Hae-Rin (혜린) materialized. Her descent was not a spectacular flash of light, but a subtle distortion of the air—a tiny shimmer that was instantly absorbed by the city's constant motion.
She was dressed in simple, yet exquisitely beautiful human clothes—a flowing, sky-blue dress and delicate silver jewelry. She looked like an ordinary, stunningly beautiful young woman, though her eyes held an ancient, patient light, and her skin seemed to catch the morning sun in an impossible way. The divine enchantment of Yeo-Shim was instantly operational: anyone who saw her felt a surge of unexpected happiness and goodwill.
A traffic warden, usually stressed and irritable, saw her and broke into a wide, genuine smile. A woman rushing past stopped, feeling a sudden need to offer help.
"Are you lost, Miss? You look a little... new," the woman said kindly.
Hae-Rin smiled, and the simple act made the woman feel a profound sense of peace. "I am new," Hae-Rin confirmed, her voice melodious. "I am looking for a thread that belongs to the one who controls this spire." She pointed gently towards the massive K.M. Holdings tower.
"Ah, the Chairman's building!" the woman laughed. "That's Mr. Kim Min-Joon. Quite a man. He's probably already inside."
Hae-Rin nodded. She felt Min-Joon's presence—a strong, fractured energy field—ascending to the top floor. Her mission was clear: she had to be placed directly in his path.
She walked towards the entrance, her steps silent and graceful.
Min-Joon stepped out of the express elevator on the top floor. He was running late, driven by the panic of the residual nightmare. He needed to review his security protocols immediately.
He rushed around the corner of the polished hallway, heading towards his office.
And then, the collision.
He collided not with a wall or a filing cabinet, but with a sudden, soft, warm presence.
Hae-Rin, intent on finding the Chairman's office, had turned the corner simultaneously.
The impact was gentle, yet absolute. Min-Joon, the man who prided himself on control, stumbled backward. The fear and tension of his nightmare-turned-reality instantly vanished, replaced by a wave of unexpected, profound calm that washed over his fractured mind.
He looked down at the woman who had bumped into him.
Hae-Rin had dropped a small, smooth, white stone she was holding—a focusing charm from the Yeo-Shim Gung. She knelt to retrieve it.
Min-Joon stood frozen. He had encountered thousands of beautiful, poised women in his life, but this was different. Her face was perfect, yes, but her aura—the pure, light energy surrounding her—was a physical presence.
He felt an immediate, illogical urge to apologize, to help, to ensure she was not hurt. The anxiety that had gripped him since waking up was suddenly, entirely gone.
"I apologize," Min-Joon said, his voice husky, his corporate shield momentarily lowered. "I was distracted."
Hae-Rin stood up, the white stone secured in her hand. She looked at him, her beautiful eyes filled with a patient, knowing light. She saw the deep scar on his soul from the future betrayal, the crushing weight of ambition, and the genuine, terrified confusion in his current eyes.
"It is I who should apologize, Chairman Kim," Hae-Rin said, her voice like chimes. "I was looking for something important. A thread that was broken, and I believe it belongs to you."
Min-Joon frowned, his analytical mind kicking back in. "A broken thread? What are you talking about? Who are you?"
Hae-Rin smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that melted the last vestiges of Min-Joon's professional anger. "My name is Hae-Rin. And I am here to help you find what you truly need. Not control, not security, but the strength of a true heart."
She paused, looking directly into his soul. "You are embarking on a journey, Chairman Kim. A journey to find your true partner. Do not let the pursuit of perfection blind you to the simple beauty of Pyar. That is why I am here. To guide you."
Min-Joon, the unflappable CEO, could only stare. The woman was speaking nonsense, yet the profound peace her presence brought was undeniable. He felt an instantaneous, powerful pull towards her—an irrational attraction that felt dangerously vital.
"Guide me?" he repeated, his confusion evident. "Are you applying for a position?"
Hae-Rin simply shook her head, her smile unwavering. "I am applying for the most important position in your life, Chairman Kim. The one that will determine if your thread survives this time."