Love Beyond The Clouded Memories

Chapter 1: Stranger By The Sea

[Year 2019]

The wind gently caressed Song Hangyeom's cheeks, carrying with it the scent of the sea. The sunlight beamed down stronger now, making it difficult to see clearly through the glare. He lay motionless on the beach, the sand clinging to his damp clothes, his mind as hazy as the distant horizon. He wasn't supposed to be here.

A soft, repetitive sound rolled through the air, like the whirring of a spool. Hangyeom forced himself to sit up, rubbing his eyes as he searched for the source of the noise. His body ached from walking through the village earlier, trying to find a way back to Seoul. Instead of the bustling city, he had ended up in this small, unfamiliar coastal village, a place he hadn't even known existed.

Following the sound, he trudged towards the jetty. A figure stood there, silhouetted against the bright sky, pulling in a fishing rod. A man, dressed simply in a black shirt and straw hat, his posture relaxed as he tended to his catch.

"A fisherman?" Hangyeom muttered to himself. He hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether to approach or leave him alone. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him of how long it had been since his last meal. After a brief internal debate, he decided to approach.

"H... hello... Hello," he called out, his voice timid, unsure.

The man didn't respond, too focused on his fishing.

Hangyeom tried again, louder this time. "Hello! Sir!"

The man finally turned his head, revealing a face that surprised Hangyeom. He wasn't old at all-quite young, in fact, with sharp features that contrasted with the rustic setting.

"Yes?" the man asked, his voice calm but devoid of interest, his hands still working on the fishing rod.

Hangyeom blinked, caught off guard by the man's appearance. "A-a... actually, I'm in trouble right now."

"What trouble?" the man replied, not looking up from his task.

"I'm lost," Hangyeom confessed.

"Go to the village chief's house."

"I don't know where that is. I've never been here before. I was supposed to be on vacation in Jeju, but somehow I ended up here," Hangyeom explained, the anxiety rising in his voice. "I came from the bus station, and they told me the next trip to Seoul isn't for another two weeks."

"Then wait," the man said flatly, continuing to pack up his gear.

Panic flickered through Hangyeom. He couldn't just wait for two weeks, stranded in a place where he knew no one and had no money or belongings. As the man turned to leave, Hangyeom instinctively followed him, his steps slow and unsure.

"Are you following me?" the man asked without turning around.

"I... I don't know where to go," Hangyeom admitted, his voice small.

"I don't care," the man said firmly. "Stop following me."

But Hangyeom couldn't help it. He had no other options, no one else to turn to. He continued to trail behind the man, trying to keep his distance but still following. His stomach grumbled again, louder this time, a desperate reminder of his situation.

"What do your parents tell you about following strangers?" the man asked, his tone still indifferent.

"Don't follow anyone you don't know," Hangyeom replied, as if reciting a lesson from childhood.

"Exactly."

"But you're the only villager I've met here today. This place feels like an abandoned village," Hangyeom said, glancing around at the eerily quiet surroundings.