His Forever Girl

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The late autumn midnight air carried the quiet stillness in a Seoul apartment complex.

At thirty-two, Im Sol was supposed to be celebrating the green-lighting of her latest drama script. Instead, she was bundled up in an oversized padded coat, pushing a stroller around the apartment complex's playground. She felt a headache blossoming behind her eyes—a mix of writer's fatigue and a coming cold—but she was on babysitting duty tonight.

"Three bears live in one house..." Sol sang softly, her voice a little raspy as she rocked the stroller back and forth. "Daddy Bear, Mommy Bear, Baby Bear..."

Inside the stroller, her ten-month-old nephew, Je Ha, just stared at her before he let out a tiny, pathetic whimper. He just wouldn't fall asleep.

A few dozen yards away, Ryu Sunjae was heading home. As one of the nation's top actors, his life was a blur of scripts, flashing cameras, and intense public scrutiny. Walking around at night was his only escape.

Suddenly, he stopped.

The soft, melodic sound of a children's nursery rhyme drifted through the quiet night air. He looked toward the playground and saw her. Sitting on a wooden bench under the dim glow of a street lamp, to him, the scene looked straight out of a cinematic masterpiece. Time seemed to have slowed down, and Sunjae stood frozen for a full minute, utterly mesmerised. There was a gentle, radiating warmth about her that completely captivated him.

Wanting a closer look—and specifically wanting to check her left hand to see if a wedding band occupied her ring finger—Sunjae pulled his hoodie up over his head. He stepped onto his electric skateboard and quietly glided in her direction.

Waaah!

Je Ha's quiet whimpers escalated into a full-blown cry. Sol immediately stood up and lifted the fussy baby out of his stroller, tucking him securely against her shoulder. "Oh, our sweet Je Ha, it's okay, it's okay," she murmured softly, rubbing his back and swaying her body from side to side to soothe him.

Because she had stood up with her back completely turned to the path, she had no idea someone was approaching. She took a step backwards, right into the middle of his lane.

Sunjae's eyes widened. He threw his weight back, braking hard, and his electric skateboard screeched to a halt just inches before making contact with them.

Startled by the sudden sound behind her, Sol jumped and spun around, tightly clutching the baby. Realising she had stepped blindly into a walkway, she instantly assumed she was at fault. She bowed deeply, her voice frantic. "I am so, so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm terribly sorry!"

Sunjae quickly stepped off his skateboard, raising his hands reassuringly. "No, no, it's completely fine. Don't worry about it. Are you and your baby okay?"

Sol looked up, the street lamp illuminating his face beneath the hood. Her breath hitched. As a scriptwriter, she knew the faces of every major actor in the industry, but Ryu Sunjae was in a league of his own. She had always thought he was breathtakingly handsome on screen, but up close? He was unreal.

However, wanting to respect his privacy and not seem like a crazy fan, Sol forced her inner fangirl down and kept her composure. "Yes, we are fine. Thank you," she said politely, keeping her voice level.

Je Ha, unfortunately, didn't care about top-star actors. He let out another loud, frustrated cry and started squirming in her arms.

Sunjae, not wanting to pass up this golden opportunity to keep talking to her, gestured gently toward the baby. "Is he okay? He seems really upset."