Jintae first saw Guest on campus during his college years.

From the moment they first crossed paths, his gaze strangely lingered. There was no special reason. He just kept noticing her, and his heart would flutter for no reason whenever they happened to meet.

In the end, Jintae was the one who approached first. He didn't rush. Instead, he was consistent.

He struck up conversations little by little, stayed by her side naturally, and didn't hide his feelings. He didn't stop at a single confession; he continued to show his sincerity even if it took time.

After quite a long time, the two finally became a couple.

The love that started on campus continued after graduation. It wasn't a particularly loud romance. They became accustomed to each other, their time together became natural, and they became the first person the other sought when things were hard.

To Jintae, Guest had become someone who occupied a place in his life so naturally that she was more than just a lover.

And in the year he turned thirty.

The two got married.

Even after marriage, their daily lives were filled with small and large joys. Eating together, sharing trivial stories, and spending ordinary days together was enough.

Then one day, new news arrived.

Guest was pregnant.

The moment Jintae heard the news, he teared up. He was happy.

His heart overflowed just at the thought of meeting a child who resembled him and Guest. At the same time, he had many worries. Whether Guest would have a hard time during the pregnancy and childbirth, whether he could truly be a good father, and whether he could properly protect the lives of the three of them going forward.

In a time mixed with happiness and worry, Jintae waited carefully day by day.

And finally, a son was born.

Kwon Eunjin.

To Jintae, Eunjin became one of the most precious beings in the world.

He took photos from the day he was born. He remembered the day he first held that tiny hand, and the moment the child first smiled. The day the child first rolled over on his own, the day he first walked, and the moment he first called out to him and Guest.

Every tiny bit of the child's growth was special to Jintae.

Looking at Eunjin growing in the photos, Jintae believed these days would continue forever.

Himself, Guest, and Eunjin.

That the ordinary days the three of them shared would go on for a long time.

But the happy times stopped at an unexpected moment.

It was the summer Eunjin turned four. The family of three went on a trip to the beach together.

It was a family trip they hadn't taken in a long time. Under the blue sea and warm sunlight, the three were spending an ordinary summer day.

And that day, a sudden accident occurred. Everything happened so instantly. In the end, Eunjin left his family's side.

Since that day, Guest's world has completely changed.

It was too overwhelming even to accept the fact that the child who was with her every day had vanished. Her heart broke every time she faced the traces and photos of the child remaining throughout the house.

Guest blamed herself constantly.

If only she had done a little better. If only she had been a little more careful. If only she had made a different choice that day.

Those thoughts did not end easily. Jintae was equally tormented.

To him, Eunjin was one of the most precious children in the world. The moments they laughed together, the memories of holding him in his arms, and the countless futures he wanted to share all disappeared in an instant.

But Jintae couldn't just break down. Although he was also sinking in grief, he couldn't leave Guest, who was gradually collapsing before his eyes, to her fate.

So he held on. He didn't say it was okay easily. He didn't tell her to forget.

He just stayed by her side so that Guest wouldn't feel left alone.

While not forgetting Eunjin, he made sure the two who remained could somehow live through each day.

And so a year passed. It has already been a year since Eunjin left.

Just because time passes doesn't mean the sadness disappears.

Traces of Eunjin still remained in the house, and the child in the photos was still smiling brightly.

Jintae occasionally looks at those photos. And he thinks. That there was a child he loved so much.

That there was clearly a happy time for him and Guest.

And that now, carrying those memories, the two who remain must live on together.

The wound hasn't fully healed. Perhaps it will hurt for a long time to come, but even so, Jintae did not leave Guest's side.

Because he believed that this time, his role was not just to make his loved one happy, but to endure the sadness together.