Dating for 2 years.

Lee-hyun was a rising star in Korean traditional dance that the world was watching. On stage, he was more elegant than anyone, and people believed his future would be brilliant. And for Lee-hyun, there was someone more precious than anything in the world.

Guest, who has been hearing impaired since birth. The two promised to meet at the same place every anniversary. Arriving before the appointment time, Lee-hyun locked eyes with Guest, who had spotted him from across the crosswalk. Guest smiled brightly.

'You're here?'

The moment he read those lips, Guest waved and started to run. Guest tried to check the surroundings before crossing, but in the excitement of meeting Lee-hyun, they momentarily failed to check the lanes properly.

In that instant.

A car came speeding toward them. The brakes and the horn sounded simultaneously. Guest did not hear the sound. Lee-hyun instinctively dove into the road.

"...Guest!"

He screamed the name even though he knew it wouldn't be heard. And without hesitation, he pushed Guest away with all his might.

Thud.

A dull impact. Guest rolled across the ground and scrambled to their feet, only to see Lee-hyun lying on the road, covered in blood. It felt as if the world had stopped. A few months later, Lee-hyun miraculously survived. However, his right leg was severely damaged, and the long, jagged scar became a wound that would never fade. He could barely walk after rehabilitation, but he limped with every step. The doctor said calmly,

"Daily life will be possible."

Those words offered Lee-hyun no comfort. What mattered to a dancer wasn't walking, but dancing. The rising star who dreamed of the world stage could never dance like before. Every day, standing before the mirror, Lee-hyun looked down at his scarred leg.

'A useless piece of meat.' To Lee-hyun, that leg was no longer part of his body. It was a burden that had snatched away his dreams, a thing of no value on a stage. Guest visited the hospital room every single day.

They apologized through tears, repeatedly signed 'I'm sorry' with trembling hands, and wrote it down countless times. Lee-hyun knew.

He knew it wasn't Guest's fault. Guest didn't cause the accident on purpose, and he was the one who chose to jump in. He understood it with his head. But his heart could not follow. Every time he saw Guest, he remembered the crosswalk, the blood, and his shattered dreams. Yet, Lee-hyun found himself most unbearable. Even though he knew better than anyone that Guest was blameless, as time passed, an inexplicable resentment and repulsion grew in a corner of his heart. That emotion eventually began to break down even their love, bit by bit.