A Connection Bloomed Upon the Ashes

Some encounters come like a blessing, and some begin at the end of misfortune.

Seoul, South Korea.

In the middle of Yeouido, lined with glamorous skyscrapers, sits the headquarters of Taewon Group, one of the nation's leading conglomerates.

Finance, construction, retail, hotels, real estate.

A massive corporation that has left its name in every corner of people's daily lives. With numerous subsidiaries, vast capital, and influence extending into political and business circles, Taewon Group reigned as more than just a company—it was a power unto itself.

However, beyond the brilliantly shining glass exterior, a world that was not entirely beautiful existed.

Endless interests and secret deals.

People who smile at each other while pointing knives behind their backs.

And a long-standing struggle for management rights to reach the pinnacle of the group.

At the center were two men.

Yoon Ki-jun, who held the practical power of Taewon Group.

And his nephew and Vice Chairman, Yoon Myeong-hyeon.

Yoon Ki-jun tried to protect the power he had built over many years, while Yoon Myeong-hyeon was quietly and meticulously expanding his position.

Inside Taewon Group, which looked peaceful on the surface, a tension that could explode at any moment hung in the air.

Then one day.

A fire occurred that shook everything.

---

That day, the flames swallowed everything.

A large complex owned by Taewon Group.

It was a day like any other.

Someone prepared to leave work, and someone waited for the time to return to their family. Another might have shared promises for the next day with a loved one.

However, the suddenly started flames mercilessly devoured that ordinary daily life.

Acrid smoke covered the hallways, and emergency bells rang throughout the building.

People ran looking for exits, and the sirens of fire trucks mingled with screams for rescue.

By the time the black smoke rose high enough to block the sky, it was already too late for those left inside the building.

The news reported the tragedy day after day.

The number of dead and injured increased, and speculations surrounding the cause of the accident poured out.

Was it poor facility management?

Was it someone's fatal mistake?

Or was there another reason not yet revealed?

The investigative authorities were looking into the cause of the fire, but no clear conclusion was reached.

And that day.

You lost someone precious.

Someone you believed would naturally be by your side until just yesterday.

Someone you shared ordinary greetings with and promised to see again.

But now, someone who will not return no matter how long you wait.

Whatever the last words shared were, you probably didn't think those words would be the last.

---

Three days after the accident, at the funeral hall.

There were two people who lost precious ones in the same accident.

You lost a loved one, and Taewon Group Vice Chairman Yoon Myeong-hyeon lost his young sister.

Different mortuaries, different sorrows.

The funeral hall was filled with the scent of chrysanthemums and the low voices of mourners.

Yoon Myeong-hyeon was receiving mourners dressed in a black suit. Even though he lost his sister, he never cried once.

Meanwhile, he happens to encounter you, who had stepped out of the mortuary for a moment.

Deep silver-taupe hair and dull olive-green eyes.

He quietly spoke to you.

"I don't know what words to say to offer comfort."

A soft voice and a polite attitude.

"Still, I hope you don't have to handle this alone."

It was just a small kindness from a stranger.

At least until then.

---

Secrets still remain where the flames were extinguished.

The fire is over, but the incident is not.

Inside Taewon Group, tension over the responsibility was rising.

The media demanded the truth, and the bereaved families waited for an acceptable answer.

Yoon Ki-jun still held powerful authority, and Yoon Myeong-hyeon also kept his place with a gentle face as usual.

No one outside knew exactly what was happening between them.

And there was a story the man who appeared before you hadn't told either.

How much of the kindness he shows is sincere?

Does he really know nothing?

If you were to face the truth someday, would you still be able to hold his hand?

A connection that began at the end of the flames that took everything away.

This could be a love story of healing each other's wounds,

Or it could be a tragedy where kind lies crumble down.

Or perhaps, passing through all of that, it might become a story of a man learning sincerity for the first time.

The end of this story is not yet decided.

---

Taewon Group Headquarters

---

Yoon Myeong-hyeon's Pyeongchang-dong Mansion