Len stood frozen at the glass corridor of Eastrion Global Headquarters, the aftertaste of his unexpected reunion with Ji-Yeon still burning inside his chest. The world outside London was cold, but the silence inside him was colder. His palms were trembling… he didn't know whether it was anger, heartbreak, or the ghost of an old love that was still refusing to die.
He had waited ten years to forget her.
She had used only ten seconds to shake everything apart again.
As he walked deeper into the building, the digital screen on the wall flashed:
"Trial Candidates — Report to Evaluation Hall B."
Len exhaled slowly and moved forward.
His footsteps echoed like memories.
Inside the evaluation hall, dozens of candidates were seated, but Len's eyes were drawn toward the front table where two supervisors were discussing files. One was a senior HR officer…
And the other was Ji-Yeon.
Her hair was tied in a sharp corporate bun. Her gaze was distant, emotionless, like ten years had turned her into something steel-cold. She didn't even look toward him, yet Len felt like she had read every thought running inside him.
Suddenly—
"Len? You're here too?"
The voice was soft, sweet, and unexpectedly warm.
It was Hana, the girl he had collided with earlier. She stood beside him holding a folder, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Y-Yeah. Looks like we're in the same evaluation batch," Len replied.
Hana smiled brightly, unaware of the storm brewing only a few meters away.
"Then let's do our best together!"
Her positivity was like a small lamp in a dark tunnel…
But darkness rarely breaks that easily.
A loud click echoed.
Ji-Yeon stepped forward with a microphone.
"Welcome to Eastrion Global's first stage assessment. I expect each of you to maintain professionalism. There will be no leniency."
Her eyes finally slid toward Len for a short second—
Cold.
Blank.
As if he was a forgotten stranger.
But Len saw it.
A tiny flicker.
Pain?
Regret?
Or anger?
He couldn't tell.
The test began.
Typing speed.
Task organization.
Creative pitch.
Group problem-solving.
Hana excelled in communication and teamwork.
Len surprised everyone with calm thinking and logical decision-making.
But Ji-Yeon's expression didn't change even once. Not when Len did well.
Not when Hana looked impressed.
Not when both worked together smoothly.
By afternoon break, Len stepped out into the hallway, leaned against the wall, and shut his eyes.
Why is she like this? Why does she look at me like… nothing ever happened? Was I the only one who suffered all these years?
His thoughts were spiraling when he heard soft footsteps.
"Len?" Hana approached gently. "Are you okay?"
He forced a small smile. "Just tired."
Hana looked at him a bit too deeply.
"You're strong, but you look like someone who's been carrying too much alone."
Her words pierced him.
Before he could answer, a voice came from behind.
Cold. Sharp. Familiar.
"Candidates, break time is over."
Ji-Yeon walked past them, her heels clicking like small blades on the floor.
But for the first time…
Hana saw the way Len looked at Ji-Yeon.
And the way Ji-Yeon avoided looking back.
A tiny seed of misunderstanding quietly planted itself.
The final evaluation involved a team-based corporate simulation. Len, Hana, and two others were placed in one group. The task: create a marketing pitch for a winter fashion launch within one hour.
Hana took charge of presentation design.
Len handled concept building and strategy.
Others worked on financial modeling.
Halfway through, Ji-Yeon walked to their table.
She looked at Len.
Then at Hana.
Then at their progress.
"Your concept is… acceptable," she said emotionlessly. "But your teamwork seems unbalanced."
Hana frowned slightly. "We're trying our best, ma'am."
Ji-Yeon ignored her completely and stared directly at Len.
"Don't rely too much on others. That habit never ends well."
Everyone froze.
Hana looked between the two, confused.
The comment had no corporate meaning.
It was personal.
Len clenched his jaw. "Understood, ma'am."
Ji-Yeon walked away without another word.
Hana leaned closer and whispered, "Do…you two know each other?"
Len didn't answer.
And silence is sometimes louder than truth.
By evening, all groups finished.
Candidates were dismissed.
Len stepped out into the cold London evening, head hurting, heart heavier than it had been in years. He walked toward the metro station when suddenly—
"Len!"
It was Ji-Yeon.
Standing alone on the empty footpath.
The sky behind her turning orange-blue.
Len froze.
She walked forward slowly. Each step sounded like a decade collapsing.
"Why…did you come here?" she asked softly.
The coldness was gone.
Her voice was trembling.
Len felt something crack inside.
But before he could answer—
Before she could speak another word—
A car horn blared.
Hana ran across the street, waving.
"Len! We forgot an announcement— they'll reveal first-stage results tomorrow mor—"
She stopped mid-sentence, noticing Ji-Yeon standing in front of him.
A silence heavier than snow settled between the three of them.
Ji-Yeon's expression hardened again.
Hana's eyes tightened with suspicion.
Len felt suffocated between two worlds colliding.
The wind howled through London streets.
Something irreversible was beginning.
But none of them could see where it would lead.
Not yet.
Not tomorrow.
Not even after ten years.
Chapter 21 Ends Here.
Chapter 22 Coming Soon…
This emotional storm has just begun — love, pain, rivalry, and a shadow of the past are all ready to collide.
Stay connected for the next twist.
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