DBEM ~ 04

Chapter – 04

Seolhwa rubbed her dry eyes over and over again.

She rubbed them until her eyelids burned with heat.

Was this just an illusion created by the shattered mirror?

She immediately sprang from her chair and hurried into the bathroom.

The mirror above the sink reflected the same thing.

Standing there was the Seolhwa from before the accident.

The most beautiful version of herself.

“…This can’t be real.”

Unable to believe her own eyes, she reached out and touched the reflection in the mirror.

The gruesome scars that had covered half her face were completely gone.

Not only that—

Her naturally smooth, rounded forehead…

Her delicately arched eyebrows…

Her large almond-shaped eyes that looked gentle without appearing weak…

Inside the brilliant whites of her eyes, the cloudy film that had once covered her damaged eye had vanished, revealing dark, vibrant pupils.

The woman in the mirror was full of life.

Her skin was flawless, as smooth as porcelain without a single visible pore.

Her jawline was slim and perfectly sculpted.

Everything…

Everything was exactly as it had been back then.

She blinked several times.

Yet the reflection never changed.

The fresh face blooming like a flower bud continued staring back at her.

How am I supposed to understand this?

Did the miracle of returning to the past—the kind that’s so popular in dramas these days—happen to me too?

“…President.”

“How old am I?”

“Huh?” Jang Woo-cheol sounded confused over the phone.

“You?”

“Aren’t you turning thirty soon?”

“…Right.”

Of course.

A miracle like time travel couldn’t possibly happen to her.

Then…

What exactly was this impossible situation?

As she stared blankly at her reflection, Hee-yeon’s final words suddenly echoed in her mind.

“Never forget the meaning of my final gift, Seolhwa.”

“…Could it be…”

Could the sleeping pills Hee-yeon had left behind somehow have worked magic?

Was this the “final gift” she’d spoken of in the dream?

It made no sense.

But then again…

Neither did the woman staring back at her from the mirror.

First…

She needed to see Hee-yeon.

“President…”

“Could you give me Ms. No Hee-yeon’s phone number?”

A heavy sigh came from the other end.

“I was going to tell you this anyway…”

“Ms. No Hee-yeon passed away this morning.”

“…What?”

She had been perfectly fine just yesterday.

Startled, Seolhwa instinctively looked at the phone screen.

The moment she checked the date…

Her pupils widened in shock.

An entire week had passed since the day she met Hee-yeon.

It was unbelievable enough that she had slept for seven straight days without waking.

But even harder to believe…

Was that the healthy Hee-yeon she’d met only a week ago had suddenly died.

“W-What happened?”

“Was it… an accident?”

“No.”

“She’d been hospitalized for a long time because of dementia.”

“She fell into a coma…”

“And last night…”

“…She finally passed away.”

So…

Before dying…

Hee-yeon had come to see her.

Tears welled in Seolhwa’s eyes.

“You’ll come to the funeral, won’t you?”

“Before she passed away…”

“She kept calling your name.”

“…”

“And while you’re there…”

“I’d like to see your face again.”

“We should also talk about your comeback.”

“I’m sure everyone in the industry will be there.”

“…I’m sure they will.”

Jeon Gi-beom.

Ma Yu-gyeong.

Those two would certainly attend as well.

“So?”

“You’ll come?”

If this truly was the miracle Hee-yeon had left her…

Then perhaps…

Could she act again?

Could she finally forget everything…

And live solely for herself?

Summoning every ounce of courage, Seolhwa steadied her voice.

“…Yes.”

“I’ll be there.”

She slowly raised her head once more.

In the mirror…

Stood actress Jeong Seolhwa.

Crystal-clear tears rolled from eyes no longer clouded by injury.

She looked exactly as she had when she was celebrated as the greatest actress of her generation—

A woman blessed with both extraordinary beauty and unmatched talent.

After hesitating at the front door for a long while…

Seolhwa finally stepped outside.

She hailed a taxi.

“Ilwon Funeral Hall, please.”

The driver paused for a brief moment after hearing the destination.

Then his eyes fixed on her through the rearview mirror.

Seolhwa froze as well.

She had checked every mirror in her apartment countless times.

Yet she still feared this face was only an illusion.

What if…

That look in his eyes…

Was fear?

Disgust?

“…”

Unable to hide his stare, the driver continued looking at her.

Awkwardly, Seolhwa brushed back her neatly tied hair.

She gently touched the face she had once traced every single day.

Her fingertips met nothing but smooth skin.

She could feel the driver’s occasional glances in the mirror.

Finally, he spoke.

“Miss.”

“Y-Yes?”

She answered in surprise.

The driver scratched his cheek shyly.

“Your face…”

“It’s incredibly beautiful.”

“You look just like a celebrity.”

The tension drained from her body.

“Th-Thank you.”

Three years ago…

Those compliments had been ordinary.

Now they felt unbearably unfamiliar.

“You look exactly like actress Jeong Seolhwa.”

“She was such a beautiful actress.”

“I wonder how she’s doing these days.”

I’ve really come back…

I really have.

Seolhwa took a deep breath.

She quietly traced the reflection in the car window with her eyes.

By the time she arrived at Ilwon Funeral Hall, countless reporters had already gathered outside.

The tension she’d briefly forgotten tightened around her again.

No Hee-yeon had been one of the country’s greatest actresses.

Naturally, every prominent figure attending her funeral had become news.

If a famous actress who had vanished for three years suddenly appeared…

What kind of chaos would erupt?

She didn’t need to guess.

The media spotlight would be overwhelming.

Remembering the endless rumors that had circulated about her disappearance over the past three years made her head ache.

Standing before the funeral hall…

She slowly looked up at the sky.

Because she was no longer hiding behind the curtain of hair that had covered her face for years…

The cold air touched her skin directly.

For the first time in ages…

The face that had burned endlessly through every season seemed to cool.

During the week she’d spent asleep…

Winter had settled deeply over Seoul.

The bitter wind slipped like needles through the gaps between her thin shoes and inexpensive coat.

Against the gray clouds…

She remembered Hee-yeon’s final smile.

This…

Was something she had to face if she wanted to return to the world.

“…Let’s go.”

She gathered her courage and took a step toward the entrance.

At that exact moment—

A black luxury sedan stopped outside the funeral hall.

Jeon Gi-beom stepped out first.

Dressed impeccably in black.

Then…

Ma Yu-gyeong gracefully accepted his hand and stepped out after him.

She wore elegant mourning clothes.

The diamond engagement ring on her finger sparkled brilliantly even from afar.

“That’s Director Jeon Gi-beom!”

“Isn’t that Ma Yu-gyeong behind him?!”

“Wasn’t Director Jeon dating Jeong Seolhwa?”

“That was ages ago.”

“They must’ve broken up.”

“Wait—they’re holding hands!”

“Hurry! Get pictures!”

Camera shutters exploded like gunfire.

Even surrounded by reporters…

The couple remained perfectly composed.

No…

They almost looked as though they were walking a red carpet.

“Hello.”

“It’s unfortunate we’re meeting under circumstances like these.”

Yu-gyeong even greeted reporters she recognized with a smile.

Meanwhile…

Gi-beom carefully shielded her from the crowd so she wouldn’t get bumped.

That single gesture shattered Seolhwa’s heart.

She’d expected they would both attend.

But she’d never imagined they would come openly together.

She watched in silence as they disappeared into the funeral hall.

Then she overheard the reporters chatting.

“Seriously…”

“Should Jeon Gi-beom really be doing this to Jeong Seolhwa?”

“Everyone in the industry knows she spent every penny supporting him.”

“That’s how it always ends.”

“The devoted woman gets thrown away like an old rag.”

“What a rotten world.”

“I wonder if Jeong Seolhwa will come today.”

“No chance.”

“She’s hidden herself away for three years.”

“If she does show up…”

“That’d be the scoop of the year.”

“Why did she disappear in the first place?”

“People say it had something to do with Jeon Gi-beom.”

“Who knows.”

Each word stabbed into Seolhwa like a knife.

An unbearable emotion rose from deep within her.

It wasn’t merely anger.

It was pain.

Every year she’d spent loving him pierced her heart.

Without realizing it…

Her eyes became damp.

Then—

A large snowflake landed on her tightly clenched fist.

Heavy snow.

This year…

The snow simply wouldn’t stop.

“…Snow again.”

Perhaps…

Snow wasn’t so different from love.

When it first falls…

It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

But given enough time…

It’s trampled underfoot…

Melts…

Becomes dirty and ugly.

Just like the foolish woman who had once believed in everlasting love.

The courage she’d worked so hard to gather melted away as quickly as the snow resting on her fist.

She wanted to run.

Hide somewhere no one could ever find her.

Just as she instinctively stepped backward—

More than a dozen men in black suits suddenly surrounded her.

With disciplined precision, they formed a clear path.

They looked like bodyguards.

Or perhaps an executive security team.

Each man respectfully bowed toward Seolhwa…

Then turned to face behind her.

At the same time—

A car door closed.

A long black shadow stretched across the white snow.

Within seconds…

It completely enveloped her small figure.

Startled by the sudden presence behind her, Seolhwa turned around.

“…!”

It was him.

The man who had appeared one week earlier.

The man who had silently held an umbrella over her head on the worst day of her life.

The man whose warmth had somehow felt strangely familiar.

Without her noticing…

He had already walked up behind her.

His face was as cold as winter itself.

But the deep black eyes looking down at her burned with an almost scorching intensity.

“What a coincidence.”

“It’s snowing again.”

“…Ah…”

Unlike the flustered Seolhwa…

He seemed completely at ease.

Almost as though he’d expected to meet her here.

His eyes never left hers.

Without looking away, he tilted his chin slightly toward the man standing beside him.

As if waiting for the signal…

The bodyguard immediately opened a large umbrella over them.

Taking it from him, the stranger tilted the umbrella entirely toward Seolhwa.

As though he didn’t care that the falling snow soaked him instead.

“Aren’t you going inside?”

If he meant together…

That would be a problem.

Jeon Gi-beom and Ma Yu-gyeong had entered only moments ago.

If she walked in beside this mysterious man now…

The reporters would have a field day.

Nervously, Seolhwa glanced toward the crowd of journalists.

“N-No…”

“I…”

The man’s gaze slowly shifted toward them.

Watching the reporters prowling like hungry hyenas…

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

Then he spoke quietly.

“What would you like me to do?”

“…What?”

“Shall I clear them out?”

His voice remained calm.

But the cold look in his eyes as he stared at the reporters…

Was unmistakably dangerous.