**Chapter 1: The Meeting**
The rain poured in sheets, drumming against the glass of the small café where Lee Hee Young stood behind the counter, humming softly as she brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Her café, "Heaven’s Brew," was small but always welcoming, the warm scent of roasted beans mingling with the sweet aromas of freshly baked pastries. She was known for her bright smile and the way she made everyone feel at home the moment they stepped inside.
Tonight, though, the café was nearly empty. Only one customer sat by the window, his face hidden beneath a hood, his hands wrapped around a cup of black coffee that had long gone cold. He hadn’t said much since he arrived, just ordered and sat, staring out into the storm as if the world beyond the glass was more real to him than anything inside.
Lee Hee Young glanced at him again, her curiosity piqued. The stranger had an air about him—something heavy, something ancient, though he didn’t look much older than thirty. His presence seemed to bend the air around him, making her feel like she was staring at something not meant to be seen.
She approached with her usual cheerful smile, wiping her hands on her apron. “You look like you could use a refill,” she said, lifting the coffee pot.
He turned his head slowly, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. They were dark, almost too dark, like looking into a void. Yet, something in them flickered with curiosity.
“Sure,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper.
Hee Young poured the coffee, her eyes lingering on him for a moment longer. “I haven’t seen you around here before,” she said. “Are you new to the neighborhood?”
He didn’t answer right away, as if he was weighing whether to respond at all. Finally, he spoke. “You could say that.”
She laughed lightly, trying to break the tension. “Well, welcome to Heaven’s Brew. I’m Hee Young, by the way. You’re welcome here anytime.”
He nodded but didn’t offer his name. She noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands gripped the cup as though it was anchoring him to something.
“I don’t really belong here,” he muttered under his breath, though she heard him clearly.
“Of course you do,” she replied without hesitation. “Everyone belongs somewhere.”
The stranger looked at her then, really looked at her. There was something disarming about her kindness. It was genuine, without an ounce of pity or obligation. That was rare, especially for someone like him.
“I’m Jung Jae-Hyun,” he finally said, after what felt like an eternity.
Hee Young’s smile widened. “Nice to meet you, Jae-Hyun. Can I get you anything else? A pastry, maybe? My lemon tarts are famous around here.”
“No, thank you,” he said, his voice softening just a little. “This is enough.”
Hee Young gave a small nod before returning to her spot behind the counter, leaving him to his solitude once again. But Jae-Hyun didn’t return to staring out the window. Instead, he found himself watching her, the way she moved with effortless grace, her joy radiating from her like a light. It was strange, unsettling even, how someone could be so bright in a world filled with so much darkness.
Jae-Hyun had been on Earth for over a century now, ever since he retired from his duties as the Angel of Death. Guiding souls to the afterlife had once been his purpose, but after centuries of it, he had grown weary. He chose to live again, hoping for some semblance of peace, but instead, he found a world that rejected him. His immortality was a curse—he was bound to a fate without meaning, a life without destiny. No matter what he did, nothing worked out. He had no place here.
Until now.
There was something about Hee Young, something in her presence that felt different. He didn’t understand it, not yet, but he could feel it. Like she was pulling him toward her, tethering him to the world in a way he hadn’t felt in centuries.
But it couldn’t be possible. Could it?
Jae-Hyun clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look away. He hadn’t come here for companionship, certainly not for connection. He had come to this café because something about it had drawn him in, like a faint echo of a long-lost memory. He was supposed to be invisible, passing through this world as an observer, not an active participant.
He had no destiny. No fate.
And yet, as he sat there, listening to Hee Young laugh with a customer on the phone, Jae-Hyun couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting. Something was changing, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it.
But one thing was clear.
Lee Hee Young was different, and she might be the one thing that could pull him out of his endless, purposeless existence.
For the first time in a century, Jae-Hyun felt a flicker of hope. And with that hope came a dangerous thought—a thought that whispered in the back of his mind.
What if she was the one? The blessed soul he had been seeking.
What if he could use her to reclaim his destiny?
But even as the thought formed, he felt an unease settle in his chest. Because for the first time in his long, miserable existence, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to use her—or protect her.
The rain continued to fall, but inside the café, something had already begun to bloom. Something neither of them could yet understand.
