DIE

Part 1

Episode 1: The First Snow

Kyungsoo never believed in fate, but meeting Lan felt like something out of an old legend. It was the first snowfall of the year when they met, white flakes drifting lazily through the cold air. Lan, a quiet yet intense man, had the kind of presence that made the world slow down around him.

They met by accident—or maybe it was destiny. Kyungsoo had been rushing to catch a bus when she slipped on the icy pavement. Just as she braced for the fall, strong hands caught her. When she looked up, she saw him: Lan, his dark eyes calm, as if he had all the time in the world to catch her.

"Careful," he said, voice deep and steady.

Kyungsoo felt her heart stutter. "Thanks."

From that moment, something between them changed.

But what Kyungsoo didn’t know was that Lan was not meant to stay.

Episode 2: A Love That Burns

Winter turned to spring, and their love grew like flowers blooming beneath the thawing snow. Lan was different from anyone Kyungsoo had ever known—strong, yet gentle, distant, yet endlessly caring. He never spoke much about his past, but Kyungsoo didn’t push. She thought they had time.

One evening, as they sat by the river, watching the sunset stain the sky in shades of fire, Lan whispered, "I wish this moment could last forever."

Kyungsoo turned to him, confused by the sadness in his voice. "It will. As long as we remember it."

Lan smiled but didn’t say anything.

That night, Kyungsoo had a dream. A dream of him walking away, fading into the darkness. She woke up with an unshakable sense of dread.

Something was coming.

Episode 3: The Goodbye They Never Said

Kyungsoo searched for him everywhere. One moment, Lan had been by her side, and the next, he was gone. No messages, no calls. It was as if he had disappeared from existence.

Days turned into weeks. She went back to the places they had been together—the bookstore, the small ramen shop, the riverside where they watched the sunset. But he wasn’t there.

Then, one night, she received a letter. No sender, no address. Only a few words written in familiar handwriting:

"Kyungsoo, I never wanted to leave. But I had no choice. If fate allows, I will return."

She clutched the letter to her chest, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her heart.

She would wait. No matter how long it took.

Episode 4: Whispers of the Wind

Spring turned to summer, and then to autumn. Kyungsoo kept waiting.

Some nights, she thought she heard his voice in the wind. Some mornings, she would wake up, expecting to find him beside her. But he was never there.

She asked everyone—his friends, his coworkers—but no one knew where he had gone. It was as if he had vanished from the world entirely.

One evening, as the first snow of the new winter fell, she stood by the river, remembering the day they met.

"Lan," she whispered. "Where are you?"

The wind carried her words away.

And far, far away, beyond where she could ever reach, Lan whispered back, "Kyungsoo, I’m sorry."

But she never heard him.

Because he was already gone.

Episode 5: A Love That Never Ends

Winter settled in again, and Kyungsoo found herself tracing the same steps she had taken a year ago. The bus stop where they met, the riverside where they sat in silence, the ramen shop where he always ordered extra spice despite sweating through every bite—each place felt like a ghost of their love.

People told her to move on.

"Maybe he found someone else."

"You should stop waiting for someone who left you."

"He’s not coming back, Kyungsoo."

But she ignored them. Lan wasn’t the kind of person who would leave without a reason. If he said he’d come back, then he meant it.

Still, the ache in her chest deepened with every passing day.

One evening, as the snow fell quietly around her, she whispered, "Lan, if you can hear me… just let me know you’re okay."

And for the first time in months, she dreamt of him.

Episode 6: The Dream That Felt Too Real

In her dream, she saw Lan standing in the middle of a field covered in snow. He looked just as she remembered—tall, strong, with that quiet sadness in his eyes.

"Kyungsoo," he said, his voice soft. "You’re still waiting for me."

Tears filled her eyes. "Of course, I am! You promised you’d come back!"

Lan smiled, but it wasn’t the kind of smile that reached his eyes. It was filled with something deeper—something final.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "I wanted to come back. But… I can’t."

Kyungsoo felt her heart drop. "What do you mean? Where are you?"

The wind picked up, the snow swirling around him. His figure blurred, fading.

"No!" She reached for him, but he stepped back.

"Please, Kyungsoo… stop waiting for me."

And then, she woke up.

Heart pounding, face wet with tears.

She ran to the river, her breath visible in the freezing air.

"Lan!" she screamed into the night.

But only silence answered.

Episode 7: The Truth She Didn’t Want to Know

The dream haunted her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Lan had been trying to tell her something.

Desperate, she started searching again. This time, she went further—digging through records, asking people she had never spoken to before.

Then, one evening, she got a call.

"Are you Kyungsoo?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Yes. Who is this?"

A long pause. Then, a sigh.

"I’m… I was Lan’s friend. I think you should know the truth."

Kyungsoo’s fingers tightened around the phone. Her breath hitched.

"What truth?" she whispered.

Another pause. Then—

"Lan… he died a year ago."

The world stopped. The wind howled. The snowfall turned into a blur.

And Kyungsoo forgot how to breathe.

Episode 8: The Love That Lived Beyond Time

Kyungsoo couldn’t move. The words echoed in her head.

"Lan… he died a year ago."

It didn’t make sense. She had just dreamt of him. She had felt him, heard his voice.

She gripped the phone tighter. "You’re lying."

"I wish I were." The voice on the other end was heavy with regret. "He was sick, Kyungsoo. He knew he didn’t have much time left."

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold pavement. "No… No, he—he said he’d come back!"

"That was never possible. He didn’t want you to see him suffer, so he left before it got worse."

Tears blurred her vision.

"Stop waiting for me."

That’s why he had said that in the dream. That wasn’t just a dream. It was a goodbye.

"But I waited…" Kyungsoo sobbed, the pain in her chest unbearable. "I waited for him."

The voice softened. "He knew you would."

The call ended, leaving her in silence.

For the first time, Kyungsoo realized—Lan hadn’t broken his promise. He had come back. Just not in the way she had wanted.

Episode 9: The Final Snowfall

The first snow of the new winter fell softly around her.

Kyungsoo sat by the river—the place where they had once watched the sunset together. The place where he had wished for a moment that would last forever.

Now, she understood.

Lan had never truly left.

He was in the wind that whispered her name.

In the snowflakes that melted on her skin.

In the memories that lived inside her heart.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the cold air.

"Lan, I won’t wait anymore."

Not because she had stopped loving him.

But because love like theirs never needed waiting.

It had already lasted beyond time.

Episode 10: The Echo of His Voice

Days passed, but the ache in Kyungsoo’s heart remained. Even knowing the truth, she still found herself turning her head when she heard footsteps behind her, still hoping to hear his voice calling her name.

One evening, as she walked through the quiet streets, she passed by the ramen shop where they used to eat. The warmth inside contrasted with the cold winter outside, but she didn’t enter.

Instead, she stood outside, staring at the empty seat by the window.

Lan’s seat.

She placed her hand against the glass, her breath fogging up the surface.

"Are you really gone?" she thought.

Just then, a gust of wind blew past her, and for a split second, she swore she heard his voice.

"Kyungsoo."

She turned around instantly, heart pounding.

But there was no one there.

Only the wind.

Episode 11: The Letters He Left Behind

The next morning, Kyungsoo received a package. There was no return address, only her name written in familiar handwriting.

Her hands trembled as she opened it. Inside, she found a stack of letters—each one addressed to her.

With a deep breath, she picked up the first one and began to read.

"Kyungsoo, if you're reading this, it means I wasn’t able to keep my promise. I’m sorry. I wanted to stay. I wanted a future with you. But some things… are out of our control."

Tears spilled onto the paper as she continued.

"I never told you the truth because I didn’t want our time together to be filled with sadness. I wanted to love you without the weight of goodbye hanging over us. And I did. I loved you more than anything."

She clutched the letter to her chest, sobbing.

Even in death, he had thought of her.

And left behind pieces of himself so she wouldn’t feel alone.

Episode 12: A Heart That Still Remembers

Kyungsoo read one letter every night. Each one was filled with memories, laughter, and love.

Some nights, she cried. Other nights, she smiled.

But through it all, she realized—Lan had never really left.

His words, his love, his presence… they were all still with her.

One evening, as she sat by the river with a letter in her hands, she whispered, "Lan, are you watching me?"

The wind blew gently, lifting her hair.

She smiled through her tears.

"I miss you," she said. "But I’ll be okay."