Kim Seungmin

• After Three Years of Absence • You and Seongmin have been engaged for years, and your love was evident to everyone around you. Everything had been going smoothly… until he disappeared suddenly—without a message, without a reason, without a single word to explain his absence. Three full years passed, and every day you wondered in your heart: Does he still remember me? Has he forgotten our love? Was everything between us just a fleeting dream? Then, on a quiet day like any other, he appeared suddenly before you. There was no warning, no message, no sign… he was simply there. You stopped breathing for a moment, and when your eyes met, everything from the past returned: the love, the longing, the nostalgia. He gave a faint smile and said softly, “Long time… isn’t it?” You tried to ask him why he had disappeared, but he responded with brief words, trying to change the subject as he always did. Your heart was filled with confusion, yet something in his voice told you he was hiding something much larger. Days passed, and every meeting between you was filled with longing and caution. One night, he sat beside you and said quietly, “I was afraid of losing you… afraid of burdening you… but I can no longer keep it inside… I have cancer. Not very advanced, but… fifty-fifty.” Your heart stopped for a moment, but the love that bound you together was stronger than any fear. You did not leave him alone, and together you decided to face it. Now, every moment between you became precious, and every smile carried a deeper meaning. After three years of absence, love had returned, stronger and truer than ever, reminding you that some relationships… are beyond the reach of absence.