Episode 1: The Primacy Effect
Han Ji-seok stretched his stiff neck as he walked out of the arrival gate at Incheon Airport, dragging his suitcase with one hand and turning on his phone with the other. After being silent for half a day during the flight, the phone buzzed non-stop, delivering a flood of missed messages.
“Haah…”
Two long weeks of a business trip had finally come to an end. Though Ji-seok had volunteered for the role, his hesitation in facing certain responsibilities lingered. It was unavoidable, but it weighed on him nonetheless.
It had been three years since the day he gave up on living quietly and unnoticed. The memory of that day darkened his expression.
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
Han Kyu-ho, the chairman of Daehan Group and Ji-seok’s biological father, had persistently encouraged his son to join the company after he graduated. Ji-seok’s extraordinary talents in academics and more had always made him stand out.
Though born as the illegitimate child of a famous actress, Lee Ji-hee, and Kyu-ho, Ji-seok had inherited striking looks. With model-like proportions, sharp features, and a calm yet approachable demeanor, he seemed almost perfect.
But it wasn’t just his looks that made him exceptional. Ji-Seok was a genius, excelling in mathematics and science from a young age. Despite the media’s attention, he avoided the spotlight, preferring to live quietly and away from rumors surrounding his lineage.
When Kyu-ho had invited him into the company three years ago, Ji-seok had initially declined, claiming he wanted to pursue a career as a professor in mechanical engineering. But something had changed, and Ji-seok approached his father with a newfound ambition.
“Why? Did you suddenly crave power?”
“Something like that,” Ji-seok replied with a faint smile.
Laughing heartily, Kyu-ho welcomed him into the business world, though he warned it would be no easy feat. Over the next three years, Ji-seok learned every aspect of the company, rising to become a key figure in the Daehan Group.
Now, as the manager of the electronics division, Ji-seok had proven himself without relying on his family name. All this, in just three years.
As Ji-seok tried to shake off his heavy thoughts, a cheerful voice called out, “Han Ji-seok!”
Outside the arrival area stood a young woman holding up a piece of paper with his name scribbled on it.
“Yoo Hee-joo…” Ji-seok chuckled at the sight, walking toward her.
“Ji-seok oppa!”
Hee-joo, with her long black hair tied back and a youthful smile, looked as though she hadn’t changed at all. She was like a little duckling that always trailed after him.
“…Have you eaten?” Ji-seok asked casually as if he’d seen her just yesterday.
“Oppa! Is that really how you greet me after two weeks?”
Her puffed-up cheeks made him laugh. He had missed her more than he realized, but expressing himself had never been his strong suit. To Ji-seok, asking if she’d eaten was his way of saying he cared.
“You must’ve skipped lunch coming all the way here.”
“Seriously, Oppa!”
Ji-seok first met Hee-joo 11 years ago. Back then, she was just a tiny girl, barely half his size. Her big, doll-like eyes and cheerful energy had left an impression on him.
Even now, though she was older, Ji-seok still saw her as a little sister to protect. Her bright, innocent demeanor and habit of clinging to his arm hadn’t changed.
To him, Hee-joo was family—the only one who mattered.
“Oppa, how was Europe? Did you take any pictures?”
“I was working the whole time. Didn’t have time for that.”
“What? No pictures? Don’t tell me you didn’t even bring me a souvenir!”
Stopping in her tracks, Hee-Joo glared at him with mock anger. Ji-seok turned back to face her, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Souvenir?”
“You didn’t get me anything?”
“Should I have?”
“Oppa!”
Ji-seok wasn’t great at gestures of affection. But while he lacked the social graces to prepare a typical souvenir, he had brought something special—a gift he thought she’d love.
“Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Unbelievable,” she muttered, pouting.
He enjoyed teasing her like this. It made her eventual smile all the more rewarding.
After a meal at the airport, they returned home late in the evening. While unpacking, Ji-seok grabbed the small gift he had hidden in his pocket.
He found Hee-joo curled up on the couch, laughing at a TV show. Walking over, he casually ruffled her hair with a towel.
“Here.”
He handed her a small box.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Inside was a vintage music box he’d found in Zermatt. Its charming design reminded him of her.
Hee-joo gasped in delight, her big eyes sparkling as she cranked the handle to play the tune. The rich, warm melody filled the room, and a smile spread across her face.
“Oppa, you said you didn’t get me anything!”
“It’s just a small thing. Didn’t want you expecting too much.”
For someone her age, she didn’t care much for flashy or expensive things. Even a simple music box could move her to tears.
“Don’t stay up too late,” Ji-seok said, patting her head before retreating to his study.
As the sound of her laughter filled the room, his thoughts turned somber.
Yoo Seon-woo.
The way Hee-joo smiled reminded him of another face he missed deeply.
