Prologue
That winter in Seoul Forest Park, the persimmon tree stood skeletal in the frozen glade, its branches clawing at the cloudy sky. Lee Junseo's cheeks flushed crimson from the cold. He dug his pocketknife into the gnarled bark, his breath crystallizing in the air as Kim Minho and Jung Taemin huddled close, their mittened hands brushing against his trembling ones. Minho's laughter rang brittle, like ice cracking underfoot. "You're butchering Junseo-ya! I look like a flat mandu!"
Junseo scowled, the blade slipping. A bead of blood bloomed on his thumb. "At least I'm trying. You two just stand there like—" Taemin suddenly gripped his wrist; warmth seeped through woolen gloves. "Let me," he said quietly, his voice steadier than the frozen Han River glittering in the distance. He guided Junseo's hand, carving three intertwined, jagged hearts beneath their names—준서+민호+태민—and the word "Forever."
Taemin murmured, pressing his forehead to Junseo's. A promise, a prayer. Above them, a snowball exploded against the trunk. "If you're done being sappy, help me hang these." He dangled three mismatched mittens from the branches—Junseo's threadbare, Taemin's charcoal-gray, and his own scarlet. "Our flag, so we'll always find each other." Midnight painted the grove in greasy shadows. Junseo's father wrenched him from bed, the stench of alcohol clinging to his coat. "Enough," he hissed, "Kids like you aren't supposed to play," dragging Junseo through knee-deep snow. "Kim and Jung 'Riffraff'? You'll inherit Lee Group, not play nursemaid to some grocer's brats." Junseo screamed when the gasoline can appeared. "Appa, no! They're my—" The match and hiss drowned as flames devoured the mittens—first blue, then gray, then scarlet—melting the snow into grimy tears. Taemin's careful heart ached.
Blackened and bloodied, Junseo's fingernails tore as he clawed the frozen earth; rain, snow, and tears froze on his face. His father had cracked his ribs. "You'll thank me when you're CEO."
The next day, Taemin and Minho arrived at the park, the place where they made their promise, but were shocked to find the persimmon tree burned to the ground. "Oh no!" Minho cried as he ran towards the cobbled, burnt tree, digging to find their mittens, but all had turned to ashes. As Taemin watched Minho cry, he remained calm, trying to comfort him while wondering why the tree had burned and where Junseo was. "He's taking so long," Minho said. "Let's wait for him." Taemin replied, "It's been hours and it's starting to show. It's almost nighttime." Taemin said, "Let's go home for now; maybe he's just busy." Day after day turned into months; it's been six years.
End of Prologue