The screen flashes and a new email alert shakes Seol from her thoughts. She closes the notepad with her presentation notes and turns to her laptop and her jaw slackens, heart picking up its pace and eyes glazed with a colorful mixture of hope, shock and disbelief.

It seems like time has slowed and all surroundings have muted as the sender ID registers in her rapidly jumbling mind

Yoo Jung Sunbae 

He finally sent an email back!

She releases the breath she didn't realize she was holding and reads the subject line [Re: Hope My Email Finds You In Good Health]

Before she can click on it, her fingers hover over the mouse hesitantly as if not yet ready for whatever's coming next.

Surely, Hong Seol has restlessly lied awake on many a night for this very notification to break through her sullen thoughts.

She's refreshed this very page many a times at work, with a slowly fading sliver of hope each time that she'd get a response.

She didn't know what; it could've been anything.

 It would've still meant everything.

A simple 'Hello' back, something that would tell her he's doing fine, or maybe even an 'I miss you too'

A 'Hope you're doing well' , or a 'There's so much I've been dying to tell you'

Anything at all

She's been waiting for this response with bated breath for 3 years, and now that she was least expecting