---- Mom used to love sunflowers when she was still alive. She loved how they grew facing the sun, as if unafraid of suffering. As the sun shone down on me, my face was stained with tears in an instant. T hurriedly turned to wipe my tears away, only to see Richard holding a sunflower seedling in a pot. "The previous tenant left this behind," he said. " I'll give it to you as a gift!" He stuffed the flowerpot into my arms and smiled so kindly at me that it warmed my heart. "I think it suits you well." One week later, I was wandering around the seaside streets when I found myself attracted to an independent studio. The artworks inside were unique in design, exquisite, and full of vitality, followed by a recruitment notice posted by the door. ---- I couldn't help pushing open the glass door and walking in. The sea breeze caused the wind chimes to jingle, prompting the man behind the desk to lift his head. He looked at me with his almond-shaped eyes from under gold wire-rimmed glasses. I took out my laptop and asked, "Hello. May I ask if you're still hiring? I'm a designer, and these are some of my works." The man-Leo Tyrrell-smiled and nodded. "These works... Did you participate in the International Pioneer Design Competition two years ago? And this series is called 'Rebirth', isn't it?" he asked in a gentle, magnetic voice, pointing at a set of designs that Hayden had asked me to withdraw from the competition. I was stunned to hear what he said. Those were drafts that I had submitted on the sly when Hayden's company was first established. Later on, ---- Hayden forced me to withdraw from the competition, stating that the company needed to "' remain low profile". I didn't expect anyone to still remember my designs now. As such, I couldn't help but clench my hands into fists. ''Yes." Two years ago, I had still been sketching designs in the wee hours of the morning when Hayden. rushed over angrily and poured coffee all over my drawings. "Don't waste your efforts on these lousy designs anymore. What the customers want is business value!" he had shouted back then. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Leo exclaiming, "They're very valuable designs! It's a shame that you withdrew from the competition midway through, and the final versions were never displayed." He suddenly stood up. "Did you bring your ---- manuscripts?" I nodded and took my drawings out of my bag. Leo caressed the drawing of a bird with its wings spread in flight with his slender fingers. It was as if he were looking at a valuable treasure. "It's interesting that a person so restricted can still sketch out such a free bird," he murmured. He then pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose and smiled charmingly. "I was one of the judges during that competition, and I gave your design the highest score possible. "Please report to work tomorrow. I'll offer you three times your previous salary, but in return, you have to complete the design of the 'Rebirth' series." I practically jumped for joy. "Consider it done!"