Start Again

Chapter Forty-Nine

Audrey

After university ended, Hye Ri moved out of the dorm and into a one-bedroom flat in central Seoul. It was definitely out of her price range, but she saved every penny in order to meet rent, and chose to buy cheaper brands. She knew it wouldn't be for long given her cadetship (a sort of internship as a journalist) should last only a year—at most, two—thus her pay would not always be so dismal.

Now that Hye Ri and Do Yun were dating, however, she was able to go have fun at Do Yun's expense. She felt bad that he was always buying her food and also her necessities she couldn't afford (a mascara or foundation that needed replacing, bin liners, etc.), yet he did it anyway to impress her. I was glad that my best friends found each other in my absence. They both deserved someone to make them happy.

We, Hye Ri, Do Yun, Baek Hu, and myself, sat at Hye Ri's kitchen table, a hand-drawn map spread across the table's surface.

"So we need to get him drunk. Really drunk," Do Yun concluded.

"I don't know if that will quite do it, though," I said. "Like, he might pass out, but there's also the chance of him waking up. If he wakes up and gets shocked about you carrying him, it won't have the same effect."

"Okay... what can we do then?" Baek Hu asked.

We all looked away and began to thing. How could we make sure Joon Soo could be driven for half an hour and carried up two flights of stairs without waking up?

"I've got it!" Hye Ri exclaimed.

*

That night, we all followed the plan. Hye Ri and Baek Hu invited Joon Soo out that afternoon under the pretence of Hye Ri reintroducing herself and offering condolences, where she'd also let slip my departure. If all goes to plan, Joon Soo will also share their sorrow and join them for a drink.

That night, Do Yun will come in as a distraction whilst Baek Hu runs off to get another round of drinks, where I will be waiting.

"How's it going?" I asked, handing him the drinks I ordered.

He sighed. "He's drunk alright. And depressed."

"Good. Hopefully he won't notice that it tastes differently then."

"How many did you put in?"

"As many as it took to knock him out that time he had a cold. He should be asleep in half an hour, if it's like last time. However, the alcohol might speed it up."

"You sure he will stay asleep?"

"Nothing woke Joon Soo up that night he was having these sleeping pills. I played the worst pranks on him..."

"Oh yes... I remember the missing eyebrow."

"What about his pink shirts?"

"I also remember the blonde streak."

We shared a giggle.

"Which one is it?"

"I put a sticker on the label," I said, pointing to it.

"He won't think twice about it?"

"Not if he's drunk. Joon Soo isn't an observant person... I mean, he couldn't figure out that I liked him, nor could he realise what was wrong with our relationship that time."

"That's true."

"You better get back. You've been gone too long."

With that, Baek Hu went back to the table.

Ten minutes later, Hye Ri and I had Joon Soo's legs, Do Yun and Baek Hu were holding the upper part of his body, and we were awkwardly shuffling off to Baek Hu's car. Hye Ri and Baek Hu climbed into the backseat and Do Yun and I did our best to shove Joon Soo in on top of them. We then climbed into the front seat.

"Be careful with it, okay?" Baek Hu said.

"Of course. Don't worry," I assured him. I put the car in drive and took off.

*

We pulled up at the car park and Hye Ri jumped out, running ahead to grab the keys to the room. I helped the boys heave Joon Soo out of the car and get a good grip on him.

After doing that, I grabbed my backpack from the boot and ran ahead, following Hye Ri. I took the stairs two at a time, breathless by the time I reached the door.

"Feels nostalgic, doesn't it?" Hye Ri commented when I came up next to her.

"It does. I miss this room."

Hye Ri turned to the girl who was in the room. "Gamsahamnida," she said. "Really, this is a big help."

"It's no problem. You helped me out a lot with those news articles. Park Joon Soo-nim would have ripped my head off if I wrote another lead line across three sentences. I just wasn't getting it!"

"It's no problem."

"I better go to bed. Make sure you don't get caught, okay? I don't want to get kicked out."

"Don't worry."

The girl left the room.

Hye Ri and I quickly went about putting the girl's belongings away. After clearing it up, we began rearranging the furniture to how we had it. Lastly, I opened my backpack and pulled out our décor.

We tried to find as much of it as we had. We decorated the room as close as possible to how we had it and then stepped back, marvelling in our creation.

Right on cue, Baek Hu and Do Yun shuffled through the door, grunting as they moved.

"Aish! Why is he so heavy?" Do Yun complained.

"It's that big ego of his," Baek Hu explained.

They laid him down on the bed and held their hands to their back in pain.

"You guys go ahead, I'll finish up here and be down in ten minutes."

"Okay."

Hye Ri touched my shoulder as she passed, then closed the door behind her.

I pulled out my notebook and began writing as I looked at his sleeping body.

Please work, begged.

When I signed off my name, a thought came to mind.

Ps. My birthday is the 3rd of July.

I put the letter on the bedside table next to where he lay, kissed him on the cheek, and left the room.