Softener [OT23] (updating)

♡ 35 ♡

in a small town nestled in the countryside, there were two childhood friends who only met during one's school holiday. they had grown up together, playing in the woods, swimming in the river, and exploring the hills around their homes. one summer day, they decided to climb the old chimney of a long-gone cabin deep in the woods.

just a bit away from the cherry trees were the standing chimney of some long-gone cabin, sturdy enough to climb to the top, and large enough for two or three people to sit on top of it. the view wasn't too great from the chimney top, but the urge to climb was too fun to resist.

the chimney stood tall and sturdy, but its bricks were weathered and worn, and the moss that grew on them made it slippery. the girl was a bit hesitant at first, but the boy encouraged her to try. he found a foothold and a handhold for her, thus she managed to climb up to his level. together, they slowly made their way up to the top of the chimney, where they sat down and looked out at the beautiful view.

from up there, they could see the river winding through the valley, the fields of wheat and corn swaying in the breeze, and the distant mountains rising against the blue sky. both of them talked about their dreams and aspirations, about where they wanted to go in life, and what they wanted to achieve. the boy had always admired the girl's intelligence, her kindness, and her adventurous spirit. as they talked, he realized that he had developed a crush on her.

suddenly, the girl interrupted their conversation, pulling out two small objects from her pocket. " i want to make a promise with you, " she said, holding out a small crystal pendant. " i'll keep this, and you keep this, " she continued, handing the boy a small wooden bead. " we'll keep them safe and remember this moment, no matter where we go in life. "

the boy nodded, his heart beating fast. he had never felt so close to the girl before, and he didn't want the moment to end. they hugged each other tightly, feeling the warmth of each other's bodies. the boy could smell the sweet scent of the girl's hair, and he felt a rush of emotion that he had never felt before.

as they climbed back down the chimney, they exchanged glances and smiles, feeling a newfound sense of closeness. they walked back to their homes together, holding hands and talking about the memories they had created that day. from that day on, sungchan and sofia remained the best of friends, always holding on to the small mementos they had exchanged on top of the chimney.

both sungchan and sofia used to do everything together - play games, explore the neighborhood, and have picnics in the park. however, as they grew up, they both went to different schools and began to lost touch, especially because sungchan is one year younger than sofia.

years later, sungchan was trying his best to pass sofia's university exam, he wanted to meet her. spending time together at the university as his motivation. through his social media feed, he eagerly messaged sofia and they soon caught up on each other's lives. sungchan was ecstatic when sofia agreed to meet up with him at their favorite park.

on the day of the meet-up, sungchan was a bundle of nerves. " i'm so nervous to meet her today. " he couldn't wait to see sofia again and catch up on all the things they had missed over the years. when he arrived at the park, he saw sofia sitting on a bench, looking just as excited as he was. " noona! " they hugged each other tightly, feeling the warmth of their long friendship.

as they walked around the park, they talked and laughed about their old memories. the boy suggested they grab some sandwiches from their favorite cafe, and the older eagerly agreed. while they were eating, sungchan remembered a gift she had given him at the chimney when they were kids. it was the same crystal pendant he received that day. he was a bit hesitant to show it to her, as he wasn't sure if she would remember it.

to his surprise, sofia had no recollection of the precious bracelet. she felt bad that she didn't remember it and apologized to sungchan but he said, " it's fine, noona, it's been so long since you gave this to me as well. " he tried to reassure her that it didn't matter and that he was already happy just by spending time with her.

they continued their walk, enjoying the beauty of the park and the warmth of each other's company. " i hope you the best for the university exam! " she exclaimed before the two of them separately leave.

when sofia returned home, she felt guilty for forgetting about sungchan's gift. she searched her old boxes and finally found a green pendant. she immediately messaged sungchan to apologize again and promised to bring it the next time they meet. she sent the boy some photos regarding the bracelet as well.

sungchan was touched by sofia's gesture and felt grateful for their friendship. he knew that no matter how much time had passed, their bond was still as strong as ever.

just as sofia was about to rest, he received a call from jaehyun. she rolled her eyes, thinking what else this person might've asked. as much as she hated to admit it, she still missed him and was hoping for him to reach her after that sudden date.

" hi sofia... " jaehyun voice was raspy, the girls trembled just by hearing his voice.

this millionaire named jaehyun who lived a lavish and extravagant lifestyle had everything he could ever want, from luxurious cars to private jets, but he always felt something was missing. despite his wealth, he had never experienced the simple joys of life.

the man also missed sofia. as much as his brain despised the situation, his heart shouted different things. after that date, he was trying to distance himself to prevent him from falling even more. but everything has their own time, including the man's patience to hold himself back from seeing sofia. he had enough of it.

sofia was a kind and down-to-earth girl who enjoyed simple pleasures, very different from jaehyun. he remembered that she liked street food and arcade games, at least that's what she told her during their last dinner weeks ago. jaehyun was intrigued by her way of life, and he wanted to experience it for himself that night.

" are you for real? " the girl replied on the phone, " you could've asked your servant to do this, why bother me!? " she sounded pissed but jaehyun decided to laugh it off.

" don't you understand? i miss you. i can't take you off my mind ever since that date we had. " his sudden statement brought butterflies inside the girl's stomach, he didn't expect jaehyun to actually say that he missed her first. plus, he didn't sound arrogant at all.

" get ready in ten minutes, i'll be waiting in my car in front of your house. "