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『 year 2022 - present 』
If he's still alive, I'll certainly make a point to ask him how life has treated him. It may seem like a trivial question, but I'm genuinely interested in his journey. I wonder if he has found new love, and I genuinely hope he has. If not, I sincerely wish for him to have a happy and fulfilling life. His Hye-ryeong would undoubtedly want nothing more than his happiness, even if it's without her.
However, I'm perplexed by the intense reaction I had when he departed. In that moment, an unexplainable surge of frustration washed over me, leaving me contemplating if he had left something behind for me to feel, remember, or comprehend.
On another note, I'm quite curious about his younger half-brother.
Fingers halted their movement on the laptop's keyboard, fixed on the blinking vertical line. Eventually, they relaxed and reached for a chocolate snack bar beside an empty cup. The slender hand tore it open and took a large bite. The eyes scanned the words on the electronic white sheet, repeatedly reading them.
The author's concentration broke when a sweet, familiar voice called out, "baby, your bun-bun is here!" A man with a muscular physique approached the table, his brows unconsciously creasing. Taking a seat across from his partner, he noticed her staring at him with a hint of reproach. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, removing his black facemask from his ears.
"'Baby!'" She mimicked his earlier tone, making an unflattering face. "You don't need to be so loud."
He pouted. "Did I distract you?"
"Obviously!" she exclaimed, taking another bite of chocolate. "Why did it take you so long to come? I've been waiting to eat together," she scolded, her mouth full.
A wide smile spread across his face. "If you know, you know."
"To the gym again?"
"Yup!"
She glared at him after glancing at the time on her laptop. "You're over thirty minutes late. Ugh! I'm famished!"
"But I told you to eat first."
"What's the point of going on a date with a boyfriend, then?" she grumbled, frowning.
Her boyfriend gave her a mischievous grin. "Aw-goo-goo, our Hye-ryeong is adorable when she's mad," he said, standing up and playfully squeezing her cheeks.
Hye-ryeong couldn't help but squirm. She tried in vain to push his hands away. "Wonho-yah, you're squeezing too hard!" she grumbled.
Only then did Wonho release his grip. Instead of feeling guilty, he wore an even bigger smile. He smoothed her disheveled hair and patted her head. "You're so cute today," he said, his grin unabated.
"Shut up!"
"You should wear the glasses more often. That new octagon frame suits you." Wonho used his fingers to mimic a rectangle. "Aww! There's a stylish fashionista in my frame."
His girlfriend shot him a glare, but he remained unfazed. Wonho knew how hunger affected her mood, and he enjoyed teasing her.
Then Hye-ryeong threw a fit. "I'm starving!"
"Alright, alright," he laughed. "What do you want to eat?"
Wonho's smile widened as he saw Hye-ryeong's beam. She replied, "sweet and sour pork!"
"So, sweet and sour pork it is?" Wonho asked, grinning, and Hye-ryeong nodded. "Alright! I'll go prepare some baby food." He turned away but quickly turned back to kiss her forehead. With a smile, he walked away, leaving Hye-ryeong bewildered.
As she watched her boyfriend happily march to the back of the restaurant, the woman let out an exasperated breath. Then she noticed his cousins, Chae Hyungwon and Kim Namjoon, staring at her with narrowed eyes, nodding knowingly.
Hye-ryeong could tell they had been observing them. Despite sitting in a secluded corner of the establishment to avoid drawing attention, it seemed their interaction had caught the interest of her boyfriend's cousins. She felt relieved that there were fewer customers in the afternoon; otherwise, she would have faced more embarrassment.
**********
A few days after the incident seven years ago, she began
visiting Seokjin's restaurant more frequently, trying different dishes every day until she had sampled everything. At first, she had doubts about why she kept returning. Yet, whenever she left the restaurant, she felt a sense of longing. It seemed absurd to miss someone she had only met a few times.
She started coming for lunch and dinner after college hours, and it caught Shin Wonho's attention. He found it intriguing that she would try every dish on the menu and then continue ordering the same one.
To Wonho, kimchi fried rice became synonymous with her visits. He made a note of her order every day until he was confident enough to serve her kimchi fried rice without her having to request it. He remembered her surprise when a beautifully presented plate of the dish arrived at her table without her ordering it.
Hye-ryeong was moved to speechlessness upon seeing it. Wonho was about to ask about her choice of drink when she simply replied, "Water is fine."
"Then..." Wonho hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Water is self-service."
She responded, "I know."
"T-then, um..." Wonho stumbled over his words until Hye-ryeong interrupted him with a sentence. She said, "Thank you."
"Oh, yes!" Wonho was initially reluctant to leave, but he pushed himself to ask, "Is there anything else you'd like?"
"No. If I need anything, I'll call you."
They both silently promised that if they ever had children, they would share the story of "how I met your father/mother."
Since then, Wonho eagerly anticipated her arrival at the restaurant. After his shifts, they would talk. Their relationship as customer and restaurant employee grew closer with each passing day.
Meanwhile, Hye-ryeong had grown accustomed to her grief and sought solace in dining at the restaurant, seeking a new environment to complete her work. Her house no longer felt like a home after the incident. Rearranging furniture proved futile, and adding new decorations only dampened her spirits. She tried not to complain about her futile efforts to find happiness, but she couldn't escape the gloomy atmosphere that engulfed her on most days.
When Wonho initiated conversations, Hye-ryeong welcomed him into her world with open arms. Their conversations grew deeper with each passing day. She later discovered that Shin Wonho was one of Kim Seokjin's grandchildren. Based on what Wonho shared, she confirmed that Seokjin had a son and two daughters.
It was embarrassing when she ended up crying in front of Wonho. His mention of his grandfather had triggered an emotional response in her. Thankfully, being a girl, she managed to escape the embarrassment by attributing her tears to her menstrual cycle. Wonho understood and excused himself to prepare something that would make her feel better, despite her insistence that it was unnecessary.
She remembered Wonho returning with a sweet, hot cocoa drink, and she smiled gratefully, saying, "I have an older sister, so I understand." She felt guilty about the lie, but it served as a convenient cover for the fact that the young Seokjin had time-traveled to their generation.
Every day felt special to both of them. It was as if a flower garden blossomed within them, accompanied by butterflies fluttering in their stomachs every time they laid eyes on each other. The rain in their world could never dampen the sun in their setting. Warmth was always present, except for the occasional disagreements, which they quickly reconciled.
And then, one day...
"I... I like – no, I mean –" the person confessing stammered, their throat dry.
"I'm in love with you."
(1354 words)