Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
-Remember me? Park Jae-hoon, class president of 6th grade, 9th class at Ganghoon Elementary School. You’re Song Joo-eun, right? The moment I heard the name for the blind date, I thought of you—and it really was you.
Joo-eun felt a chill run down her spine. This man… he knew her elementary school class details.
Could it be… Park Jae-hoon? The Park Jae-hoon who served as student council president?
She hastily covered her gaping mouth with her palm.
She hadn’t attended an elementary school in Seoul—it was in Gangneung! To think she nearly met her childhood best friend at a blind date setup.
It was hard not to be amazed.
Impatient with her delayed response, another message came through.
-Hey, reply already. It’s killing me waiting. Is my name too common? Or was I that forgettable?
The image of a chubby boy pouting shyly popped into her mind, making her smile involuntarily.
Without hesitation, Joo-eun typed back.
-Really? The guy I was supposed to meet for the blind date is you, Park Jae-hoon? The principal’s son?
-You remember! Yeah, it’s me.
Suddenly, her mother’s excited ramblings about how they shared the same hometown and what a fateful connection this was made sense.
His name wasn’t particularly unique, so she never imagined it could be him.
This was what people meant when they said the world was small. She finally understood it on a visceral level.
-I’ve been wanting to see you, Joo-eun. I was really disappointed when the blind date fell through. If meeting feels too formal, why don’t we just catch up as old friends over coffee?
Joo-eun snorted softly before replying quickly—far faster than any text she’d sent Min-hyuk.
-Coffee? What are you talking about? Beer is perfect for catching up with an elementary school buddy. Let’s meet at Se-young’s chicken shop.
-Se-young? Lee Se-young?
-Yep. Just thinking about Se-young freaking out when she sees you makes me excited already.
She decided not to tell Se-young that Jae-hoon was coming. Watching her reaction would be priceless.
The mere thought brought such amusement that Joo-eun couldn’t stop bouncing on her toes.
-I’m excited too.
After receiving Jae-hoon’s reply, Joo-eun sent him the address to Se-young’s shop.
---
Right after work, Se-young headed straight to her father’s restaurant to help out. As usual, she was swamped with tasks.
“You’re here?”
Se-young greeted Joo-eun with a nod while pouring beer, and Joo-eun dropped her bag in the corner before approaching her friend.
Their greetings were casual, as if they saw each other every day despite rarely keeping in touch. They acted like an old married couple.
“Which tables?”
“Table 1 and Table 9.”
“Got it.”
Effortlessly delivering beers and taking orders, Joo-eun moved around the space like a pro.
“Father. One half-and-half order.”
“Oh, Joo-eun’s here?”
Se-young’s father, busy bustling between the kitchen and dining area, greeted her warmly.
“You’re doing well?”
“Of course! Hoho.”
Thank goodness. Hearing earlier that he’d been unconscious for two hours had nearly stopped her heart.
She hoped he’d stay healthy forever.
Smiling, Joo-eun took a seat.
“What about your director? Are you alone today?”
“Why do you always bring him up whenever you see me?”
“It’s because you keep insisting you’re ‘just acquaintances.’ Sounds like denial to me.”
“What are you even saying…”
Trying to hide her embarrassment, Joo-eun gulped down her cold beer.
“Can’t you invite him today?”
“He’s busy. And I can’t exactly order him around.”
“Busy? That sounds so distant. Didn’t you two share a bed already?”
Pfft!
Beer sprayed from Joo-eun’s mouth.
With a mischievous grin, Se-young handed over some napkins with exaggerated gestures.
“Surprised, customer?”
“Wh-what are you talking about…”
“That night, didn’t you go to his office and sleep there? Stop pretending.”
She thought he’d been asleep the whole time—how did he know?!
Joo-eun gawked, flustered.
“You… knew?”
“You sneaky thing. Even with me and Secretary Byun around, I didn’t expect you to jump into action like that. Did you enjoy it?”
“No, no! I got the room wrong. I only slept—just slept!”
At that exact moment, the chatter in the noisy restaurant abruptly died down.
Every eye turned toward her, silently asking, “Really?”
These nosy customers…
“Enough talk, get back to work, Lee Se-young…”
Joo-eun snapped irritably, her words muffled by gritted teeth.
“If you have even a shred of pity for your poor friend working like an ox, call Director Min-hyuk and invite him over. Bonus points if Secretary Byun tags along.”
So that was her plan?
Joo-eun squinted suspiciously at her friend’s retreating figure.
Just then, the doorbell jingled, and a familiar yet strange face entered the shop.
Joo-eun’s eyes widened slowly.
Se-young was equally stunned.
“Mommy…!”
Flailing her arms dramatically, Se-young looked like she might faint.
Standing head and shoulders taller than Se-young, Jae-hoon grinned and greeted them.
“Hi.”
“You… you…”
Even from behind, it was obvious Se-young’s head was bobbing up and down rapidly as she blatantly scanned him.
“Park Jae-hoon.”
“That’s right, Park Jae-hoon! From Ganghoon Elementary School!”
“It really is Lee Se-young. Nice to see you.”
“You knew I was here…?”
“Yeah.”
“How…? Why…?”
Looking at Se-young’s slightly panicked expression, Jae-hoon smirked.
“Joo-eun told me.”
His gaze shifted past Se-young to where Joo-eun sat.
Only then did Se-young slowly turn her head to follow his line of sight, her brow furrowing.
“Wait, you two were in contact?”
“For the first time today.”
What reason would they have to exchange numbers? Her eyes darted busily, full of unspoken questions.
“I’ll go say hi.”
“Uh, sure…”
Before Se-young could finish responding, Jae-hoon strode confidently toward Joo-eun.
“Nice to see you, Song Joo-eun.”
“Hi…”
Joo-eun slowly stood as he extended his hand.
She had been thrilled and excited to reunite with her childhood classmate, but now she felt oddly tense.
Perhaps it was his drastically changed demeanor.
The once-short boy now towered over her, his sharp eyes unfamiliar.
Awkwardly shaking his hand, Joo-eun flinched at the firm grip.
---
“To our reunion!”
Following Se-young’s cheer, thick glasses clinked together in the center.
Any initial awkwardness melted away quickly.
The three of them soon fell into easy conversation, with Se-young especially animated.
“Wow, seriously—you two were set up for a blind date?”
“Yep.”
“If the setup hadn’t fallen through, imagine how amazing that would’ve been. Ugh, what a shame!”
“I agree. I was pretty disappointed.”
Jae-hoon glanced at Joo-eun as he spoke, as if asking if she felt the same way.
Meanwhile, she simply nodded while popping corn kernels into her mouth.
Chuckling wistfully, Jae-hoon raised his glass.
“So, how many years has it been since we last saw each other?”
Still swallowing gulps of beer, Jae-hoon wiped his lips with the back of his hand after answering Se-young’s question.
“We occasionally bumped into each other in the neighborhood until your family moved to Seoul, so maybe seven or eight years?”
“Right. Our town was so small; we kept crossing paths on the same streets. Ah, memories. Right, Joo-eun?”
“Yeah, especially at the convenience store where boys and girls from nearby high schools used to hang out.”
Lost in nostalgia, Joo-eun murmured softly, prompting Se-young to exclaim, “Oh yeah!”
“That’s right! Rumor had it that place had the highest sales in Gangneung. With nowhere else to go after school, everyone stopped by. So nostalgic…”
“Indeed.”
Joo-eun smiled and nodded.
The friendships, romances, and memories born there seemed even more beautiful and sacred now that they couldn’t return to those days.
Watching her reminisce, Jae-hoon spoke.
“You two haven’t changed a bit.”
Their girlish sentimentality remained intact, transporting him back to those times just by being around them.
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
Se-young narrowed her eyes teasingly, causing Jae-hoon to chuckle.
“A compliment, of course.”
“You’ve changed a lot though. Also a compliment! You’ve become super handsome. I’d totally glance back if I passed you on the street.”
“Still as funny as ever, Lee Se-young.”
“Oh come on, I’m serious! You don’t believe me?”
“Really? Am I that much better-looking now, Joo-eun?”
Jae-hoon locked eyes with her as he asked. Startled, she looked up belatedly.
“Huh? Oh… yeah. I was shocked. You were still pretty chubby in high school, weren’t you?”
“The unbelievable case of losing weight in college—me.”
“You’ve succeeded, alright.”
Se-young gave him a thumbs-up.
“Well, if I pass next week’s mid-career recruitment test, I’ll feel like I’ve truly succeeded.”
“What company? Don’t bother telling us if it’s lame.”
“Kimphul.”
“Kimphul? The American company Kimphul? Wow… Ganghoon Elementary sure produced someone impressive!”
“I’m currently at Apex.”
“Whoa… I might faint. I knew you were smart, but not this scale. Eat up, everything’s on the house tonight. Just one favor—set me up on a blind date. Seeing Song Joo-eun dating lately has been unbearable. Help me step up my game.”
“Stop it. Dating? What dating?”
Joo-eun playfully nudged Se-young’s arm and raised her glass.
Her life felt like walking on thin ice these days. Dating? She hadn’t even done anything proper, yet she constantly faced suspicion. It all felt so unfair.
Then Jae-hoon’s voice cut through softly.
“Are you seeing someone…?”
There was a hint of regret in his tone.
“…Huh?”
Caught off guard, Joo-eun froze with her glass halfway to her lips.
Google Sites
Report abuse