The couple decided not to dress up as students for their visit to the school. They would enter properly, as a guest. They went to Ji Hyo’s high school first.

They went to register in the school’s office and were given visitor’s pass, which they hung around the neck. After which, they walked around the school, hand in hand, as Ji Hyo described her student life.

She brought Gary to a pine tree in the garden. It was donated by someone many years before Ji Hyo joined the school, and now, it was probably close to a hundred years old.

“I loved it a lot when I was a student,” she told him wistfully, her hands gently grazing the bark of the tree. “It gave me the impression that it is steady and firm, and able to withstand anything that comes in its way.”

“That’s how we should be like, right?” Gary asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

She let out a small, happy sigh. “To think something as old in my high school days can reverberate so much with me now…”

“I used to sit here every morning, or during breaks, you know?” she continued. “I didn’t have many friends, so while other students hung around in groups during break, I would sit under the tree, enjoying the breeze. Sometimes, I would even tell it my problem,” she added, with a small laugh.

“In the middle of my second year though, I managed to make some new friends. They would come here together with me occasionally,” she said, struggling to recall the vague memory. "But...I don’t even remember their names, I think we lost contact soon after university… oh!” she suddenly exclaimed, then started to dig at the soil.

“What’s wrong?!” Gary asked, a little shocked, but still bent down to dig at it nonetheless.

“I thing I remembered something! We buried something here, on my last day of school. We were supposed to come back in 10 years, but I think we forgot this promise,” she replied hastily.

About 15 minutes later, they found a small, wooden box. The inscriptions were nearly gone with time, but it was still usable. With hands slightly trembling with excitement, Ji Hyo opened the box.

Inside, there were a few letters, a pocket watch, a key, a MP3 player, a dollar coin, and finally, a picture of four students- two boys, two girls.

There was a letter addressed to her.

“To the future Ji Hyo,

Hello…

How are you? Or is it how am I? Haha, this is so weird, writing to the future me…

In 10 years, I wonder if you have achieved your dream. Or my dream. Even if you hadn’t yet, please don’t lose hope. I believe you still have a lot of time, right? As of now, I don’t have any dreams yet. I just want to be happy, I guess. I hope that I can be braver, so that I can try more things, and make more friends. 

You know, now I don’t really have many friends now. I am too afraid to make contact with any strangers, you know. I hope that in 10 years, I would have changed, and be more open to strangers.

Ten years is a long time, but I hope you remember the friends I/ you buried this with? I hope that in ten years, all four of you will come back to retrieve this box, but even if you lost contact, or even if you are the only one now, I hope that you still remember the precious memories we shared, like how we used to climb the trees, despite getting scolded, or how we would sneak up to the rooftop to watch the stars