The quaint little cafe was bathed in the soft glow of sunlight, casting a warm and welcoming atmosphere inside. Hwang Eunbi sat by the window, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup, her gaze flitting between the swirls of steam rising from the dark brew and the bustling street outside. The cafe was adorned with vintage furniture and delicate potted plants, a serene backdrop to the cacophony of life beyond the glass.

She couldn't help but feel slightly anxious as she sat there, her heart drumming a rapid beat in her chest. Her gaze kept darting toward the cafe door, anticipation and uncertainty mixing in her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure how the day would unfold, and the idea of this meeting had both excited and frightened her.

Suddenly, the jingling of the bell above the door announced a new arrival, and SinB's heart skipped a beat. She looked up, and there she was—.

"Sojung-"

"Eunbi..."

Their names were both said in unison and their eyes locked for a fleeting moment, a shared recognition that neither of them had expected to meet again, let alone here.

With a mixture of longing and nostalgia, Sojung gracefully took her seat across from Eunbi. It was a scene laced with sentiment, words unspoken but emotions laid bare in their eyes, and the world around them seemed to blur as they settled into this unexpected reunion.

"Eun- SinB" Sojung was the first one to speak, her words were soft, yet wary. "I- How have you been.."

Was this really the same infamous Kim Sojung, Hwang Eunbi has worked tirelessly for?

The CEO in front of her had never once stuttered or done anything of the sort when SinB had been by her side.

Oh how the times have changed...

"Good." SinB paused to take a sip of her coffee, searching for the appropriate words. "Actually, it's a lot better than it had been" She set her cup down, contemplating a way to steer their meetings back to a more comfortable and professional footing. This new dynamic was unfamiliar, quite unlike their past interactions, which had been a blend of professionalism and carefree camaraderie.

"Eun-"

"Sojung, are you sure you don't want to get your coffee first? I can order if you'd like. I don't think I could ever forget your unique coffee order. It's a full sentence that's stuck in the back of my head; I think I've memorized it by muscle memory."

That invited a chuckle to come out from Sojung as it did wonders to ease the initial tight tension that surrounded them earlier.

With shoulders now lighter and face with a small smile that SinB had missed more than she would like to admit, the taller woman shifted her head to one side and pulled back her hair.

"No, I think It's time to move away from coffee; I'm at the age now where I definitely should be looking after my health more."

Oh how the times have changed indeed.

"Is this the same caffeine-induced CEO I once knew? Who ever are you, Kim Sojung?"

"I think I liked it better when you referred to me as Ma'am more."

"No longer in my list of requirements unfortunately."

Yeah... that was more like it, the small jabs and banters... that was their entire relationship after all.

"But really SinB" Sojung continued "How have you really been, I won't lie, I didn't expect you to reside so close by."

"This is my home, I knew I was always going to come back to it."

"Come back?" Sojung inquired, intrigued by the notion.

"Believe it or not, I went away—for nine months, I travelled all over the place. You know me, I could never let anything get me down for long."

Sojung hadn't anticipated this revelation. SinB had always expressed a desire to travel, but given the recent circumstances, it was a pleasantly surprising turn of events. Happiness flickered in Sojung's eyes.

"Don't get me wrong, Sojung," SinB continued, a more serious tone settling in. "It was definitely tough at first. But I met someone, a friend actually, just before the whole... ordeal, I suppose. She was a lot of help. In fact, she's the one who suggested I change my name. She's a police officer, so I ended up taking her advice."

Sojung's gaze dropped to her hands, a hint of shame coloring her expression. She understood what SinB meant by the "ordeal," realizing the depth of the challenges that must have driven the girl to resort to such drastic measures.

"SinB..." She finally said, letting that name roll off her tongue before a small yet slightly saddened smile made its way to her face. "It suits you."

"You think so?"

"You were always quite a mystery to me, the way you behaved and all."

"Says you!" SinB's eccentric laugh radiated through the whole cafe, as her hand lightly slapped Sojung's arm "I could never understand how your mood swings worked." 

It was heartening to witness SinB's smile once again, but within that moment, Sojung couldn't shake the feeling of remorse—for everything that transpired, for the situation that should never have unfolded under her watch.

The younger woman seemed to sense Sojung's conflicting emotions. As their eyes met, SinB transitioned quickly from laughter to a more serious tone. "It wasn't your fault, Sojung. I've moved on from thinking about it. You should too. I truly don't