Jiyoon's POV

Junhong didn't go to school the whole week. I've been worried sick. I couldn't find him anywhere. His house was my last resort but he wouldn't answer his phone. The school had no record of him officially dropping out- something I didn't expect from his parents. Maybe he was sick or something.

Months passed and there was still no sign of him. Everything remained as lifeless as it was the day he disappeared. I, too, was lifeless. Despite graduating as a valedictorian and gaining a scholarship at Korea University, I felt empty. There was no way to replace the guilt of saying those things he didn't deserve to hear.

I was in my second year of college. Many things have changed. I moved to Seoul and took on my degree. I live in a dorm now and only every now and then do I go back to Mokpo to visit my relatives. Seoul was somehow unexpected. People's lives here were a race. They never took the time to enjoy the city lights they work so hard to build. So to say, I partially forgot about Junhong. Somehow I did. College was surprisingly busy but regret still lingers in me whenever I have the time of day to remember him.

My newly found friends and I were really close. There were tons of things we found interest in. We would go out every Friday to release some of our stress. This time we went to our favorite Milk Tea shop. We always find solace there but this time, it was quite full and we would have changed our minds if it wasn't for my expiring coupon of free sinkers. We sat at our usual place and chatted to our hearts content over chicken chops and tea.

There was a point when the conversation had died down and I glanced at the table beside ours. There were six, heavily-dressed men and the youngest looking one was had his eyes at me. He looked familiar but then again, I was in Korea. Everybody has a look-a-like here. I smiled at him but he just looked at me, almost lovingly but sadly as well.

"Jiyoon-ah," Rose called me."Kajja." I gave her a nod and proceeded to go outside.

"Ya unnie! Gwaenchanha? You seem out of it." SooHee, my best friend, touched me all over playfully, even messing my hair, to see if I had a fever.

"Aigoo" I said while hitting her forehead lightly. "Why don't you get yourself checked, too, in the mental department, though." We all chuckled for a while. 

"Unnie annyeong!" Rose, SooHee, and my other friends said goodbye to me since I take a different route home. I waved them goodbye as well.

"Miss!" I looked behind as I heard a familiar voice- a voice that makes all the guilt I've worked so hard to wash away come back. I was half hoping it was Junhong. I mean, I'm not heartless- I really, really miss him. But was I ready?

I looked behind me. It was the guy from the shop. I guess it wasn't Junhong. I bowed to him politely.

"Waeyo?" He seemed taken aback.

"Y-you forgot your phone," he said.

"That's impossible. My phone is right over-" I checked my back pocket and my bag to let him see that he was mistaken but it wasn't there. "Uhm... yeah." I grabbed my phone from his hand and both of us chuckled. His height was a feet or so more than mine but I felt secure with him. He gave me a feeling that I hadn't felt for years but there was sadness in that feeling. It was hard to understand.

"Kamsahamnida." I told him with a genuine smile.

"You're welcome, Jiyoon." I was surprised.

"How do you know my name?" does the honorifics not exist to him??

"Uhm..." He seemed to panic for a moment there. "It's on your phone."

"Oh...well what's your name?"

"Ne?" He asked with real curiosity and but more surprise. Then his face looked disappointed.

"Zelo..... my name's Zelo."

"Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for returning my phone. I hope I can do you a favor in the future as well. But I really have to go. See you, okay?"

"I hope so, too." was the last thing I heard him say before I walked away.