Myungsoo is at his third cup of coffee when he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He stretches his hands after having been working on his case study for hours now in order to meet the deadline before reaching for the phone. He swipes his finger on the screen and presses it against his ear without even peeking at the caller ID. It’s probably Minhwan anyway, calling for the thirteenth time in the past few hours to check on him in case he falls asleep in the middle of his work.

“Hello?”

But it isn’t his best friend. The voice is sweet and soft and tender and he always forgets how much he misses listening to it until he hears it again. He doesn’t need to check the caller ID to recognize the way she says his name and how she makes it sound like it’s the most beautiful name in the world (he thinks her name is the most beautiful name in the world)―he can identify it anywhere at any time in a heartbeat.

“Who are you?”

“Who are you?” he shot back.

“I, uh, I’m the owner of the phone you’re using right now.”

“Oh, okay. I’m the person who found the phone.”

“I see. Are you, um, are you free right now? Because I need to use the phone because I’m expecting calls from my group mates because we have this project due tomorrow and I can’t finish it without meeting them because I don’t remember their numbers and I don―”

“Do you know the staircase that leads to the rooftop? I’ll wait for you there.”

It went on from there like how it does in the movies and chick-lit novels. He waited for her at the promised spot and she found him without much difficulty (except that she mistook the staircase for another staircase at the other side of the building and ended up going up and down over and over before realizing that it doesn’t lead to the rooftop like he explained).

“You must be the owner of the phone,” Myungsoo says when she approaches him with a pretty much frantic expression on her face.

“You must be the person who found the phone,” she returns, trying to smile but when he hands her the phone, she almost snatches it and checks literally everything.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t look over your photos nor did I read your messages. I just went through your music folder and I must say you have a good taste in music.”

She stared at him and wondered if she should be mad over the fact that he did go through her stuff or be flattered by his compliment. In the end she only smiled and thanked him for returning her phone.

“No problem, Miss Owner-Of-The-Phone,” he beamed.

The corners of her lips curled upwards before a laugh escaped from . “It’s Suzy.”

“Suzy,” he repeated, as if trying to listen to the sound of her name on his tongue. “Nice to meet you, Suzy. I’m Mr. Finder-Of-The-Phone.”

Suzy laughed again and this time, he felt butterflies in his stomach because he never thought someone could look this pretty laughing.

“My name’s Myungsoo,” he finally said.

It turned out that Myungsoo had saved her number beforehand and he continued to call her every night, sometimes during the day especially on the weekends, and most of the times they never talked about anything important. He would ask her to tell him about her day, if there was anyone strange in her classes and if her lecturers were any fun because his were mostly boring. Some days he would wait for her outside the school gate and take her on a food adventure around the neighborhood (or outside, when they ran out of new stalls and restaurants to discover). At some points Suzy grew used to his phonecalls and their adventures but they never discussed anything more than pointless issues.

“I have a crush on you, Bae Suzy,” he blurted out too casually one night over the phone. She almost fell out of the bed hearing his sudden confession and for once was thankful that they were on phone so he couldn’t see her face. She was trying to come up with a reply but he interrupt before she could think of any. “There’s no need for an answer. At least not yet.  Get a good night’s sleep and tell me whenever you’re ready.”

Suzy never gave him her answer, but Myungsoo didn’t really mind because he was content with only liking her, and she enjoyed the chase. Years passed by without their relationship progressing into anything more than being admirer/admire, and a week after graduation she called him for the first time. She wasn’t accepted into the university she had wanted and he let her cry on his shoulder.

In September they parted ways but he continued to phone her every night still. Sometimes she fell asleep in the middle of their conversations. Once or twice they both fell asleep, and in the morning Myungsoo would rant about his phone bills but that did not stop him from calling her. They met up during the holidays and when they did, they would relive their old ritual and go on food adventures around the area. When night fell, they would be on the phone again and talk and talk and talk until there was nothing left to talk about.

“Myungsoo? Still there?”

Myungsoo snaps out from his trance and returns to the present time where he is sitting facing his laptop with his work not yet done and his phone pressed to his ear. The setting seems too familiar but he is older now, they both are and years have gone by since he first heard her voice on the phone. “Yes? Sorry, I was thinking about something.”

“What’re you doing?”

He shrugs although he’s perfectly aware that she can see it. “Just doing my work.”

“Since when are you so hardworking? I thought you’re always slacking off and pretends homework doesn’t exist until the very last minute.”

“This is the result of slacking off and pretending homework, or should I say work now, doesn’t exist until the very last minute.” He hears her chuckling over the phone and smiles. Leaning back on the chair, he stares out of the window and watches the passersby. “So what’s up, Suzy?”

“I’m just calling to make sure that you’ve received my invitation. Have you?”

“What invitat―ah, that? Yes, I did receive it.”

“You’ll be there, right? At the wedding?”

The corners of his lips curl and he suddenly recalls the way hers did the first time they met. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world.”

“I’m glad.” There’s a genuine happiness in her tone, and he can imagine the smile on her face from miles away.

Myungsoo looks up at the vast blue sky outside and gazes at one particular cloud. “You know Suzy, you never answered my question.”

She pauses before responding, and he knows that she knows what he means. “Does it matter now?” she asks.

“I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not.”

He hears her sigh on the other end of the line. “Do you believe in parallel universe, Myungsoo?”

“Why?”

“Maybe in that parallel universe I did give my answer, and maybe you are the one I’m marrying.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Thanks for liking me, Mr. Finder-Of-The-Phone.”

“Thanks for letting me, Miss Owner-Of-The-Phone.”

Fate is not their side, he thinks, because it’s almost too natural how they drifted apart although they never actually had a fight. It took them a while to come to terms with the fact that they both have grown up and matured, and that as time passed it was not as easy to keep up with each other’s life and accept the changes as it used to be. He still liked her all the same, he still does, and she still enjoyed the chase but it was time to move on and she was the first to initiate it.

Myungsoo finishes the remains of his coffee and types the final sentences. His phone vibrates again and this time it’s Minhwan, but he doesn’t feel like talking so he sends his friend a text message instead.

“More coffee, sir?”

He looks up to find a girl―the waitress― standing next to him with a coffee pot in her hand. He smiles and shakes his head lightly. “No, thanks. I’ve had enough coffee for the day.”

“I thought so, too, but it’s my job to ask,” she smiles back.

He notices the way her doe eyes curve into crescents and how her full cheeks complete her face and make her look so young. He thinks she’s pretty―not like Suzy’s way of pretty but still pretty regardless, and he thinks that is a good start.