Goodbye, First Love

“Hey, Joonmyeon, I’ll get our orders. Hot chocolate?” Hyesung offered with a grin, wrapping her sweater around her small frame. It was late November, getting colder every single day. And Hyesung still wouldn’t accept Joonmyeon’s coat, no matter how many times he offered.

Joonmyeon beamed from his seat in the café where he was pouring over his work. Although he seemed older and much more tired, he was still the same Joonmyeon. “That’d be great. Thanks, Hye,” he replied gratefully.

She leaned over and pecked his cheek swiftly. “Take a break, Joonmyeon. There’s no need to be Suho right now. It’s your day off.”

Despite him rolling his eyes playfully, he obliged, stuffing his work in his bag. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised teasingly. “Happy?”

“Very.”

She rolled her eyes right back at him, waltzing off towards the counter to claim their hot chocolate treats.

Joonmyeon shook his head with a smile, wondering to himself just how he got so lucky.

He wondered if his life had played out in the boring way life tended to do for some, he would still have been that lucky. If he’d had a normal, middle-class family, a nice apartment in the city, and he’d gone to school and graduated to major in whatever he wanted, would he still have gotten that lucky?

No, he believed he wouldn’t have.

If everything had gone quote on quote “normally,” he probably would never have met Hyesung. He would’ve become a drama major in some overseas university, probably somewhere in America. He would’ve gotten married to his high school sweetheart at an early age.

“Oh wow! Kim Joonmyeon? Is that you?”

Speak of the Devil and she shall appear.

He forced a smile onto his face as the one woman he’d hoped he’d never have to see again popped into his vision.

Choi Jinri.

But her hands were linked with someone else’s. He recognized the face, too. He was part of the same university as the two, in Joonmyeon’s year. Choi Minho, the sports star of the school.

He looked back to Jinri, who was beaming brightly. Her smile in that scenario was so much brighter than any that Joonmyeon had seen on her in their time together.

And he instantly forgave her.

She had every right to break up with him for someone else. Even if it was for one of his best friends, Byun Baekhyun, who had left her only a little while afterwards for what she’d done. Even if she’d taken his heart, stepped on it, then put it through the grinder, he forgave her.

Besides, it looked like they both had their happy endings.

“Jinri, hey.” He greeted her warmly. “Minho, nice to see you again.”

Minho seemed to recognize Joonmyeon, nodding to him and offering a smile. “Same to you, Joonmyeon. How’ve you been?” he asked politely, although a little stiffly.

A shrug was Joonmyeon’s answer. “It’s been a long year. But I’m happy. And you?”

The three made small talk for a few minutes, Joonmyeon eventually inviting the couple to sit down and join him and Hyesung, who had yet to return.

He wondered just how long it took to make a hot chocolate.

Then he remembered that it was a café in the middle of Seoul, one of the busiest buildings anyone could possibly choose as a hangout spot. He looked to the line, noting how long it was.

“You waiting for someone?” Jinri asked, following his gaze.

He nodded absently. “Yeah, my girlfriend,” he replied without thinking.

Jinri gaped. “You have a girlfriend?!” she asked happily. She seemed genuinely happy for him, beaming widely and proceeding to congratulate him over an over. Even Minho offered his own congratulations.

Joonmyeon nodded again, this time sheepishly. “Yeah. So, when did you two get together?” he asked, looking between the two.

The couple exchanged looks. Jinri answered, “Um… I guess about ten months ago?” she asked, laughing softly. “I remembered seeing him when we went to the soccer game, but meeting him again was honestly just a huge coincidence.”

Minho easily agreed. “Yeah, it really was. I was in this little karaoke lounge for open mic with a friend of mine. Jinri was there, too.” Jinri flushed. “Did you know that Jinri can sing?” he asked with his own soft laughter.

“Yeah, I did,” Joonmyeon replied. “She sings well, doesn’t she?” Minho nodded.

“Joonmyeon, I’m back! Sorry it took so long, there’s only two baristas today and the line is super long. Who’s this?” The three looked to see Hyesung, two piping hot drinks in her hands.

Joonmyeon stood immediately, taking one from her hands. “This is Jinri and her boyfriend Minho,” he replied, gesturing to the respective face.

If Hyesung recognized Jinri’s name, she didn’t say a word. She simply sat down with a pleasant smile, bowing in greeting to the two. “Nice to meet you,” she