Min Ho was sitting in his usual coffee shop, his right hand playing with the glass holding his favorite drink, iced mocha.  He intently stared out the window from the second story café, watching the golden red leaves on the sidewalk lined trees move gracefully with the wind.  He smiled at a young couple in their early twenties, walking down Garosu-gil their entwined hands swinging front and back.  If only he arrived to the airport before 6, if only he found Shin Hye, if only he knew where she went, if only he could turn back time.  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back frustrated with at all the what if, could if and should have scenarios that ran through his mind whenever he thought of her and their past.

Clock…clock…clock…

His ears perked up at the familiar sound of a pair of heels walking towards his direction.  She pulled the chair out opposite to him and quietly sat down without making any noises.

‘Anneyong, Min Ho ah’ she faintly whispered using all her courage.

‘Anneyong, long time no see’ he calmly spoke, eyes still tightly closed.  He began to ponder how they would be able to hold a friendly conversation after all they’ve been through.

‘I know you might not want to see me, but I just wanted to come by and say hi’

‘As long as we’re seeing each other as friends and nothing more, I’m always happy to see you Min Young.’ Min Ho fluttered open his eyelids

His eyes were no longer warm and inviting, Min Young could sense that they were lost and depressed.

‘Congratulations on the success of your film’ she smiled hoping it would brighten his mood.

‘Gwamo, congratulations on your drama, you got some good reviews.  Any upcoming projects?’

‘Maybe another drama or movie, I’m still trying to decide.  And you?’ she noticed the awkward banter between the two of them.  He seemed more reserved and distant.

‘Ani, I’m planning on enlisting.  I suppose it’s time’ he closed his eyes and let out a loud sigh. 

After his failed attempt to prove Shin Hye wrong in Paris, he returned to Seoul that night she selfishly left him.  He spent the next month crashing and burning with Ill Woo by his side.  He partied every day for one month straight and fooled around with a different woman every night to get back at her for breaking his heart.  He finally gave in and realized that no matter how much alcohol, nicotine and women he injected into his system to help him forget her, she was always there silently creeping up in the back of his mind reminding him of the happy moments they spent together.    

‘Min Young ah, please don’t tell anyone.  I plan on doing it secretly.  I just want to be normal for once’ he sighed again, silently pondering about how nice it would be if he was a regular guy who met a regular girl, things would not be as complicated as they are now.

‘Your secret is safe with me’ she bit her lip, hesitating if she should ask the looming question she’s been asking herself over the past few months since their last encounter.

‘Min Ho ah, are you ok? Are you and Shin Hye ok?’

****************

‘Sarah! Over here!’ Park Shin Hye’s roommate, Grace, waved her hand high in the air.

‘Thanks for getting us a table, its so nice out I wish I can stay in LA forever.’ Shin Hye brightly smiled as she took in the bright sun rays.

‘No problem, I was meeting another classmate here earlier so it was easy.  Did you get all your books?’

‘Yep, they’re all in here’ Shin Hye took out her ipad from her tote bag and tapped on it.  ‘It’s so nice that they are all electronic format.  I don’t have to carry around the hard copies in my bag and break my back.  If only schools in Seoul could do this, that would’ve made my life 100 times easier.’

‘What?! You guys don’t have ebooks in Seoul? Isn’t it like one of the most tech advance cities in the world? For heaven’s sake Samsung is from there!’ Grace began to ramble off her thoughts like she normally does when she becomes passionate about something.

‘We’re old school in Seoul, we like to feel the pages turn.’ Shin Hye giggled at her chessy rebuttal ‘I’ll see you back at the apartment, I need to go to my script writing class.’

‘Have fun! Enjoy you’re first class of the year!’ Grace waved as Shin Hye began to walk towards the Cinema building ‘Don’t forget to look out for hot actors for me!’

Shin Hye shook her head and