He could feel her curious gaze burning into his skin.

“You know, out of all the possible scenarios that had been running through my head, meeting you like this is not exactly what I had in mind.” she casually remarked, fingers tapping lazily on one of the formica table tops of the 24-hour convenience store they were in.

“Why?” The chopsticks paused briefly in midair, cocking a playful eyebrow at her before resuming to wolf down his cup of soggy noodles like there’s no tomorrow. “You didn’t think I would come back, did you?”

“Of course I did,” Pulip huffed almost indignantly as she eyed him critically with a small frown. “I just didn’t expect it to be as random as this.”

“I hope you weren’t imagining something dramatic. This isn’t a banjun or a makjang drama.” The offhanded comment earned him a smack on the shoulder.

“Be quiet!” Pulip was quick to scold him, which seemingly only served to prove his statement.

“And slow down before you choke on your food,” she reflexively added, and nudged an unopened bottle of water in his direction. “When did you get back again?”

Tossing the now-empty cup into the nearest trash bin, Baek Hyun proceeded to open the offered drink and took a generous gulp.

“Just today,” he supplied, finally turning his full attention to the girl in front of him. It has been a while since he last saw her and he took the opportunity to take a good a look at his old friend.

A thoughtful looked passed on his face.

Same warm smile, same crinkly frown; she looked just like how he last saw her years ago, except that this time, Pulip was looking more mature.

And pretty.

Pulip was always pretty, Baek Hyun reminded himself, but he wondered what else he had possibly missed all those years that he has been gone.

“You grew out your hair,” Baek Hyun observed lightly with a smile, mindlessly reaching out to brush his fingers on her hair before he could stop himself. “It looks nice on you.”

“Yah, are you saying my hair didn’t look nice before?”

“When did I say that?” He chuckled off the mock glare she was sending his way. “Stop putting words into my mouth. You always looked nice to me.”

Pulip waved him off with a roll of her eyes, although Baek Hyun could swear he saw the slightest shade of crimson tinting her cheeks.

“So, how have you been doing?” He took another swig of his bottled drink, swiftly shifting topics before he could further embarrass the two of them and make this reunion more awkward than it should have been.

“I’m doing just fine, relatively speaking. I mean, I’m not living a life of luxury, but I do get by,” Pulip gamely answered, as if thoroughly relieved at the diversion. She gave him a careless shrug. “I’ve been taking side jobs here and there lately.”

“Is that why you’re lugging that thing around?” Baek Hyun pointed to the expensive-looking camera strapped on her neck - the one which he almost caused her to break less than an hour ago.

“Yeah. I-uh, I have a job later tonight.”

“I see.” He paused in hesitation, but Pulip could practically hear the succeeding question hanging at the tip of his lips. “And, um, how about the others? Bong Goo? Chan Doo? Hyun Jung? Are they all doing good?”

“Everything’s changed, Baek Hyun-ah.” Shoulders sagging forward, Pulip’s voice unexpectedly turned soft and quiet. “People don’t always stay the way they are.”

Baek Hyun slowly nodded in comprehension. He expected the warning just as much.  

“Bong Goo is running an animal clinic now, though he still helps in his parents’ restaurant from time to time.

“Hyun Jung‘s been getting really popular ever since she won that prestigious award for one of her paintings a couple of years ago.

“And Chan Doo…” Her voice trailed off. If possible, her expression turned even more pensive. “Chan Doo’s actually doing really well right now. CF deals, concerts, movies… He’s one of today’s biggest stars.”

He remained speechless for a few seconds while he tried to wrap his mind around the magnitude of Pulip’s revelations.

“Do you… still meet each other?”

“We do, but… everything’s changed,” she repeated. Biting her lip, Pulip let out a sigh. “I think it would be better for you to see for yourself.”

* * * *

“What are we doing here again?”

Pulip inwardly cringed at Baek Hyun’s barely-concealed irritation.

“I already told you; I’m working tonight,” she calmly answered. Pulip was well-aware that she was risking getting his ire by convincing him to come with her tonight, but she figured that an opportunity like this would be hard to come by again in the near future, at the very least.

And either way, he was bound to find out about it himself come tomorrow morning.

“Mwoh?! Did you just dragged me to keep you company while you do your job?” He incredulously asked, earning them more than a few curious glances from the sizeable crowd they were currently in the middle of.

“There’s no better time than now to see this,” Pulip dejectedly murmured under her breath. She pulled him closer to the makeshift metal fence and shot him a reassuring – and almost pleading – look. “I’ll let you go after. Just wait for a while, arasseo?”

* * * *

Half an hour into the madness and Baek Hyun was just about ready to give up.

Getting pushed around by strangers and blinded by the constant camera flashes while strangers in nice suits and dresses walked the red carpet was not how he expected his first night back in Korea to end.  

Once again, Baek Hyun tugged on Pulip’s arm to let her know that was leaving, but the sight of the latest person to emerge stopped him short.

“Pulip-ah, is that really – ”

“Chan Doo,” she quietly finished for him, tentatively raising her camera to take pictures of the strapping young man in a suit who just stepped into the carpet amidst the screaming from fans and spectators alike.

“That’s him alright,” Pulip continued, briefly lowering her camera to address the shocked-looking Baek Hyun. “This is the red carpet premiere of his latest movie. Like I said, he’s really big star now. His movie’s expected to be a blockbuster hit among the public.”

The words were barely registering in his mind before another figure stepped into his sight, catching his attention.

His breath hitched.

Creamy, smooth skin that was practically glowing. Long, glorious locks of chocolate brown hair. Poised and elegant, a stunning vision in flowing white.

Their eyes met.

Deep. Piercing. Mesmerizing.

His brain tuned out the resounding commotion that followed into a muted buzz as Baek Hyun stood frozen on the spot. There was nothing he could do. He found himself helplessly drowning inside those dark, enthralling orbs that seemed to run as deep as the darkest abyss.

She was the first to break the contact.

The effect was instantaneous that it was almost surreal. Baek Hyun had to replay the split-second image over and over in his mind to make sure that he was really seeing things right.

He was sure. He really saw it.

That ghost of recognition flashing in her face, even for the briefest moment.

There was no doubt. The mysterious person being intimately escorted by his friend was none other than –

“Nah Hyun Jung.”

* * * *

A/N:

Lol, so it looks like I might take another chapter or two to introduce the rest. You guys know who will be coming next, right? 

And really, you should have expected that last part coming. Try to read the introduction again. Hyun Jung's paragraph trails off to continue with Chan Doo's. :) Hahaha, I thought Jiyeon and Hyun Woo had great chemistry in GoS. They looked really comfortable with each other (enough to be sharing earphones while doodling in the same notebook) in the BTS clip shown in their last episode.

EDIT: I was going to put it in the third chapter, but I might as well clarify right now since a lot of you are wondering: Hyun Jung is the other main character. :) [I did say that I was a big Jiyeon fan, yeah?]