2013

Yoon Ji woke up with a pounding headache. She couldn’t bring herself to leave the bed, not even for her dentist appointment. By the time she finally managed to get up, it was already 3:00 PM.

Dragging herself to the shower to freshen up, she caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror.

"Agh, I look like a mess. Drinking was a bad idea," she muttered to herself.

She blamed the liquor for her current state, but deep down, she knew the real reason. The real reason was Jaejoong. After their breakup, she had gone through some hard times, and since then, she had tried her best not to think about him in order to move on with her life.

"It's been three years," she whispered to her reflection. "Why does it still hurt so much?”

With a heavy heart, she forced herself to get dressed and face the day, knowing that no amount of distractions could erase the ache in her heart.

Yoon Ji went to her small office to review the brief for the Maxim coffee commercial. After two hours of work, she found herself unable to focus, so she decided to call Min Ah.

“Hello, Min Ah, where are you?” Yoon Ji asked.

"Hi, Yoon. I'm at work, why?" Min Ah replied.

"Just asking. I forgot you had a shift now," Yoon Ji said, remembering Min Ah's job at a restaurant to fund her project.

"I'll finish in an hour. We can have dinner together, okay?" Min Ah suggested.

"Sure, we meet at the usual?" Yoon Ji confirmed.

"Deal," Min Ah agreed.

Yoon Ji decided to go for a walk. As she wandered through the streets, she couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness inside her. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the street. She walked until she reached the river, where she sat down on a bench and watched the water flow by.

She glanced at the people passing by, but her attention was drawn to a particular couple. The girl sat alone, and the joy that lit up her face when she spotted her boyfriend was something she knew well.

———

2008

Yoon Ji was at home when she received a text message that brightened her day.

‘Let’s meet at 10:00 PM near the river, okay?’

She replied eagerly and began to prepare herself to meet her boyfriend, whom she hadn’t seen in 45 days. Arriving at the meeting spot, she waited for him patiently. He was a little late, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind that they only met at night in secluded areas, nor that their meetings lasted less than half an hour. What mattered to her the most was simply seeing him.

The sound of footsteps approaching made her heart race, and when she turned around, she saw him walking towards her, wearing a mask and a cap.

"Hey," he said softly as he reached her, pulling her into a warm hug.

Happiness could have been seen from her eyes. She hugged him back and she replied, her voice filled with emotion.

“Hey,” they took some time to break from the hug.

“Sorry I can’t kiss you even if I am dying too.”

She pouted and he answered “I’m afraid if I remove my mask someone will recognize me.”

"If they were real fans, they would recognize you fr