Seulgi (present)

“For a woman who lives with a wealthy doctor as her husband, why do you want a small house in Jeju Island?” Joohyun asked her as they stood by the sight of a home that awoke so many adolescent memories, an early morning after a long enough plane trip and walking around. Joohyun’s hands were still studying the walls and the supporting pillars, probably to make sure that everything was of working order or some other important construction stuff. It wasn’t as if the house was in the worst state of all, but Seulgi knew that it wasn’t great either.

She wasn’t too keen on answering to anything Joohyun had asked, not even during the whole trip they took to get to the small island of their memories and childhood. “Is the reason that important?” Seulgi asked instead, her voice echoing through the walls. Seulgi didn’t know why, but even if she tried she didn’t really want to open up to her.

“It’s easier for us to know the reason for why,” Joohyun began while noting down everything around her. “And then we’ll know what kind of house you want,” she continued softly while writing, before she suddenly stepped outside with Seulgi towing behind her.

A moment of echoing footsteps and waves crashing the shore passed between them, the gentle breeze tossing around the leaves on the trees. She could see it from the slightly broken window, the wooden features rotting away slightly from abandonment. “Investment,” Seulgi replied shortly while walking a few steps ahead of Joohyun, waiting for her to get done with studying the kitchen. “Jeju is a very popular travel destination, and if it’s shaped up a bit I guess it could sell well,” she proceeded to explain her idea as she now stood by the door to her old room again.

Some writing covers up the proceeding silence, before the inevitable question arrives. “You’re planning on selling?” Joohyun asked then, and Seulgi could feel her eyes staring at her, although she didn’t bother return the gaze. Her eyes were then rather focused on reading the small letters on the door that lead to her room.

The dark-haired girl nodded slowly then. “If no one plans on living here, then it’s best to sell it to someone who will actually want it,” Seulgi informed then, shaking her head slightly before turning around to face Joohyun. “You’ve got all the information you need now, right?”

Joohyun nodded as a reply, before her gaze drifted through the door that was behind Seulgi. Things were silent for a while, but Joohyun only let out a small chuckle before looking down at her papers again, making Seulgi a bit confused as to what was so funny. “You still have that sticker,” she pointed out then with her pen, causing Seulgi to turn around to notice a teddy-bear shaped sticker that had seen better days. The colors had faded drastically, but the outline was still clear and some features like the eyes and paws were still visible.

She got it from Joohyun the first day she came over, which she recalled to be when they were eight more or less, when Joohyun just stuck it up there without asking. It was many things like that, where Joohyun did things without really warning her, and she wasn’t sure if she hated it or loved it. But she didn’t want to think about it, trying to distract herself. “So when do you think you can get started?” Seulgi asked to switch the subject. “Since the process of tearing everything down might take a while, I figure it’s the best to get started as soon as possible.”

Joohyun only gave her a look which seemed to hide something, almost something alike disappointment, but Seulgi couldn’t be too sure before the other woman looked down again to flip through her papers. “First we have to find out how you want the house before we tear it down,” she began. “We’ll brainstorm some ideas and show you what we think will look best for the area and how you want it.” Seulgi wondered why one had to go through so many formalities just to tear a house down, but maybe that was an architecture thing she didn’t know much about. The process of the whole idea might even take longer than what she thought, although she wasn’t in a rush, but the extra money she could get by selling the house for would be much appreciated.

“Tell me,” Joohyun suddenly said as they decided to go out for a moment during the early summer air, sitting on the grass by the waves and house somewhere along the way. As they sat down the images of them lying there during lazy afternoons, sweaty palms on her waist and hesitated kisses on her skin entered Seulgi’s mind. The dark haired girl however, shook the thought away slightly, while she only gave her a confused look about what she wanted her to say. “About your life; I haven’t seen you for so long,” Joohyun informed, as if it was significant to know what had happened the last decade and a half. Then again that is usually what people do when they meet each other again; they catch up.

Seulgi shrugged then, not even she knew why, as they sat there under the blue sky. “There isn’t much to say,” she began then. “After college I ended up working at a bank in Seoul for a few years, and then I got married.” She looked over at Joohyun, who was uncharacteristically patiently listening to her words, something she rarely did before. Not unless it was something very serious, but those moments were now seen as petty rather than revolutionary.  “What about you?” Seulgi asked to fill the silence between them, adjusting her sitting position slightly. She felt it would be easier, knowing how Joohyun was doing rather than excessively speaking about herself. She was never the type to share much information anyway.

“You’re as informative and elaborate as ever, Seulgi,” Joohyun shared a bit wittingly. “I got through university with nothing but noodles and coffee, thought I was going to die of starvation,” she informed later as they sat there, her eyes still looking over at Seulgi which made her feel a bit weird inside again. “Now I’m here, working and all, but at least things ended the way I wanted,” Joohyun continued about her career and education, everything she deemed interesting for Seulgi to know about the firm was told. “You got any kids?” Joohyun asked after another moment of her just speaking, a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips.

That was only for Seulgi to shake her head in response. “No, not yet,” Seulgi replied while clasping her hands together slowly, placing them on her lap. When Joohyun asked why, Seulgi only shrugged before continuing. “We just haven’t gotten lucky in that front just yet.”

Then, Joohyun chuckled a bit, which caused Seulgi to ask what was so funny through her eyes. “It’s just that I remembered we were sitting here, talking about our future. Don’t you remember? You drew your dream house and made me promise I’d build it for you and your kids,” Joohyun continued with a memory that almost made Seulgi smile. Yes, that day was actually very clear for Seulgi because alike many other times, they used to talk on and on about their future. It went from their dreams, hopes and ambitions and everything in between.  Of course, along with the years their goals changed from being princesses to pop stars to astronauts. They didn’t always want to get married or settle down; Joohyun said that she’d rather die than become a bridezilla. She was already fourteen by then, if Seulgi remembered correctly.

Sixteen years took its toll on them, but from what Seulgi could understand some things didn’t. However, it was tough to pinpoint exactly what. “It was also here that we met each other for the first time,” Seulgi shrugged as if to seem careless, but the slight and sudden giddiness didn’t do much for her to act cool. She was good, however, at hiding her emotions so she knew it wouldn’t show.

“Yeah, how old were we then?” Joohyun asked with a slight smile on her face. “Maybe seven? We still went to elementary school at least.” Seulgi nodded then, the flashback of their first meeting reoccurring before her eyes as she could only drift her gaze towards the wide ocean in front of them.