Please make sure you have read the foreword! Go back and read it if you haven't.

“Minah, we need to get you out of the house.” Dambi looked at her friend who was poring over sheets over handwritten paper; work her students had submitted during the day. Ever since Minah had graduated, she had taken up a job as a teacher in a school and spent days either preparing for classes or correcting and grading the work given to her. Haneul eyed her friend over the glass of wine she had poured out for herself. Her friend hadn’t particularly let herself go per say, her hair now reached her waist since she didn’t have time to cut it; her skin was paler than usual since she didn’t have enough time in the sun; mostly Minah looked tired and harassed.

“Will my grandfather’s soul be correcting these papers then?” Minah didn’t even bother looking up from her work as Dambi fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“Your new term starts in a week, would you give yourself a break?” She hissed, gently tugging the pen out of Minah's hand as the latter fell forward into her papers, exhausted. Dambi was right, she had spent the entire break in the house trying to get things done and now she was simply grading papers all over again because she had run out of things to do.

“Listen, get up and put those papers away. We're going out for dinner and for the rest of the week, I swear to god if you look at work, I will end you.” Haneul said, as Minah sighed and nodded before groaning and standing up and heading back into her room. Haneul downed the rest of the wine in her glass and shared a look with Dambi. It was time to get their friend out of whatever rut this was.

When Minah returned fresh and changed, the three headed out to the closest Italian restaurant. Dambi looked at Minah and wondered how this was the same girl from college with the wild blue hair and and unending supply of energy (and food). Haneul looked up from her phone.

“Apparently Jongin is moving back into town, he's got a teaching job here.” she announced as Minah froze slightly, before turning back to her food, picking at the pasta in her plate.

“Maybe you'll meet him in one of those teacher conferences. Rub all those awards in his face.” Dambi chuckled.

“Maybe one of you will want to date him again.” Minah mumbled as the two at the table gasped and rejected the idea all at once.

“Nope.” Dambi shook her head.

“Can't deal with that.” Haneul shrugged, biting into a piece of garlic bread. Minah chuckled as she took a sip of her lemonade which Haneul went into an indignant rant about how Jongin had been quite a child and she couldn’t believe he was a teacher now.

“What is he even teaching?” Dambi rolled her eyes, stabbing her pasta with a fork. Haneul shrugged.

“How does it even matter honestly? I’m sure it’s some dance related thing. He just pinged to find out if I was still in town. I didn’t really respond honestly...hold on, he texted again,” she pursed her lips and glanced at her phone screen. “Jongin wants your number.” she said looking straight up at Minah. Minah looked back down at her plate as an uncomfortable silence took over the table.

“Should I not be giving him your number?” Haneul blinked as Dambi looked at Minah.

“I understand he rejected you back in college, but you guys were good friends.”

Minah sighed, she had never bothered telling her two friends the specifics of why Jongin didn’t want to date her. Setting her cutlery down, she took a deep breath causing their attention to focus on her.

“I need to tell you guys something.”

Dambi and Haneul listened in horror as Minah explained to them as to what Jongin had told her four years ago. Dambi's face twisted in disgust as Haneul's frown deepened. Setting her phone aside she declared.

"Well, he sure as hell isn't getting your number then."