Chapter 3
The Beginning of Something Unexpected
Belle Époque
16th February 2018
11.00 a.m.
Kang-eonni, Yeeun, Eunjae and Eun were outside at the dining table in the middle of a fun conversation.
Jiwon came out walking from her room after talking to Sungmin over the phone, asking him to meet up at her favorite chicken place. She headed towards the bathroom holding on to her towel and clothes.
Yina: Going somewhere?
Jiwon: Eo.
Yeeun: Where?
Jiwon: To eat… chicken
Hearing Jiwon’s odd answer, the girls wondered what she meant. They continued their conversation as Jiwon entered the bathroom.
Eunjae: Jiwon-sunbae is eating chicken at this hour? Kang-eonni, are you sure she’s okay already?
Yina: Ya, she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday, right?
Yeeun nodded.
Yina: Then let her be. That’s girl is happy. We all know chicken is her favorite food.
Eunjae who was wondering about it just nodded, as she understood the situation.
Yina: By the way, Eun-ah… I heard your boyfriend is grandma’s nephew? I heard he’s in the army now?
Eun: Yes… he’s supposedly an active-duty soldier, but he came back for a short holiday, he was given 5 days off
Eun ended her sentence with a smile, remembering that Janghoon worked hard just to return and see her.
Yina: Ya… how nice… When is he returning to the base?
Eun: This Sunday, on the 18th
Yina: You guys don’t have much time, then… Go and have some fun together. You might regret it if you don’t make use of the time left.
Yeeun: Kang-eonni is right. Eun-ah, you know… my friends who have boyfriends in the army never have a chance to see their boyfriends before the 2-year period is over.
Eun, who received the advice from her two sunbaes, thought she must spend some time with Janghoon.
Jiwon had just finished showering and she came out of the bathroom with a pretty look. She maintained her unique style – Kimono outerwear, white blouse, and a pair of jeans, but there’s something different from Jiwon that all the other girls sensed. Maybe it’s the glow of someone who’s falling in love.
Jiwon went straight to her room and grabbed her bag. She went out of the room to put on her shoes and headed out.
As Jiwon opened the front door, Kang-eonni exclaimed,
Yina: Good luck!
Jiwon who heard it, smiled to herself and waved at the girls before the door closed behind her.
Kang-eonni knew Jiwon was about to meet Sungmin.
Jiwon sat at the bus stop and saw a beer advertisement on the glass partition. She suddenly smiled and laughed to herself like an idiot as she recalled the incident on Valentine’s Day when she and Sungmin drank beers together before eventually kissing each other’s lips for the first time.
The people who were at the bus stop put on their judging face as they witnessed Jiwon’s strange actions.
The bus Jiwon was waiting for came and she hopped on the bus cheerfully.
Little did she know, later that afternoon, the close guy friend she had, was going to be her soulmate for the rest of her life.
Belle Époque
11.20 a.m.
Eun went inside her room after the small chit-chats with the girls at the dining table. She laid herself on the mattress and opened her chat conversation with Janghoon.
She looked over to the chair with the wood carving ‘My Eun’ that Janghoon crafted for her. She smiled and composed a message.
A few seconds later, a reply came.
Eun smiled and typed her response,
Eun’s smile got even bigger as her date night with Janghoon was pretty much confirmed.
OH & PARK Entertainment
12.00 p.m.
Right when the clock 12.00 p.m., Team leader Jo proclaimed,
Team Leader Jo: It’s lunch time!
The guys in the room stretched their bodies to relieve their muscles. They’ve sat down on the chairs for long hours and finally break time came.
Jinmyung glanced at her watch on her left wrist to reconfirm the time.
She opened her chat with Jaehwan and a thought came to her mind, she wanted to ask if Jaehwan’s plan to visit her in Seoul on the weekend is still valid or not, because she knew too well that restaurants are even more packed on the weekends, as she used to work in a restaurant for 2 whole years to pay her tuition fees.
Jinmyung composed her message and clicked the send button with a hint of doubt.
After staring at the chat for a while, her attention dispersed when Kang Jinah, the senior who sits beside her at work asked her out for lunch.
Jinah: Jinmyung-ssi, do you want to go and eat lunch together at the restaurant across the street?
As a response, Jinmyung nodded her head a little and wore her coat before walking beside Jinah to go out.
At lunch while eating…
Jinah: Jinmyung-ssi do you have a boyfriend?
Jinmyung, who’s still a little reluctant in sharing about her private life, simply replied,
Jinmyung: Yes…
Jinah: Oooo…. What does he do?
Jinmyung: He’s a chef.
Jinah: How nice! He can cook for you whenever you want to…
Jinmyung, who didn’t want to open up about the fact that she’s in a long-distance relationship, forced a smile at her sunbae’s remark.
Sungmin’s Car
14.02 p.m.
Jiwon couldn’t believe herself when she had the courage to link her fingers in between Sungmin’s.
Honestly, even though she’s used to hitting and poking Sungmin’s in the past, the situation is different now, because they’re not just close guy and girl friends anymore. They’re each other’s romantic companion.
Feeling comfortable holding Sungmin’s hand, Jiwon commented,
Jiwon: Ya… how can our hands fit so perfectly like this?
Sungmin: I don’t know, maybe we’re just meant to be?
As Jiwon heard Sungmin’s response, she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Her heart fluttered, and she teased Sungmin for his cheesy words,
Jiwon: Im Sungmin, you learnt some sweet-talk skills, didn’t you?
Jiwon added,
Jiwon: Are you sure you’re a mosol all these time?
Jiwon saw Sungmin laughing instantly as soon as she finished her words.
(Read chapter 2.5 if you want to know what Sungmin thought about right at this point)
Jiwon clicked the ‘on’ button on the stereo and the song ‘some’ came to play.
‘I want to open my eyes to your text every morning
I want to fall asleep with your voice at the end of the night
On the weekends, I want to hug you,
In front of a lot of people as if I’m showing off’
Jiwon, who was enjoying Korea’s most popular song of 2014, got interrupted by Sungmin,
Sungmin: Jiwon-ah, do you want me to tell you a story?
Jiwon: What story?
Sungmin: I’m not sure if you actually realized this ever, but do you know what everyone in uni thought about us before?
Jiwon, who had no clue, tried guessing,
Jiwon: what? Weird guy and girl friends?
Sungmin chuckled and responded,
Sungmin: Ani… They thought we’re dating.
Jiwon was surprised and looked at Sungmin when she heard the answer.
Jiwon: Jinjja?
Sungmin: Hey, don’t you remember when that female hoobae asked if we were dating?
Jiwon: Of course I remember, but I thought she literally asked because she wanted to make sure that you’re single?
Sungmin: Are you sure she wasn’t actually jealous of us two?
Jiwon: …… you’re right.
Sungmin: But anyway, at least 10 other people have asked me the exact same question.
Jiwon: Seriously?
Jiwon covered with her palms when she heard the story.
Jiwon: Do you think we look that good together that people thought we were dating each other?
Sungmin: What about you? I think we look so good together. That’s why I like the way we are now.
Sungmin altered his gaze to Jiwon and gave her a sweet gaze.
Without them realizing, they have reached Belle Époque. Sungmin hit the brake such that the car went stationary.
He saw Jiwon unbuckling the seatbelt, but before opening the car door, Jiwon said,
Jiwon: Sungmin-ah
Sungmin: Hm?
Jiwon: Nothing…. Annyeong!
Without saying what was on her mind, Jiwon got off the car. Sungmin who thought something was missing, quickly got off the car to chase Jiwon.
Sungmin pulled Jiwon’s left shoulder with his right hand, such that her body turned to face him.
He put both his hands under Jiwon’s jaw and kissed her gently. Their lips touched, and the feeling was as sweet as honey. This time, it’s clear for the both of them that it was a genuinely real kiss.
If they were influenced by something to kiss one another at that time, it was probably the fried chicken that they had earlier.
From upstairs, Yeeun who was collecting her dry laundry witnessed the scene and paused her activity right away. She called out Eun and Eunjae who were sitting at the dining table.
The trio smiled in adoration as they witnessed the rare and heartwarming sight of the newborn sweethearts.
The kiss was brief, as it wasn’t meant for something than a thank-you and I’ll-miss-you gesture. As their lips disjoined, Jiwon hugged Sungmin voluntarily for the first time and said,
Jiwon:
Sungmin-ah… I really thank you.
Thank you for being honest with me.
Thank you for taking care and being there for me during my most difficult times.
And I’m sorry that I realized my feelings for you so late like this….
Sungmin, who was hugging Jiwon tight in his arms, loosened his embrace and held Jiwon by her arms. Sungmin responded with looking straight into Jiwon’s eyes,
Sungmin: There’s absolutely nothing you need to be sorry for. Okay?
Sungmin ruffled Jiwon’s hair to express his adoration and to stress that everything that happened in the past didn’t matter anymore. He conveyed his parting note,
Sungmin: Go in and rest.
Jiwon: Arasseo. Bye!
Jiwon turned her body and walked towards the entry door looking normal and relaxed. Sungmin was still behind to make sure that Jiwon’s safe until she stepped inside the house.
As spontaneous as Jiwon’s always was, she ran back before climbing the outdoor stairs to give Sungmin a peck before she fleed to hide herself from Sungmin.
When Jiwon entered the share house upstairs, she jumped in glee with a beaming smile and approached the sofa in the living room to let herself fall free to land on the cushion. She touched her lips and squealed when she recalled her kiss and hug with Sungmin.
The trio who watched the whole scene peeked through the veranda’s wall towards Jiwon who was squealing on the sofa, admiring their housemate who’s madly in love.
07.00 p.m.
Eun who just got herself ready for her date, reached her phone to text Janghoon that she’s ready to go.
Janghoon was already waiting in the courtyard looking dandier than his usual t-shirt and sweatpants fashion.
Janghoon’s eyes blinked in wonder as he saw Eun who looked extra beautiful. She wore a gray long coat over a white sweatshirt and black skinny pants. Her hair, that had grown longer over the 5 months, fell just below her shoulders.
Eun put on a shy expression and linked her arms with Janghoon’s.
Eun: Let’s go.
As they walked on the street outside Belle Époque, Janghoon commented,
Janghoon: You changed a lot.
Eun: How so?
Janghoon: In a way that makes me fall even harder for you.
--
OH & PARK Entertainment
8.30 p.m.
As Yoon-sunbae shut down her computer and prepared to go home, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Jaehwan.
Yoon-sunbae’s expression lighted up a little as she read Jaehwan’s chats. She typed her replies,
Just as Yoon-sunbae was going to keep her phone inside her pocket, her phone vibrated again. This time, it’s a call from her mom.
Jinmyung: Hello?
Mom: Jinmyung-ah, do you have time to visit tomorrow? Mom misses you…
Yoon-sunbae thought for a while and said,
Jinmyung: Okay. I’ll visit tomorrow.
Mom: Arasseo. See you.
As soon as her mom replied her, Yoon-sunbae ended the call.
She kept her phone and hurried home. She wanted to wash up and lay down on her bed after a long week of work.
8.40 p.m.
Janghoon and Eun went out of the meat place with a happy tummy. They walked along a stretch of street vendors selling various accessories and couple-related items. A particular item caught Eun’s attention. It’s a pair of couple necklace, two necklaces with a lock and key pendants
Janghoon who noticed it, approached the seller and asked how much it was before handing over some notes.
As soon as Janghoon bought the necklace set, he opened the hook of the key pendant necklace and tip-toed a bit to loop it around Eun’s neck. Then, he looped the lock pendant necklace around his neck. Janghoon said,
Janghoon: With these necklaces, it’s a promise that you’re the only one who can open this lock. My heart.
Eun stood still as Janghoon made his remarks.
Janghoon: Since I’m going to go back to the base again on Sunday, I really don’t have a clue on when I can see you next. It might take another 18 months.
In response to Janghoon’s words, Eun said,
Eun: I know. You don’t really have to explain it. I’ll always remember you with this…
Janghoon grabbed Eun’s cold hand and walked hand-in-hand while heading home. They had a great date night together.
As Janghoon and Eun approached Belle Époque, they saw Yoon-sunbae who was about to enter the courtyard. Eun shouted and waved at Yoon-sunbae,
Eun: Yoon-sunbae!
Yoon-sunbae heard the shout and turned her head to the source of the sound. She saw Eun and Janghoon who were holding hands and Eun who was waving at her. She waved back and waited for the two to come near,
Eun: You just returned from work?
Jinmyung: Yeah.
Janghoon: Hello noona. Long time no see!
Jinmyung: Eo, Seo Janghoon. When are you going back to the base?
Janghoon: This Sunday at 3 p.m., I have to be there already.
Jinmyung: Ah, that’s so fast. It would’ve been nice if you can stay longer. Eun will miss you a lot.
Suddenly, a thought came to Janghoon’s mind.
Janghoon: How’s Jaehwan-hyung?
Yoon-sunbae’s expression suddenly darkened a little.
Jinmyung: He’s really busy at the restaurant, but he’s planning on visiting this Sunday. It’s such a pity that you have to return on the same day, if not you could’ve met him.
Yoon-sunbae who didn’t feel like discussing about Jaehwan much longer, suggested Eun and Janghoon to enter the house.
With that, the couple waved goodbye as they went their separate ways – Eun upstairs, and Janghoon downstairs.
As Yoon-sunbae and Eun entered Belle Époque share house, Eunjae and Yeeun were sitting on the living room sofa. Yeeun uttered,
Yeeun: Yoon-sunbae! Eun-ah!
Upon hearing Yeeun’s exclamations, the two rushed towards Yeeun and Eunjae.
Jinmyung: Did something happen?
Yeeun and Eunjae shared a glance. Yeeun then explained what’s gonna happen, this time, with her voice whispering.
Yoon-sunbae showed a surprised look, while Eun just smiled and nodded at what Yeeun had to say.
9.35 p.m.
Yoon-sunbae and Eun quickly took a shower first before coming out to joining Yeeun and Eunjae again in the living room. Kang-eonni suddenly came in through the front door too and joined the girls.
Seeing that everyone was there already, each girl held on to their specified props: Yeeun – cake, Eunjae – a banner, and the rest – confetti.
The girls approached Jiwon’s room and barged into the room and shouted out,
Everyone: Congratulations!!!
Jiwon who was in the middle of a phone call quickly ended the call and exclaimed in surprise,
Jiwon: Gosh! You surprised me! What’s this all about?
Jiwon scanned all the girls and read the banner that Eunjae was holding,
‘Congratulations for your first and new relationship!
We hope it lasts for a long time!
❤❤❤❤❤
Yoon Jinmyung, Kang Yina, Jung Yeeun, Yoo Eunjae, & Jo Eun’
Jiwon, who totally didn’t expect the girls to find out already, asked in surprise,
Jiwon: Ya, how do you guys know? I never said anything about this to anyone.
Yeeun: Ayy, do you think we’re dumb? We saw you…
Yeeun was too embarrassed to say kiss, so she let her hands show the gesture of two people kissing.
Eun added,
Eun: You guys looked so good together!
Hearing everyone’s explanation, Jiwon said,
Jiwon: Aish, you guys!
Jiwon continued,
Jiwon: How was it? I was good, right? Tell me, how was it? Huh?
The girls exited the room and ignored Jiwon as they heard her absurd questions. Jiwon has returned to her usual self.
Jiwon who was excited, shrugged and followed the girls out.
At the dining table…
Jiwon sat at the edge of the table, and Yoon-sunbae was cutting the round cake equally for the girls.
It’s only been a week since the girls last gathered together, but since it’s a happy occasion, they’re back together again.
Eunjae who was curious about something, asked Jiwon a question,
Eunjae: Jiwon-sunbae, how did it start?
Jiwon: Well, of course he confessed. He couldn’t stand my y charm and beautiful face, that’s why-
Kang-eonni who couldn’t stand Jiwon’s exaggeration, stopped her from finishing her overstatement.
Yina: Aish, stop it with the exaggeration. So, what did you tell him?
Jiwon: Well, I said… he should’ve confessed earlier so I could realize my feelings for him sooner.
Everyone squealed as Jiwon’s answer tickled them. It was really unlike her personality, but maybe Jiwon is a soft-hearted human in terms of relationship anyway.
The girls’ conversation continued with laughter and smiles as the night marked the first day that no Belle Époque girl remained a mosol.
Flashback
Sungmin’s Apartment
9.35 p.m.
Sungmin decided to call Jiwon as he just finished showering and was lying down on his bed.
As Jiwon picked up his call, he said,
Sungmin: Jiwon-ah, what are you doing?
Jiwon: Nothing, just lying down on my bed.
Sungmin: Have you eaten dinner?
Jiwon: ani, I’m not hungry. Those chicken drumsticks we had earlier are still sleeping in my tummy.
Sungmin smiled a little as Jiwon made that as a reason.
Jiwon: What about you? What were you doing before this?
Sungmin: Me? I was thinking about you. In the shower.
Jiwon who heard Sungmin’s answer, grinned and said,
Jiwon: Ya! You dirty little brat, it’s only been a few hours since we got together and you already had those thoughts?
Sungmin: Who said I was thinking dirty about you? I missed you. That’s why you just appeared in my mind.
Suddenly, Sungmin could hear a loud sound coming from Jiwon’s end that said,
‘Congratulations!!!’
Before Sungmin could ask what’s happening, the call was ended. He tried to figure out what it was, but couldn’t seem to come to a conclusion.
He texted Jiwon and put his phone on the bedside table before setting himself in a comfortable position and head to dreamland.
Jiwon’s phone vibrated on her bed and showed two notifications coming from Sungmin. She was still outside in the dining area with the girls.
11.30 p.m.
The Belle Époque girls just finished their get-together. Kang-eonni who now lives in a rented small studio apartment, said goodbye,
Yina: I’m going back! Good night!
Everyone: Eo! Be careful on your way!
As Kang-eonni exited the front door, the girls went straight to their bedrooms. Eun by herself, Yoon-sunbae with Eunjae, and Yeeun with Jiwon.
Jiwon climbed up to her bed and put herself under the blanked. She checked her phone and as she saw the list of notifications on her locked screen, her lips stretched.
She opened the notification and saw these messages from Sungmin,
Jiwon simply replied the message with a heart, locked her phone back and put it under her pillow before closing her eyes.
That was how Jiwon and Sungmin’s first day as a couple ended. It was honestly like being on a rollercoaster ride. Jiwon cried, expressed her true feelings, and got kissed plus hugged all in one day. And now, just before the day changed, she received her first ‘I love you’ affirmation from the person who’s no longer her ‘boy’ friend, but her boyfriend.
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