~Chapter song1: Super Junior ‘Good Day for a Good Day’~

~Chapter song2: Jinsil ft Tiger JK 'Reset'~

This is it. The day of freedom. The day I graduate.

Two years have passed, and So-Hyun has painfully made her way through to graduation, a few nose bleeds and late nights here and there, but she still made it. She stood in front of her mirror and stared at herself, clad in a black fitted dress underneath her graduation gown. She patted the folds in the gown away and took a deep breath.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror she thought about her three years at University and all the experiences that had brought her to this point. She also thought about Jin-Goo who was supposed to graduate last year, she remembers how they planned to support each other at their graduation ceremony. He should have been there telling her how ugly she looked in her dress and she would pretend to be hurt, but he’s not. He wasn’t here, whether he was dead or alive So-Hyun didn’t even know.

There were times where she would get flowers delivered on special days like her birthday or Christmas, but there was never a name on the card and she couldn’t think of anyone else besides him. She wanted to be angry at him and never see him again, but she couldn’t, all she just needed was for him to be safe.

If So-Hyun was to say so herself, she’s grown in the past two years and through the things she experienced and the people she’s met in that short time, her mind has opened to the possibilities of not shutting the world out anymore. She can’t say that she’s had a complete 360-degree change, but there were times she found herself doing things she wouldn’t usually do, like being the first to meet up with Ga-Young and meeting new people. They weren’t big things to other people, but for So-Hyun it was a moment of stepping out of her skin and she hasn’t regretted it so far.

Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face at the thought of being free from the chains of assignments and late nights and stepping into her work life. She had spent her last year getting early experience within the University’s psychology department, so it was only a matter of time she gets employed. Hopefully. She had been smart enough to apply for a handful of jobs straight after exam season and out of the 10 places she had applied for, 6 had called her back for an interview.

“It’s a good day for a good day!” she said, trying to cheer herself up.

“Sweetie, let’s go!” Her mother called from downstairs.

“Noona! You’re going to be late for your last day! Typical!” Her brother, Da-Reum added.

With one last check in the mirror she grabbed her phone, bag and heels, before making her way downstairs and into the car for the ceremony.

When they got to the hall, they were just in time for the entrance speech and ceremony. Her mother and brother watched from the audience as So-Hyun nervously walked up to the podium to receive her certificate. So-Hyun walked to the other side where the other students were and stood in line for the final greetings and goodbyes.

This was it.

Like a robot she bowed and stretched her arm out to shake the hands of the important people in the room. She didn’t pay much attention until a particular important person squeezed her hand a little too tightly and lifting her head to look at who she paused.

“Kim So-Hyun-ssi” Seung-Ho called, his hand now softly yet firmly holding hers.

She was caught off guard because technically she’s still within school grounds and him calling her by her name like this could be dangerous, but she decided she didn’t want to care anymore. She’d spent the last two years without saying a word to him, today’s the day they had promised each other to meet again.

She gave a polite smile and in a low voice called his name “Yoo Seung-Ho-ssi"

Seung-Ho still in his professional mode tried not to smile too much, but his cheeks turned a slight pink in reaction to So-Hyun calling him by his name. Not Seonsaengnim, but Yoo. Seung. Ho. He wanted to hear it once more but had to move along to congratulate the other students.

So-Hyun watched as the hall quickly busied with bustling with students and their families. Some were crying, others laughing and celebrating their day of freedom. They were officially done with exams a few months ago so they had technically been ‘free’ for 2 months already, but there was something about graduation that made everything real.

So-Hyun stepped outside and took a slow walk through the gardens of the University stopping at the pathway that lead to the University’s greenhouse. It was spring, and the blossoms were in full bloom, the sun gracefully shining on her face. She stood for some time, with both hands in her pockets thinking about what her summer was going to be like.

Ga-Young had offered for So-Hyun to join her and Ji-Soo, her boyfriend, on holiday this summer, but So-Hyun had to say no. She’s smart enough to know when and when not to be a third wheel, she decided to let the love birds stay together, besides she needs to organise her time in between reading books and watching dramas. And oh yeah, her interviews if she ever gets a call back. No time for third wheeling.  

“Yah, Kim So-Hyun” His deep voice called her name and So-Hyun turned around to see her ex-professor standing four-feet away from her, underneath a blossom tree, with hands in his pockets and pink petals floating around him. Picturesque indeed. 

Straight out of a webtoon.

“Seung-Ho-ssi” replied with a smirk.

“So-Hyun-ah” he sung, taking a step closer towards her.

So-Hyun giggled quietly “What? Yoo Seung-Ho-ssi, why do you keep calling me?” she asked, knowing fully well why. It was something she wanted to try out, but he’ll always be Seonsaengnim to her.

“Do you know how much I’ve missed you?” He said, getting serious but a small smile still lingering his lips.

“This much?” So-Hyun guessed, making a space between her thumb and index finger

“Ah, So-Hyun-ah, do you really not know my feelings for you?” He joked

“Hmm, then this much?” She asked now making the space a little bigger and she laughed when she saw Seung-Ho scrunch up his face in what should have been disbelief, but he just looked like a teddy bear – still, she couldn’t expect that much of him to change in two years.

“This much” He said, stretching his arms out as wide as they could go, before taking a step closer towards So-Hyun and embracing her in his arms. “I missed you this much” He breathed and closed his eyes to capture this moment. Two years. They’d both waited two years for this moment, to be together, not as Seung-Ho the professor or So-Hyun the student just Yoo Seung-Ho and Kim So-Hyun, two lovers.

In each other’s arms, they think about the time they had apart and how much they had changed. Perhaps being apart for some time did them good more than bad, in other’s eyes they may have been going too fast at the time and so when it all came crumbling down, it came at them full force. They knew it wouldn’t be easy, but at that time they only went with their emotions and they didn’t think realistically/ (?) At first So-Hyun was hurt, she’d experienced her first heartbreak and she was worried