~Chapter song: NELL 'Today'~

That same night, the two of them sat watching families and couples playing in the sand, and listening to the sound of the waves. It had been a long time since it was just the two of them.

“So-Hyunnie?”

So-Hyun turned around to be find none other than… “Ji-Soo Oppa?! W-what are you doing here?”

“Yah, shouldn’t I be the one asking you that. Didn’t you say you couldn’t come with me and Ga-Youngie? Then what are you doing…” His question went unfinished as he looked to the man that was besides her.

“Unnie is here, too right?”

“Ga-Young-ah! I told you it was her! Come over here and give me my kiss ” Ji-Soo called "Ah we made a bet, I won." He clarified, looking proud. 

Ah damn.

“Yah, Kim So-Hyun!” Ga-Young called, walking over with two hot-dogs in hand.

 “Unnie…?”  So-Hyun stood up and walked towards the pair.

 “Woah, So-Hyun-ah, I didn’t know you had it in you… Seonsaengnim?!” Ga-Young teased, half with disbelief and half amused. “Yah! Why didn’t you tell me? Since when? How?”

 “Yah, is this why you didn’t want to go on holiday with me? Because you were already planning one with Seonsaengnim? Yah, you could have just told me, I would’ve been cool with it.”

“Unnie, I really wasn’t planning this. At first, I didn’t want to ruin yours and Ji-Soo Oppa’s time together as usual and-” So-Hyun paused, realising explaining wouldn’t do much to help “Sorry” She gave a light smile.

“I said it’s okay! You’ll just have to tell me all about this” she coughed peering behind So-Hyun to look at her old professor “another time… Seonsaengnim, good evening?” She gave a slight bow.

“Ah, yes err, Ga-Young-haksaeng…” He stumbled, scratching his arm.

Awkward.

“Well, we’ll be going wouldn’t want to spoil your night. Call me if anything- actually no don’t call, just let me know when you’re back in Seoul” Ga-Young gave a wink before linking arms with Ji-Soo and walking towards the shore.

“Well, this was a great way to end our first date… right?” Seung-Ho’s poor excuse of a joke didn’t really help lighten the mood, but it did give So-Hyun more of a chance to smile.

“I completely forgot that Jeju was where they were going for summer” She said looking slightly downcast.

“Hey” He took her hand “You don’t have to think the same way we used to before… It’s okay now. We’re okay” He comforted, squeezing her hand a little tighter for reassurance “Okay?”

She nodded and let out a sigh, he was right. Them being together like this wasn’t a bad thing anymore, the only thing she could possibly feel guilty about was that she didn’t tell Ga-Young before, but if she did then that would be a lie. She didn’t feel the need to tell her so quickly, after all this was their first date in two years and she couldn’t have told her about this before. If anything, she felt bad for being found like this, was that a bad thing?

“You know it’s funny, it seems like Ga-Young Unnie found out about us before my own mother did” She said, playing with her fingernails.

“If you want to tell your mother then I think you should”

“I… I just want to wait till we’re serious again…” She saw him flinch a little but decided to ignore it. “I know that we still like each other, but I don’t know… I guess to think that we can pick up exactly where we left off would be too much for me. I’m still the same So-Hyun, but just because my feelings for you may not have changed doesn’t mean that I haven’t… It doesn’t mean I don’t like you, it’s just I want to be careful and carefree, or am I overthinking it?”

“No, you’re right” He smiled “You’re absolutely right. But I just want you to know that I have always, am always and will always be serious about you Kim So-Hyun. Just tell me whenever you’re ready.”

^^^^

After spending the weekend away together, they got back to Seoul and went back to their busy lives, for Seung-Ho it was days of meetings and for So-Hyun she had a very busy schedule of drama watching and eating whilst she waited for her next interview.

In the middle of watching the re-run of Oh My Venus, her phone rang, and it took her a few seconds to the cheese powder off her fingers from her cheese puffs before she could pick up.

“Hello?” She answered wearily as it was a number she didn’t know.

“Kim So-Hyun-ssi? Hello, we’re just calling to confirm the details for your second interview. It will be at 2pm sharp with the CEO of the company and a few other representatives, so please try your best to look presentable and to be on time.”

“Ah, yes, of course… May I ask a question? Why do I have to meet the CEO for a trainee counsellor position…?” Was that too rude? “Sorry, to be rude, I was just curious” She added.

“Ah” The female sounded like she was surprised “Our CEO likes to assess every part of the workforce, don’t feel too burdened Kim So-Hyun-ssi. We’ll see you tomorrow, thank you.”

“Ah okay. Well, thank you” she hung up the phone and stared at it for a few seconds before breaking out into a dance on the floor. “Am I really going to get the job?!” She got up from her position on the floor and moon-walked – terribly – to her bed and started speaking to her teddy bear “Mong-suk-ah am I really going to get in?”

Silence.

“Okay, yeah I shouldn’t get too worked up right? It’s still another interview and… I’m talking to a stuffed bear that can’t speak back to me, relax So-Hyun-ah! Let’s just do the best you can!”

^^^^

“Oh, So-Hyun-ssi?! So-Hyun-ssi, you made it too? Woah, nice to see you again!”

“Ah, hello Sun-Woo-sii” she gave a polite bow. Sun-Woo was another job-seeker like her and they had their group interview together during the first stage of job selection. There were only 5 positions available, meaning half of the people there today wouldn’t be back here again and So-Hyun wished she wouldn’t be one of them. She wished the best for Sun-Woo too, he had graduated a year before So-Hyun.  “Good luck for today.”

“Thanks, you too So-Hyun-ssi. Fighting!” He replied, as enthusiastic as the last time they met.

“We’re sorry to announce that our CEO is running a little late, this isn’t usually the case, so please accept our apologies” announced one of the secretaries.

So-Hyun laughed internally as she heard the other interviewers sigh out of apprehension. She didn’t mind too much, but she did wonder if it was really necessary that the CEO be present. She looked to her right and saw that everyone was looking tense and because she didn’t want to catch the bad vibes train, she decided to put in her earphones to keep focused.

“Candidate four, Kim So-Hyun if you could make your way over please.” Called a different secretary this time after twenty minutes. Standing up, she wrapped her earphones around her phone, threw it in her bag, wiped the sweat off her palms and walked into the office with shoulders high.

That lasted for all about five seconds when she walked in to see an empty office. She turned to look at the lady that directed her here, but she was gone, and the slamming of the door confirmed it.

“Hello?” She called out but there wasn’t a reply. Deciding to make her way back out thinking that this had to be the wrong room, she swiftly turned around and made towards the door when a deep voice called out to her.

“Sit down.”

So-Hyun came to a complete halt, the sound of the voice sending shivers down her body. This isn’t what she’s thinking it is, this can’t be. Her life couldn’t be made up of any more coincidences than it already is. She refuses. She won’t be a part of this game her psyche is trying to play with her.

Bracing herself for what she hoped was a false reality, she swung on her heels to be faced with who seems to be the CEO. His back was facing her, so she couldn’t se