~

“SoHyun-ah, it’s me.”  

It most definitely was.

I scanned his form and he looked the same yet completely different. His dimples were pointedly in place, I could smell the scent of the same apple-flavoured shampoo he used and he still had this ambiguous aura around him.

Ji-Soo and So-Hee couldn’t have competed with the transformation that Seung-Ho had made within the months he’d been gone.

Was it the buzz cut? Or the shades ever so mysteriously covering his eyes? Maybe it was the fact that he was wearing his uniform so clean and tailor-cut.

Quite a contrast to the baggy jeans and varsity jacket he used to wear might I add.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted. He didn’t need to take his glasses off for me to know he was taken aback by my question, then I corrected myself. “No, I mean how are you here?” I asked, still startled by his sudden appearance.

The slight crease in his mouth let me know that his eyes were smiling.

“I was granted leave. Two days only.”

I wonder what he had to do to get this little bit of freedom.

On a second thought, I don’t want to imagine it. I’d heard enough stories from my father’s military days, I had a rough clue as to what went down.

“That’s great.” I commended, finally gathering myself together. Although I disliked how obvious I made my shock, I couldn’t help it. It was almost beyond the control of my emotions and maybe if you were in my shoes you’d be a little startled too. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Are you? You don’t sound too glad.”

“No, I am. I just…” wasn’t expecting you. “I am.” I produced a smile on my face, hoping that would convince him.

“Have you seen the others?” I asked, “They’re all on the same table-”

“I came to see you first.”

“P-pardon?”

“I saw you as soon as I came in and… My feet just carried me here.”

“…”

Inexplicably, I was left speechless. There were plenty of possible responses running through my mind, but all I could come up with was breathless air.

‘The ceremony will be starting in five minutes, please find your seats.’

“We should get going.” I voiced, pointing to the ceiling at the invisible speaker phone. His response was laboured as if he was expecting a different response from me. I swiftly pushed that thought aside though, what would he have wanted me to say? Thank you?

I led the way slowly and silently through the carpeted corridors and into the hall. When we got to the table, everyone was in their own world, fidgeting or lost in space – doing everything else but speaking.

I placed a hand on Soo’s shoulder and cleared my throat to get his attention.

“I was wondering where you went.” As he turned around, I shifted a little so that Seung-Ho’s full body length could be seen.

“Seung-Ho? Is that you?” So-Hee screeched, finally taking in his appearance. She jumped up to hug him, knocking her empty wine glass on the table at the same time. A twinge in my heart arose at the sight, not out of jealousy or any misconstrued reason, but simply because it reminded me of the lies that I lived believing all those years.

The time that I tried to put loyalty above my heart.

The time I learned the meaning of heartbreak.

Myung-Soo had been sat quietly whilst So-Hee and Ji-Soo were marvelled over Seung-Ho, clearly as shocked as I was. After a firm press on his shoulder from me, he stood up carefully, disturbing the mini-reunion they had going on.

Seung-Ho slipped out of So-Hee’s (death) grip and stood a few feet apart from Soo with a shy smile on his face. The room had quietened down, but there were still some conversational murmuring going on and it somehow felt like we all had our eyes on the two of them.

All of a sudden, Seung-Ho raised his hand to the top of his head. “Salute!” With a sharp voice he recalled his name, division and rank as if Myung-Soo was his superior in command.

If it wasn’t completely quiet before it was now.

They both broke into boisterous laughter as they embraced each other and it felt like all the guests needed to leave the room for the two to have their own time. Clearly, they were giving Bo-Ra a run for her money.

It was as if they were the ones getting married.

I couldn’t help but smile at the moment, it was sincerely heart warming since I’d known how much they had missed each other.

Before anyone could continue speaking we were directed to take our seats as the ceremony began. Seung-Ho sat to my left, in between So-Hee and me. A little voice in the back of my head wanted to dismiss this as a coincidence and not a satiric seating plan made by Bo-Ra herself.

Then again, she didn’t know I was coming, but still. This was simply too comical.

The seat opposite me became empty as I noticed Ji-Soo pace to the right corner of the venue, to take a seat on a glossy white piano. My guess was that he would be playing for us tonight. Automatically, I held my breath and closed my eyes for the touching sounds that his hands would create with the piano.

It had been a while since I’d heard Ji-Soo play, and from what Myung-Soo had told me he’d become more skilled and performed in big arenas with his orchestral team. The sounds that flowed from his fingers and through the piano sent chills down my spine. I could really feel the difference in the way he played, he sounded more mature and more in control of the keys yet he still manged to touch my heart with his music.

A small smile formed on my lips as Myung-Soo held onto my hand where it rested on my lap underneath the table. Like a magnet, my eyes flickered towards Seung-Ho but I couldn’t see a thing even if I wanted to. The lights had dimmed down and he was still wearing those sunglasses of his.

Even in this moment, I wanted to know what he was thinking, to read his face and have a guess at what was going on through that brain of his.

Old habits die hard I guess.

I fixed back onto Ji-Soo as the melody transitioned into the Bridal Chorus and all the guests shifted their eyes to the entrance. The double doors opened softly and out walked Bo-Ra with her husband to be stood beside her. Her dress was simple, white, laced and stopped right by her ankles, fitting snug around her baby bump.

Our eyes all followed them as they walked down the aisle, said their I do’s and walked back out again merrily. For the amount of stress and time that goes into actually planning a wedding, it ended much quicker than I’d imagined. Bo-Ra hadn’t taken notice of either of us yet, but I wasn’t surprised, this was one of the most important days of her life after all.

Soon enough, we were all seated together again and I people-watched quietly as the boys caught up on their lives. Ji-Soo talked about his awards and the different events he had coming up whilst Myung-Soo spoke shyly about his attendance to Law School. Seung-Ho… Well we were getting onto that, all with So-Hee’s help of course.

“Seung-Ho-yah~, how have you been doing? I’ve really missed you; I-I mean we’ve all missed you.” She finished off shyly. If I didn’t know who So-Hee was, that would have almost been cute.

“Yeah man, how’s the army treating you? I heard it’s rough up there.” Ji-Soo added from his side of the table.

Seung-Ho nodded softly, “It’s not easy.”

Ah, short and simple. At least some things never change.

“I don’t want to go.” Ji-Soo shuddered and Seung-Ho smiled.  

“You’re doing well Seung-Ho, seriously. What you’re doing is really cool.” So-Hee said, followed by nods around the table.

‘Cool’ was a bit arbitrary considering this was his duty, brave would be better suited, but who was I to say anything?

“Not as cool as you guys though. You’re working for Samsung Electronics, Bo-Ra’s married, Ji Soo’s a classical star, Myung-Soo is basically a lawyer and-” He shifted his head slightly in my direction and I gulped, holding my breath in anticipation of his summary of me. I was the only person left. It wasn’t like I’d said anything useful the past twenty minutes, unless breathing counted, but I was still curious.

“You all look happy.” He finished off. 

I didn’t know about anyone else, but I was feeling slightly uncomfortable rather than ‘happy’. Being here with Soo made me happy at least so he half got it right.

“Some of us more than others.” So-Hee quipped and I squinted my eyes knowing she had an ulterior motive behind that comment.

Seung-Ho turned his head fully in her direction and so did the rest of us.

She giggled, leaning closer to Seung-Ho’s ear and said in a whisper that wasn’t really a whisper, “Those two are dating now.”

I pursed my lips, peeved yet simultaneously amused that she was behaving like this. I would have thought that with graduation and her new working life that she would at least try to mature a little, but I guess I was wrong.

I likened her behaviour to that of a six-year-old, but even six-year olds didn’t behave like this.

Seung-Ho nodded slowly, as a smile appeared on his lips. Behind those shades I couldn’t gather what his eyes were saying, but that didn’t matter anymore.

It shouldn’t matter.

“Congratulations.” He nodded in mine and Soo’s direction, lifting up his champagne glass for a toast.

“We were going to say when the time was right.” Myung-Soo explained, a proud blush on his face.

We both sent a polite smile to the rest of the table, but despite that it had clearly settled into an awkward silence – yes, another one.

I clasped onto Myung-Soo's hand underneath table, lifting our intertwined hands and letting it rest on the table.

I didn’t come with the intent of hiding our relationship, not that it necessarily mattered what they thought, but I didn’t want So-Hee thinking she had any sort of hold on me. The friendship we had was definitively not on the road to restoration and I had no plans of forcing it.

If I'd learned anything recently it was that there are people who come into your life simply for a season and it seems like So-Hee’s came to an end long before I’d ever realised.

“Thank you.” I returned, using my free hand to tilt my champagne glass and take a sip of the fizzy liquid. Seung-Ho followed suit, gulping down his own glass.

“I’m more curious as to why you don’t remove those sunglasses, it’s bright as day in here.” Ji-Soo dissolved the tension, causing Seung-Ho to chuckle.

“It completes the outfit.” He smirked, fixing the frames tighter on his face.

In all honestly I couldn’t disagree, they did make up the outfit.

“Oh? What did the army do to you? Suddenly caring about your looks and all.” Ji-Soo continued.

“Well, I think it makes him look really cool.” So-Hee commented, resting her chin in her palms.

“Yeah sure you do. Anyone hungry?” Ji-Soo asked, standing up as he did so.

“Should I grab you a plate?” Myung-Soo asked and I nodded only realising how famished I was. He gave me a knowing smile and went off with Ji-Soo to the catering area. I co