Kwangjin is a hard worker, he worked his way up to climb the ladder in the company, and he impressed his boss and colleagues of what he can do. He was even there when the company need someone to replace a worker who had to withdraw because of personal issues, and also be the one who stayed late even after work hours to complete his assignment.

He served his title as ‘General Manager’, because of his hard work.

He has a good life, money, wealth and his parent’s debt has been paid off. Even managed to repair that broken rooftop that his mother would always complain about because of their lack of money. He would want to send his parents off to a vacation, or somewhere, if not for his parents to deny his request and ask him to find a good girlfriend.

Now.

Girlfriend.

Kwangjin does have someone in his life, it’s just a bit… complicated.

He does have a girlfriend, with much hassle, because she doesn’t want to indulge herself with commitment and disappointment in the future life.

Kang Eunhee.

Unlike his neighbour Lee Seunghyub who were clearly have his sight on the same gendered choice of a partner (which Seunghyub had revealed during their days of drinking together at the pub and Seunghyub had blurted out that fact of his that made Kwangjin be awkward to him the next day but Seunghyub reassures that he didn’t think of Kwangjin of more than just a good friend and a neighbour).

Kwangjin was more normal. His life wasn’t. He had met his girlfriend during college days, cliché, but his life is boring, unlike the other two. His girlfriend was on a different study, mostly on the Ethics and Communication while Kwangjin was in the ol’ Business major. They didn’t bump into each other that much, but they do have few classes together.

They didn’t even acknowledge each other until one day his girlfriend accidentally drop her cup of coffee (She tripped on Kwangjin’s bag on the floor while walking towards the back seat) on Kwangjin’s laptop, and that got his rusty laptop to misbehaved and shut down.

Kwangjin almost cried because of that. He would have failed his subject, and sooner or later he would have to drop college and go back to his parents, trying to scrap any work that he can.

But luckily, his girlfriend was not those typical y and grumpy college students, and offered for him to use her laptop while she willingly uses her own money (and her parents’ wrath after her making that mistake) to send Kwangjin’s laptop to the shop and have it repaired. Kwangjin refused, but decided to not argue with it because he doesn’t have any sort of method to find another laptop to in a short amount of time. And being a starving college student, he doesn’t have that much money either, even working at a convenience store doesn’t do him mercy of buying something that expensive, especially a laptop. He even got that old laptop from his cousin who haven’t uses it after he got a job somewhere else, not needing to use the laptop anymore.

“I’m so sorry about it. Here, you can use my laptop in the meantime. Finish your work while your laptop gets sorted out,” She says, pulling out her laptop out from her bag and place it on his lap while she cleaned the damp desk with her tissue and sweater.

Kwangjin snapped out of his misery and stopped her from damaging her clothes, taking out his napkin and wipe it off the rest.

“It’s okay, I can have it fixed, somehow.”

“No, I won’t allow that. I feel bad because I got coffee on your laptop. It was my fault. I’ll help you to bring this laptop to the shop to have it fixed, no compromises!” she stared at him, deadpanned, as she let out her stern tone at him.

Kwangjin nodded at her, feeling helpless and scared because it felt like he was being threatened, although he was twice her size.

“But it would cost a lot of money to fix that,” Kwangjin pointed to his old laptop. His girlfriend looks down at the rusty crap of his, and shrugged.

“I can handle it. Don’t worry. Just worry about your assignment.”

“But you need to do your assignment too!” Kwangjin’s eyes are wide, remembering that she was in his class too. She grinned a little, pointing to her laptop on his lap.

“Looks like we have to share.”

In the time of his laptop being sent to the shop to get fixed, Kwangjin has been using her laptop, finishing his assignment before he has to give the laptop back to her so that she can use to complete hers too.

Sometimes it was more like Kwangjin who are diligent in doing his work, while his girlfriend was busy procrastinating around, reading books and writing, not even paying attention to her assignment. Kwangjin had to remind her every single time that her assignment could be due anytime, and she would have to stay up late to finish it, but her girlfriend shrugged it off, telling him to not worry about it.

And Kwangjin’s worries came true, when she called him on a late night, asking for his help. Kwangjin rushed into some 24/7 fast food joint, meeting her, seeing her disheveled figure sitting in one of the booths in the lonely corner, muttering curses and typing hastily on the keyboard, not even noticing Kwangjin coming to her.

“I told you so,” Kwangjin sighed, scotting next to her and take her papers, while she was already in tears of joy after seeing Kwangjin’s presence next to her.

“I know, you can tell me that after I finish this paper!” she sniffed, wiping away her tears before listening to what Kwangjin have to explain to her about the paper. Luckily, it was something that Kwangjin was familiar about, so she doesn’t have to search too far.

After a couple of hours before the dawn, they finished the paper. She cried for finally finishing her paper, and Kwangjin sat next to her, chiding her to not make the same mistakes again in the future.

In order to celebrate their success, they stayed at the fast food joint, ordering some snacks and talk till the sunrise, before having to pack up and get back to their dorms, prepping for their morning classes.

Oh, they look horrible that day.

But when the papers are submitted, she leaped into his arms, with him twirling around and had the lecturer be amused at their antics. It was like they were about to graduate, but Kwangjin and Eunhee didn’t care.

When they realised of how intimate they were doing, they pull back from each other, laughing awkwardly at each other before bidding each other goodbye before catching up to another class.

Both of their hearts leaped, no joke.

When Kwangjin’s laptop got fixed, Eunhee returned it to him, expecting no payment. But all Kwangjin does is to ask her out for dinner, at the same fast food joint that sealed their fate together.

They talked, laughed and spend their time together, despite having classes tomorrow.

Kwangjin did not deny of his attraction towards his girlfriend. Even with his laptop back to his possession, He didn’t want to lose contact from her. He kept on texting her, asking to meet up and study together. Not that his girlfriend had anything else to do than being cramped in her room either.

They spent a lot of time together. They shared their tears over their subjects, lecturers and annoying classmates together, and have their regular meet up at the same fast food joint (Which the workers and manager even knew their names and faces by now) to work on their assignment together (mostly because of the free WIFI, student’s luxury tbh).

Kwangjin also knew that she worked part time in a bookstore, mainly because it’s safe compared to his work at the convenience store, where some mishaps can happen. Kwangjin even made his effort to travel to her work place, always wanting to fetch her and walk her back to the dorm, with much arguing from her side.

And did his girlfriend notices his feelings? Not that much. She had kept her feelings hidden inside with much protection because of not wanting to disappoint herself and her future partner if nothing goes well.

But Kwangjin was well aware of that, and didn’t stop pursuing her.

The only thing that separates them for a while is when they have internship at different times. Kwangjin had to go for his intern a month early and she has to go for hers a month before he finishes. They couldn’t meet each other during the hellish 6 months, only able to contact with each other via calls and texts.

His feelings still stayed the same for her, even when she finishes her internship, with him waiting at their favourite hangout place at an odd hour with their food ready.

He confessed to her at that time, and she finally accepts, after being quiet for some time, thinking about it.

But it doesn’t mean that it was all butterflies and candy every single time.

Kwangjin was kinda clingy on the first few months, always asking her whereabouts, needing her updates about her day and classes, without even caring about himself. Love can make him crazy, and Kwangjin even misses his classes and almost forgot his assignments if Eunhee didn’t remind him about it.

When Kwangjin barely passed his midterm, Eunhee almost broke up with him because of his too much time spent with her. They fought for a while, before ending up sitting next to each other and their backs on the wall, being in a comfortable but heavy silence for an hour.

Kwangjin got back on his feet after that, studying and attending his classes diligently like he used to before he met her. And they reconciled their relationship again.

Reaching their last years together in college, things starting to get rockier.

They weren’t able to spend time with each other that much because of their time spent on their classes, and not having classes together anymore, they had to cope with meeting at irregular times so that they could still be in other presence and reassure themselves with their strong relationship.

Although jealousy was out of the way during their relationship, there are some minor moments that made them debate.

Back when Kwangjin had to be partnered up with another girl in his class. It was pure platonic, it’s what assignment partner does, but when Kwangjin even forgot his date with Eunhee because he had to finish his assignment with his partner that one time, she was furious. Even more furious to see him with a girl working closely together.

And at that time when Eunhee was seen with another guy at the library, discussing about the topic in class and have heated argument about it, Kwangjin was not happy. She even declined his calls because of too caught up with the discussion. Kwangjin had to track her the whole day and seeing her all red faced and frustrated look coming out of the library with another guy, he was about to pummel that guy to the ground if not for her to stop him.

They argued and make up every single time. They didn’t take those small things to their heart and have it resolved no matter what.

Until things happened.

They were job hunting, wanting to find jobs before they graduated. Kwangjin had hoped for some office jobs, because it is considered stable to him and he can climb his way up if he works hard enough, even though the chances are not that great, but he’s going to try.

As for his girlfriend, she hoped for something bigger. Unbeknownst to Kwangjin, she had submitted her applications to companies outside Korea, and had kept to herself until the day that both of them got their answers.

Kwangjin was ecstatic to be able to get his position as an employee at one of his choices, but his smile falters when his girlfriend handed her letters, in English, and her smiles weak.

Kwangjin’s heart was crushed at that moment when Eunhee told him the truth.

Kwangjin didn’t want to see her for a week, trying to collect himself from his shock of the news. Eunhee didn’t contact him for the first few days, but then she started to do so when Kwangjin wasn’t even trying to see her, scared that he would want to end their relationship for real.

Also unbeknownst to Eunhee, Kwangjin had planned to take her to meet his parents during graduation, have a nice dinner and talk, and be presented as his girlfriend officially, maybe even talk about marriage at some point because that’s what his parents would want.

But everything was ruined. His girlfriend is planning to move away to another country and leave him after graduation. He was devastated.

This time, Eunhee is the one chasing him until his dorm, explaining her behaviors of doing so behind his back. Kwangjin was glad that his roommate decided to stay out of the way and not being present in the room when they were arguing.

He argued about her not caring about his feelings.

She argued back about him not caring about her feelings.

“But I want to introduce you to my parents after graduation!”

That got Eunhee to stop yelling at him. Kwangjin was red in the face, frustrated. Expecting her to say sorry and hug him as usual, she looks down to her feet, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry. I’m not ready to take another step in our relationship.”

And she left his room, leaving Kwangjin hanging at that spot.