“Hey wild girl. What are you up to these days?”

Kang Haneul ruffled the familiar head of abundant hair and slid right next to the overly bundled girl with very pretty eyes in this quaint coffee shop of Gangnam-do, Seoul.

“Nothing much and stop calling me that.” Without skipping a beat nor sparing him a glance, said girl swat my wrist away, sipped her coffee then proceed to bury her face in her schoolbook.

“Yah! Nam Ji Hyun-ssi! I was just recently discharged from the military and haven’t seen you for like a year and a half and this is how you greet me?” Haneul frowns.

Silence.

“Yah. You-You-You’re the one who called me out here in this cold place, away from my very comfy blanket and very comfy bed. You could at least raise your head and properly look at me. Hey!” I poked her.

More silence.

“YAAAAAH!!!!”

With eyes full of unrestrained mischief, Nam Ji Hyun slowly raised her head and smiled, brightening the somewhat gloomy afternoon.

And from behind the counter, several of our friends came out boisterously singing with party poppers, cakes, drinks and party hats. Two of them, the burly ones, tackled me to the floor and sprayed me with I believed to be beer. I was hopelessly powerless.

“Congratulations with the discharge Haneul-yah!!!!”

“You’re a man now. A man!”

“I bet they found you extremely useless thus they kicked you out!”

In such a loud yet sentimental setting and surrounded by familiar people, I struggled not to tear up and tried to look up from the hugs engulfing me. Then I met that warm, wide-eyed stare just across me and can still see that smirking girl just waiting to quip.

“What?” I frowned, challenging that look of mischief she’s sporting.

“Welcome back, oppa.” She walked over, tackled me like a wrestler and gave me the warmest of hugs while mumbling, “Thank you for returning safe and healthy.”

Chuckling, I hugged her back and said, “You’re still cheeky and as handful as ever. How many hearts have you broken now?”

 “Just mine...” she whispered.

That startled me. I tried looking at her face but she won’t budge from hugging me. That’s weird. Did she finally fall in love while I was gone? What’s this niggling feeling?

I hugged her tighter, rolled my eyes and whispered back, “Yah, stop fishing that wallet off my back pockets, that’s so unlady-like. This is why you’re a wild girl.”

“No I’m not.”

“Let it go.” Clenching my teeth, I muttered slowly, “Now.”

“No.”

“Yah”, I whispered. “I know what you’re up to and this is so not the time or the place to do it. Do you want me to die from embarrassment right after being discharged? Let go Ji Hyunnie!”

“No!” Then she finally swiped my wallet and ran around the shop like a child with her first ice cream. Cackling like the little devil that she is. I dread the moment she opens her pretty mouth.

“IU unnie! Ji-Eun unnie! Come here! I wanna show you something amazing.. come here, quick!”