~ 2 years later (July 2021) ~

In-ah’s POV

“Congratulations on finishing your Ph.D,” my boss praised with a proud smile. “May I ask what you plan to do now, after achieving this milestone?”

“Well, I heard that every graduated Ph.D student has to do a post-doctoral,” I replied, some apprehension leaking into my voice. “So, I was wondering if I could continue on here? I love having you as my boss and the research team is very rewarding.” I prayed that he would accept.

“Of course! Why would I turn you away? You are certainly welcomed to stay here. However, there is a catch…” When my boss paused, I held my breath, dreading for the worst. “Would you be willing to go to Seoul, South Korea for a while? The other half of the project must be continued there at Hallym University.”

What? Going to Korea? By myself? I was astounded by the information. If I went, how would this affect me financially? And what about my family—how would they react? This was a huge step for me to take.

“Sorry for dropping that on you so suddenly. The news must be hard for you to swallow right away. Allow for me to explain.” He cleared his throat. “My friend, who was a classmate of mine, is currently a professor and a department head at Hallym University. She can help you get situated in Korea at my request. Your living expenses will be completely covered, and since you’ll be teaching a class, you will be given a salary as an adjunct professor. As for the project itself, I want you to personally oversee the research as the project lead.” My boss looked at me entreatingly; it was obvious that he wanted me on board with the idea.

“…Where would I live? When would I have to leave? How long would I have to stay?” I asked, curious but hesitant. Being in Korea was a sensitive topic for me. I have not been there since the death of a loved one. The loss had taken a toll on me and my family during my college years.

“My friend has an apartment that is currently unoccupied in Cheongdam-dong. From there, the university would only be about fifteen to twenty minutes away by bus. You would have to stay in Korea until the project is finished, and it will probably take up to a year to do so, depending on the timeline of the research. If you accept, then you will need to leave in a few days.” As he said this last line, my boss found the necessary paperwork for me to complete amongst his many stacks. He passed the paperwork over to me, which I clutched to my chest.

“Alright,” I conceded. “Let me talk to my parents about this first. I’ll turn in the paperwork tomorrow.”

I gave him a half-hearted smile, unsure of what the future might have in store for me…

~ 2 months later (September 2021) ~

In-ah’s POV

Today, the weather outside was my type of weather—a beautiful afternoon that was sunny yet also chilly. Autumn was my favorite season, no matter which country I was in. It was the season where I wore comfy clothes and covered myself in layers of blankets on weekend mornings.

It has been pretty peaceful—this gig I had in Korea. I was only required to teach a single class every Monday, while for the rest of the week, I either went to lab for project meetings or worked from home. Just as promised, the professor-in-charge, Kim Ji-yeon-sshi, had been very helpful in getting me situated when I arrived in Korea. However, only a few people knew how I was still affected from the last time I visited during a dreadful ordeal. The memories would rush back to me, leaving me numb and upset.

Presently, I was going out to enjoy my day-off. Equipped with my bag that held my laptop, my destination was the café nearest my apartment where I now frequented. I have to be honest: I was glad that I managed to find this café. It took me a long time to learn how to weave my way around the city and the university. Lab work was a piece of cake in comparison.

“One medium cappuccino please.”

One thing I was supremely grateful for but never really paid much mind to was my fluency in Korean. I didn’t have to go through the awkward struggle of learning a new language because my parents had already taught me. On the flip side, I had some trouble in reading and writing in Korean, which is why I studied using the self-help books my mentor had given me. Not only that, my research team and my students were always happy to help me when I needed it.

“That will be 5,000 won, miss.”

I graciously paid the right amount for my drink and got my receipt in return. I walked out of line to wait for my order, and when I did, a familiar voice called out my name, nailing me in place.

“In-ah-noona? How—what—why—?”

I wheeled around to meet the shocked faces of Jin-young and Mark.

Was this déjà vu or what? This was literally the second time I ran into them in a café.

But this time, it was also different. I wasn’t immediately fawning over them on the inside. That fangirl part of me had matured long ago.

Though extremely awkward, I waved timidly and spoke up. “Uhhhhh, hey, guys. It’s…funny seeing you here…of all places.”

I wanted to smack myself for that dumb remark. Why would it be funny? They lived in Seoul for goodness sake. It was their home.

When I heard the barista announce my order, I seized my chance to make a run for it. I hastily grabbed my coffee and swept past them, but it was all in vain, because suddenly there was a strong grip on my wrist. My wary gaze glanced at the large hand that was in contact with my body but didn’t belong to me, then my eyes traced up the limb, where I withheld a gulp at the sight of bulging veins, reaching the shoulder to the neck and finally to the no-nonsense expression on Mark’s face.

“We need to talk,” Mark enunciated firmly. He dragged me to a deserted table in the back, Jin-young wordlessly following.

“W-what are you guys doing here?” I asked grudgingly. For such a coincidental meeting to actually happen between me and any of the GOT7 members while in Korea had never really crossed my mind as probable. Ever since that painful confession at the airport, none of the members had contacted me, despite their promises that they would. Therefore, I had given up on hoping, reasoning that GOT7 had forgotten about me because they were busy. Seeing them now without having exchanged a single word since then was incredibly awkward.

“We were on our way to the office for a meeting,” Mark said in a calm, serious tone. Was it just me or was he always like this? “It’s fifteen minutes away from this café. But I should ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?”

Straightening up, I hardened my resolve and told him in a more confident manner, “I’m here on business. I work as a part-time professor at Hallym University, and I’m also the project lead for the research that is being completed here in partnership with my boss back in the US. This is all for my postdoctoral work, since I’m done with my Ph.D.”

Yup, here I am, a fangirl who was definitely not-fangirling because I had grown out of that silly, juvenile phase. I should pat myself on the back.

Jin-young threw me in a loop with the sincerity that laced his voice as he probed, “Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped if we’d known you were coming. You have our numbers.”

Was it not obvious why I didn’t? I slowly articulated my thoughts on this. “Because you’re idols, who are significantly busy with your own activities. Besides, after what happened at the airport before you left…”

When I purposefully trailed off, Jin-young intuitively knew what I was implying.

“Because of Jackson, right?” Jin-young sighed, vexed with worry. “I understand where you’re coming from. Ever since you rejected him, he went into a slump, and it took us a lot of effort to get him back on track. But even now, he has it rough, bottling up those emotions of his.”

Mark patted my arm, smiling optimistically. “Hey, but now that you’re here anyways, let’s meet up for dinner tonight. Our treat,” he offered. “I’ll invite the other members, as well. And even if I have to drag him by his toes, I’ll make sure Jackson shows up, too. There’s this delicious restaurant nearby this café, which means it should be close to where you live, if you come here often. Sound good?”

I was quite puzzled why Mark would propose to have dinner so suddenly after getting reacquainted. On the other hand, seeing GOT7 again sounded tempting. I sure did miss them…

“Alright, deal.” I nodded, my smile half-hearted. “Meet you at the restaurant at seven, then.”

…I did miss Jackson, but how would he feel seeing me again after I turned him down like that?

Jackson’s POV

“Yah, Mark-hyung! Where are you? You said to be here by seven o’clock, but it’s been fifteen minutes already,” I groused, tapping my foot impatiently.

“Don’t worry, I’m almost there,” Mark-hyung replied chirpily through the phone. “Bit of traffic here, that’s all. Oh, before I forget—there’s a friend coming, too. Please accommodate her when she gets there.”

I was instantly intrigued by this new tidbit of information. “Friend? What friend? Who is it? This girl I don’t know about?”

My rapid-fire questions only received a snicker in return. “Oh, you’ll see!” Then he disconnected the call.

I frowned in bewilderment. What was up with Mark-hyung today? And Jin-young, for that matter. The two of them have been acting shifty since the concept meeting this morning. I was on the verge of growling in frustration. They better not be pulling a prank on me.

Bored and restless, I fiddled with my phone. As I went through the apps, I was absent-minded until I was alerted by a woman’s voice—a voice that sounded gentle and clear and would remain forever dear to my heart.

“Hello. I’m here for dinner. Is there a table booked under the name Park Jin-young?”

The attendant confirmed the woman’s inquiry and provided her the directions to the reserved table. I sat up rigidly in my chair, now hyper-aware of the click of heels that approached my direction. My mind was glued to two facts: 1) this woman was a friend of Mark’s, and 2) she had an achingly familiar voice.

But it couldn’t be, right? Because that person was on the other side of the world, far away from me.

I’m just overthinking things. It could be someone else.

Or not.

“J-J-Jackson?”

Every cell in my body froze.

I jumped to my feet and spun around. There she was, in the flesh, the woman who effortlessly stole my heart and did not give me hers in return.

I stood there, gaping at Choi In-ah as she stared back at me with complete shock written all over her face. This had to be a trick, my mind screamed at me. Mark and Jin-young were messing with me, and they were going to be sorry after.

Finally, I heaved a big breath and forced my mouth to operate. “In-ah? What are you doing here? In Korea?” Because my self-control was shot, my voice was loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear me. I quickly bowed, sorry for the outburst. This was not the place to make a scene. Knowing this, I grabbed In-ah’s wrist and led her outside.

Although we were no longer in a crowded area, I kept on walking, not releasing In-ah’s wrist. We needed a quieter place to talk—a private place to talk. Frustrated and astonished as I was, I knew I was going to have another outburst.