“Let’s start over.” She gave him a smile.

“You sure you’re okay with me?”

“Yes, absolutely.” She moved to pick up the bouquet of flowers and buried her nose in the petals, lifting her gaze to his. “They’re beautiful.” She leaned over and kissed his chin. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled, the expression on his face relaxed.

“By the way, was that the only time you went to Seoul to see me?” She asked. “Because you mentioned me walking down Yeouido like I owned the place.”

“Over the next few years, I’ve heard about you from uncle. Sunhee told uncle that you had graduated high school and got accepted at two of the SKY universities. You graduated college and got hired at the company you liked. Sunhee also mentioned that she heard you had a boyfriend and wanted to meet him, but that she probably won’t be able to because you didn’t plan on coming back to town. When I knew that, I thought you had moved on and so I also started to date and maybe move on from you too.”

So he didn’t start to date seriously until he learned that she started to date someone else? She continued to listen intently.

He pulled out a bottle of wine and uncorked it. “The next time I saw you was when you came back here for your mother and my uncle’s wedding. You were cold and aloof. And then you had that outburst, you were so mad at your mom and sister. Everyone thought badly of you. But I knew you weren’t that unreasonable and I thought I saw pain in your eyes. So I went to Seoul a few days after you went back, to see and make sure you were fine. That’s when I saw you coming out of your office during lunch time and walking down the streets confidently. You were still cold and aloof. So I thought you’d really changed. But then instead of entering a high end restaurant, you turned into a small alley. I got curious and followed you there. It turns out you went inside this small bookshop tucked in the far end of the alley.

You walked through the shelves, picked up a book and just started reading it there. It reminded me of the first time that I saw you in the library back in high school. Back then you sometimes forget to eat lunch. That's how much you love books and reading. And I thought, maybe, just maybe, there’s still a bit of the Eri I knew left in there.”

"You were my stalker, I see." She grinned. “So, did you fall in love with me all over again?”

“I think I kinda did."

She was only teasing but she didn't know he'd answer so honestly.

"But I was seeing someone that time so I got confused. After making sure you were fine, I went back here. Then throughout my uncle and your mom's marriage, I continued to hear from you and see you through the photos Sunhee showed. You were doing so well, living your dreams in the big city far from here.” He handed her a glass of wine. “So how did the meeting go?”

The question brought Eri back to the present. Maybe it was his way of moving past the past and to the current them. Well, she did suggest they start over. “It went really well, I think.” She said, and told him about the meeting.

He asked questions as she laid out how she planned to move with their case. But he seemed to be more interested in the part where Jungkook offered to use his celebrity influence to win over the board.

She accepted the offer because it would be a really big help. A national athlete who came from an unknown high school in a small town is a success story that would sway over anyone. But when he asked his third question about the athlete, she tilted her head. “Jungkook and I are long over, you know.”

His lips flattened.

“And we only dated for a few months. It would be unfair to him if we continued when everytime I look at him… it would remind me of you.” She took a sip.

“Still, he kissed you, held you and–“

She giggled. “Are you jealous?”

“What if I am?”

She could understand. After all, she also spent years thinking he and her sister dated. And that there was a possibility of them getting back and ending up together because they lived in the same small town. And it didn't feel good. “Well, whatever Jungkook and I did, I did it with you first.” She reminded him, hoping that would assure him. “All my firsts were with you.” Even though she said that, he just recently confessed that he regretted what happened that night, though it wasn't about what happened but the way it happened. So she needs to move on to another topic. “Also, Namjoon was very nice tonight. He apologized.”

“That’s something at least.” He said. “You’re doing a great job Eri, I’m proud of you.” Then he tucked her hair behind her ear. “I should’ve been there. I’m sorry I wasn’t.”

“It’s alright.” She carefully set down the glass of wine to pull out the food from the hamper. “I heard you were helping out Dana because Namjoon couldn’t leave me at the venue.” She said as she took out the burgers and set it between them on the blanket.

While they eat, Seokjin fills her in regarding the crafthouse. The reason why he had to leave town urgently was not for a delivery, but he personally went to decline the potential buyer of the crafthouse. He plans on keeping it. He’d changed his mind after what she did to the place.

She was glad to know that he was keeping her mother's crafthouse. And that she influenced him on that decision.

He initially just wanted to close the place to stop paying taxes, not sell it. But then that potential buyer saw the crafthouse and offered to buy the place. He also told her that the only reason Miyoung knew about it is not because he told her, but because she knew the potential buyer. An old acquaintance of her sister from college who saw Bunhong as a potential tourist destination and wanted to put up a restaurant to replace the old crafthouse.

She just nodded. Everything is making sense.

He also came clean about his financial status. He’s not broke. The reason why he is living in the small hanok was because the place was her mother’s. When his father died, their house seemed too big for her to live alone once her sons moved out. So she bought the small hanok where she planned to retire and live the rest of her life. Seokjin felt guilty that his mom didn't get to live in the hanok because she suddenly passed away while he was also still in the academy. So after graduating and the funeral was over, he went straight to do his mandatory service. That was his way of coping up with his mother’s death, by being busy, following a strict routine everyday. He was heartbroken, he didn’t know what else to do at that time. And when he was discharged after the incident at the DMZ, he went straight to live in the hanok alone.

She liked that he was comfortable enough to confide in her. She just wished she could’ve been there for him just like when she was there when he lost his father back then.

And when he said that he lives off the land, he didn’t lie. Though instead of physically plowing and taking care of the fields, he’s the owner of it. He bought a few hectares from the money his parents left for him. While Namjoon’s share is still sitting in the bank. But he’ll probably splurge once his baby is born.