It's been two years since I last saw you
Still wish that I run into you
'Cause I know that you're still in our hometown

And maybe you never wanna see me
And I understand if you don't want to
But I will never forget you (I will never forget you)

- Wish I Was Better, Kina, Yaeow

“Noona! Noona, tell me when you get on the plane, okay? I’ll wait on the bed and leave the house an hour before you’re going to arrive. Oh, Noona! I’m so happy you’re coming back. This is the best day of the entire year!” Jisung rambled on the phone and I chuckled, looking at my younger brother’s face on my phone screen. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, Jisung beaming at me.

“I’ll be there soon enough. It’s a fourteen-hour flight, Jisung. Don’t worry, I’ll call you when I’m there. I can find my way home.” I told my younger brother who told me he had a surprise for me. “Hmm… What kind of surprise? Nothing that would make me feel weird, right?”

“No, you’ll feel proud of me, I promise!” Jisung chirped and I chucked. “Okay, I’ll keep my phone right next to me and put three alarms. See you, Noona. Safe flight!”

I smiled at him through the screen while I checked in. I placed my passport on the counter, waiting for the process to be done when my phone rang once more. Glancing at the screen, I saw that it was from one of my closest friends.

“You in the airport?” he asked and I gave a hum. “I’m sorry I can’t pick you up, my sister is going crazy because of her coming exam so I’m a bit occupied.”

“Don’t worry about it, Doyoung,” I told him. I knew how much of a handful his sister was and it was good to know that part didn’t change. “I’ll see you for a whole year anyway. I’ll tell you when I reach Seoul.”

“You do that. I’ll call you when I have time—Oi! Stop climbing up the railings!” I heard Doyoung yell out when a crash sounded.

“Is Bunny okay?” I asked him, Doyoung giving me an exasperated sigh.

“You really have nicknames for everyone, don’t you?” he asked back. “Anyway, keep your phone on you. Have a safe flight.”

And with that, he hung up. I closed my eyes knowing that I had to mentally prepare myself. I grabbed my passport and headed to the lounge to board my flight.

Two years.

Two years away from home. Two years away from family. A sacrifice for a better future and words to be put under my achievements in my resume. But that was real life, wasn’t it? The things we did to make sure we reached for the stars and to show people how competent we were.

The world did not slow down for anyone and I always found myself striving for perfection.

But now, it was back to Seoul, N-City.

Home.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The flight was uneventful and I gathered up my luggage. I received a call from my mother that Jisung had left the house an hour before he was supposed to. I was close to my brother and despite the distance between us the past two years, we managed to keep in contact and we both adored each other very much.

Our parents brought us up well, in a loving environment with ongoing support in whatever we wanted to do. Jisung was now in his freshmen year in Advertising and Broadcasting and I was now going to take my last senior year at SM University after my two-year exchange.

I was looking forward to everything except one thing—seeing Jaehyun again.

My relationship with Jaehyun was childish at best. Friends to lovers from the end of junior year to the end of the first year in university.

He blamed it on long-distance, and I blamed it on him.

I finished collecting my luggage, walking out of the international arrival entrance. Seoul looked different, but then maybe it was the seven hundred thirty days since I have seen it. My shoes clicked against the ground and right when I reached the third exit where Jisung said he would be, I saw him standing there with a banner.

Oh my god.

“Noona! No one!” he yelled, waving the banner in the air. My eyes almost popped out of my sockets when I saw how tall he was. I have always talked to Jisung but I never knew how tall he has grown, my arms widening to engulf him into a hug. My brother dropped the banner, leaning down to hug me tightly.

“Jisung! You grew so tall!” I exclaimed and Jisung beamed, turning red. “Let me look at you. You’ve grown!”

I grabbed his arm, turning him around in front of me as Jisung happily rotated. I hugged him again, reaching up to pat his cheek. I glanced at the banner to see that he printed my face on it with the words “WELCOME BACK TO SEOUL, MY NOONA!” and as embarrassed as I was, I wouldn’t tell that to him.

A+ for effort, Jisung.

“Noona, I brought a car because I got my driving license,” Jisung chattered, dragging the luggage behind him, another hand going to grab mine. “and at first it was so hard to pass because I kept hitting the curb but then I finally nailed it! Do you want to see my card? It’s in my pocket, I’ll show you at home. I was sleepy though and my eyes were uneven like Johnny Hyung.”

“Is that so?” I mused, walking to the airport parking lot with my brother who was running out of breath. “Let me do it, Jisung. Give that to me.”

“No, Noona. You must be tired after that fourteen-hour flight. I’ll do it. It’s this car. Get on, Noona.” Jisung told me and I saw a sleek black car in front of me. I was about to ask him if my parents bought him a car but then my train of thought was disrupted by Jisung trying to lift the luggage to the back of the car.

He was still Jisung.

A tall baby.

I chuckled, helping him with my luggage before I entered the car. I really hoped that my brother getting his license was because he was a good driver. I watched as Jisung inserted the key and start the car, pulling down the hand break almost expertly.

Okay. Seemed like he knew what he was doing.

The car skidded and I felt the car surge forward, Jisung apologizing.

“Sorry, Noona. I pressed the accelerator instead,” he told me and I cleared my throat nervously, a hand going up to hold the handle above the car window.

We finally made our way out of the airport and before I knew it, we have reached the N-City district.

It was a neighborhood I grew up in with Exodus Highschool and SM University being a landmark. Jisung whistled, driving past the 127 Mall and I saw that it had gone through a massive renovation. It was bigger and they had added another building. I leaned my head against the window, watching my surroundings change when I realized that he drove past our street.

“Jisung, I think you drove the wrong way,” I said to him and he shook his head, insisting that it was the right way. “Really? Did they make another shortcut or—”

“Oh no, Noona. This car is Jaehyun hyung’s car so I have to give it back! He told me to borrow it to pick you up so I did and… Oh, there he is!”

My eyes widened, going to see that we were nearing the Jung residence. I saw Jung Jaehyun with his denim jacket, squinting when the car headlights approached. I panicked, ducking at the sight of my ex-boyfriend.

“Jisung! Why did you- Drive away! Drive away!” I ordered Jisung who seemed unbothered by my demand.

“Why, Noona? Jaehyun Hyung is right there! Look, he’s waiting!” Jisung said, braking the car so it was right in front of the Jung’s house. I squealed, seeing Jaehyun try to see past the window.

this.

I scrambled over the front seat to the back seat, hiding behind it.

“Why are you shy, Noona? You dated him.”

“Exactly, Jisung.” I hissed at my younger brother who finally understood why.

“Oooh,” he mumbled and the back door opened but I covered my face with my hands, Jaehyun speaking.

“Welcome back to Korea.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I had to move back up on the seat because of how cramped it was but Jaehyun offered to drive us back to our house which was in a different street. But I covered my face with my jacket, my arms crossed over my chest in defiance. I would kill Jisung once we reached home.

“Seems like your Noona is not very welcoming of my presence,” Jaehyun said from the front with Jisung. I could see a little bit past the material of my jacket and I saw Jaehyun look into the rearview mirror.

“I don’t understand. Hyung, what did you do to her? You broke my noona! I just got her back!” Jisung complained and Jaehyun gave a low chuckle. “Should I take out the jacket—”

I saw Jisung’s hand brushed against my jacket and I slapped his hand away.

“Jisung, you’re dead to me,” I said and I heard him whine.

“Oh no. My noona hates me!” Jisung cried and Jaehyun told him that I was just tired from the trip. “That better be true, Hyung. Besides, Noona. I think you gained weight. We must let you eat a lot of kimchi! It’s been a while, innit?”

I felt the car come to a stop.

“Go and get your sister’s luggage,” Jaehyun told Jisung, my brother saying something back. The door opened and when I peeked out from underneath the jacket, I saw that we were already in front of my house. I reached out to try to open the door but there was a click and I saw that Jaehyun had locked the doors.

“Jung Jaehyun!” I said his name, Jaehyun turning to look at me from the front seat. “Open the door, right now!”

“Finally, you’re talking to me,” he mused, lifting himself. What was he doing? I watched Jaehyun climb over the seats and I pressed my back against the door, Jaehyun lowering himself to the back seat in front of me. “Really? Two years of not seeing me and you want to run away?”

“What do you want?”

“First, remove that jacket from your face,” Jaehyun told me and I ducked, covering my face with my hands. “Look, you’re back after a long time. Isn’t it better if we be friends?”

I rolled my eyes under the cover of my jacket. Friends? He was the one who broke up with me and now he wants to be friends? I let out a sigh, finally lowering the jacket to see him looking at me.

Jung Jaehyun, his face bringing me back memories of when we were together.

“We aren’t meant to be friends, Jaehyun,” I said, Jaehyun’s eyes lowering to my phone that was on my lap. “I know what you’re trying to do—”

“What am I trying to do? I’m welcoming you back,” Jaehyun said, grabbing my phone. The reflexes of this man! I jolted t