Chapter 4

It’s a Sunday. The sunlight is peeking from Jinu’s curtain-covered windows in his bedroom and his alarm is ringing loudly, 7:00. Too early for Jinu to wake up on a Sunday actually. But Jinu slightly opened his eyes and reached for his phone to put the alarm off.

Five minutes, he thought. He is still very sleepy because for someone who has an early meeting the next morning, he stayed up late with his friends in the Joyous Dance Studio. They were celebrating a birthday. The interview he did with Gabby was also released yesterday, so that was also one for celebration.

Jinu’s alarm went off again, five minutes over. He groaned as he kicked his blanket off and slowly got up. He reached for his phone and turned the alarm off. He saw that Seulgi already sent him a message at 6:18. He wonders how the hell can his bestfriend wake up early every time, even if he was sure she was hammered from last night.

“Hey, wake up! 😊 Are we going to meet there or do you want me to pick you up?” Seulgi’s message read.

Jinu started typing, “Morning, mate! No time to prep breakfast, how about we meet at the coffee shop and get takeaway food before going? My treat. 😊” and pressed sent. He typed again, “How can you be up so early? Weren’t you hammered last night?”

Jinu did not wait for Seulgi’s reply and got up to prepare. They are meeting with the dean and a professor from the university for a project. Their alma mater was holding a charity event and they were invited to prepare for a performance.

Fifteen minutes later, Jinu was already out the door. He did not ask Seulgi to pick him up because he wanted to go to the university by commute, the same way he went there everyday years ago. So he rode the train and watched the view from the window. The view was the same but the feeling seems a bit different.

Four stops and fifteen minutes after, Jinu arrived at his stop and walked towards the coffee shop. Jinu entered the coffee shop and he was greeted by the beautiful owner, “Hey, Jinu. How have you been doing?” while giving him a warm hug.

Jinu looked at the lady in front of her and smiled, “Hi, Dara noona. It’s been a long time.” Jinu looked around the coffee shop. “I’m doing great, noona. Not much has changed here, I see. But I noticed you changed the open/close sign hanging on the door.” Jinu pointed at the new sign he saw.

“You noticed that?” Dara asked.

“Of course, noona. How could I not when for so many years I was the one flipping them? Good riddance, by the way.” Jinu laughed.

Dara smiled. “Yeah, good riddance. Anyway, Seulgi’s just in the powder room.” Dara looked at the young man who was cleaning a table, “Mashi, can you get that takeaway I prepared?” The young man nodded and went towards the counter and took the bag of takeaway food and coffee. Just in time, Seulgi arrived and stood beside Jinu. Dara handed each of them coffee and a bag of takeaway food. “That’s on the house. Seulgi told me you are heading for a meeting. But make sure you eat that, okay?”

Jinu looked at Dara and nodded. Just as the coffee shop did not change much, so was his Dara-noona, still nice, caring and thoughtful.

Both Jinu and Seulgi waved Dara goodbye and promised to return another day for a visit.

Jinu and Seulgi started eating while walking towards their university building.

“Dara-unnie is still as nice as ever.” Seulgi started. “I remember how she cared for you during our university years.”

“Yeah, I remembered how she was willing to invite me to her apartment when I was kicked out of mine. I had to insist that I can stay in the small supplies room at the coffee shop until the apartment I was transferring to is ready.”

“Hey! I also invited you to come with me.” Seulgi said slightly pouting.

 “Yes. And you are still my bestfriend.” Jinu laughed, “Hey, our bench is still there!” Jinu said pointing at a bench under a tree in front of the building. Jinu ran toward the bench and motioned Seulgi to do the same. When Jinu reached the bench, he immediately looked under it. “It’s still here.”

Seulgi did the same and she saw what Jinu was talking about. It was their initials carved under the bench. “KS x KJ x LS”. Seulgi nodded, "Still there." Then, she and Jinu sat at the bench to finish their food and coffee. Seulgi looked at Jinu concerned. It was not only their initials that was there. But her concern melts away when she saw Jinu beam at her. I guess she need not worry anymore.

Actually, this morning, Seulgi woke up to seeing her friend’s name trending on social media and search engines. Another familiar name was also there, Lee Seunghoon. Seulgi found out that Hoon was trending because he arrived yesterday. In addition to that, Jinu and Hoon’s names were also trending together because of the old video that came up during the interview with Gabby.

He scanned some comments. Some were good but there were others that she preferred her friend will never see. ‘These crazy fans and antis. Hating for no reason. Assuming things they know nothing about.’

Seulgi looked at her friend Jinu and thought, ‘Good thing you are not into social media.’

Seulgi woke from her thoughts when Jinu looked at her and asked, “What?”

“Huh?” Seulgi bewildered with the sudden question.

“You are biting your lips. Is there anything bothering you? You do that biting your lower lip thing whenever something’s bothering you.” Jinu said.

“Nothing.” Seulgi blinked. “I’m just worried a little. Like this little” Seulgi demonstrated how little with her thumb and index finger. “I know some people we are meeting today are not your favorite people of the past.”

“I’m fine, Seulgi.” Jinu closed his eyes and stretches his arms out as though he was embracing the sun. “It’s for charity, for a good cause.”

Seulgi smiled, closed her eyes and faced the sun as well. “You’re right. This is for a good cause. Besides, we are just meeting them to formalize things. They will not be joining our rehearsals or the performance.”

Seulgi grabbed Jinu’s hand and stood up. “C’mon. Let’s get this over and done with so we can enjoy the rest of the Sunday.”

Jinu and Seulgi went inside the building and was greeted by the secretary of the dean. “The dean and Mr. Lee is already inside waiting for you both.”

So it was still Mr. Lee Seunghyun in charge of events like this. Seulgi thought as she looked at her watch, they were still five minutes early. It’s unusual for the dean to come early on a conference.

The secretary opened the door to the conference room and motioned both Jinu and Seulgi to come in. They both bowed to the secretary as she left.

Seulgi was the one to come in first and she suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as she saw who was sitting beside the dean. It was not the Lee they were expecting to see. But rather, it was the very same person she saw trending this morning, Lee Seunghoon.

Seulgi looked at her friend who is now standing beside her and she can tell her friend is just as surprised as she was.