Watching her feels surreal. Is she really there? If I extend my hand, will my finger find fabric and skin or only air? She sounds real. She laughs the same way she used to. Almost. She used to go full in. Is she restraining herself? She must feel awkward. The Yongsun I used to know hated the slightest discomfort, she ran away every time. I would know, because sometimes I was the source of it and so, she ran away from me. Am I making her uncomfortable now? I didn’t say anything weird nor rude… I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

I need another beer.

- “Refill for anyone?

- Yeah, I ran out.”

Wheein always crushes her cans just a little when she finishes one. I’m not sure where she picked up the habit. Yongsun arrived 40 minutes ago or so and only two cans are next to her, crushed. She’s taking it slow tonight it seems.

- “Same one?

- Should we step it up unnie?

- Hell yes.”

Here she is. Ah! That damn thing again. One day I’ll really knock that plant over. What did Hyejin called it again?

- “Unnie, how many times do you have to trip over my baby?

- Your baby? Gross.

- Don’t talk about her that way. I rescued her. Show some respect!”

Alright, I’m gonna match her drama then.

- “I’m deeply sorry, miss baby plastic plant.”

And… a bow. Ah, my favourite sound: laughter. Music to my hear, especially when it’s caused by me.

- “Unnie you’re so dumb! It’s called a Rubber Tree… You’re unbelievable.

- Right! So, you sure you don’t want anything else Hyejinie?

- We’re low on potato chips over here.

- Alright. Yongsun?”

Ah, she is looking at me. It must be what? The third time? Once when she came in, once when I asked Wheein about Ggomo, and now.

- “I’m good, thank you!

- Ok!”

“Ok?” Really? No better answer than “Ok”? This small break is welcome, I guess. I’ll need to find my cool back. The conversation is going pretty well, unexpectedly. Well, Yongsun acted like nothing happened, that was no surprise. But I didn’t expect Hyejin to go with it that easily. Even Wheein loosened up. It took longer, but they are all chatting, catching up like it was normal to have to do so much of it. I mean I know they miss her but… why doesn’t she have to fight just a little, for once? She made them try so hard to keep in touch, and she made them fail at it. This is not fair.

- “You’re finding everything unnie?

- Yes! I’m just trying to not have an avalanche of food falling on me!”

Half a lie. Why does that girl need so much food? That fridge is a mess. It’s time to get back, I guess… Break’s over.

- “Chips for the princess… And soju for the prince.

- Too much, unnie. Thanks, though.

- Sure, Prince Wheein.

- ARG! Stop it.

- What? It’s not my fault you look straight out of a fairy tale with your blue hair.

- Unnie… Hyejinie, help me.

- Stop bothering my prince, Byulyi-unnie!

- Hyejin-ah!”

I cannot with those too. Even Wheein ends up laughing at herself, and it’s one of the best things I’ve experienced in a long time. There it is. There is the sound that was missing from Yongsun’s laugh earlier. Now she goes full on. The three of them are. It’s the fourth time she looks at me. This time, our smile is genuine. Mine is, anyway. I can barely see her eyes, so I think hers is too. Am I over her?

Oh, Wheein want to cheer. A more than welcome distraction. And the drink, more than welcome as well.

- “Straight from the bottle now?”

Oh, Yongsun. It’s been a while.

- “Glasses are overrated. And you have to clean them.”

I could not have said it better, Wheein. Cheers to that, again.

- “Those two have become veterans now.

- I see. So it hasn’t changed, we’re still the weak ones…

- You and me forever Yongsun-unnie!”

And they cling their own drinks. Maybe things are still the same; Yongsun is still making faces when she sips on her beer. But I’m definitely different. The girls are too. They have accomplished so much in the past few years. What did she accomplish? The fact that I don’t know… my stomach hurts. Oh , not that again. You don’t care Byul, you don’t care. That soju is sweet, like always. Isn’t it supposed to taste bitter today? It’s what they say. This is a bitter day, so it should taste bitter. But what do I know? It’s always sweet to me. Seems like even my own body doesn’t realise when I feel like crap. Maybe if I drink more, it’s going to change? No, it’s still sweet. Like Yongsun’s smile. No no no no no! The hell? I’m not thinking that. I AM NOT. I can’t.

- “Byulyi-unnie?

- Yes?

- You’re drinking soju as well.

- Your point, Hyejin?

- If soju is for the princes, you are a prince.”

Ho no.

- “So, who is your princess?”

She’s giving me her conspirator face. The one with the eyebrow raised. How do I get out of this? A sip will make me gain some time.

Bingo.

- “You, of course. You’re too much of a diva for a single prince to handle. No offence, Wheein. But that’s why you have the couch and the both of us are sitting on the floor…”

No, the fact that Yongsun is sitting beside her definitely does not mean that she’s also a princess.

- “No offence taken, she’s a lot.

- HEY!”

My diversion has worked, they are cracking up all over again. Well, Yongsun and Wheein are, Hyejin is acting like we hurt her pride.

- “I’m not a diva. I know my worth, that’s it. You didn’t answer, nothing new in your love life?”

If I say it like I don’t care, she’ll drop it.

- “No, I don’t really have the time. I’m not looking for anything anyway. Should we order something proper to eat?

- Can we do pizza? I’ve been craving it all day…”

Ah, it’s the first time Yongsun reacted to something I said tonight. Now that I think about it, our interventions in the conversation were always separated by one of the girl’s.

- “There is a pizza place right next door actually. I think the menu is online-

- Yes, I saved it from last time. It should be…right there! Here Yongsun-unnie, take my phone.

- Ha, thanks Wheein-ah. You’re taking the parmigiana again, I guess?

- You tried it already?

- Just me and Hyejin.

- Hum. Any recommendation?

- We only tasted the parmigiana and the calzone. They were both good. Take your time to choose. Byulyi-unnie, do you know what you want yet?

- I’ll take one with pepperoni if there is any.

- Let me see… yes there is. I’ll try the calzone Hyejinie.”

We keep quiet while Hyejin makes the phone call. Apparently, it’s going to take 20 minutes for the pizza to be ready. Great! I’m actually a little hungry. My lunch was ridiculously small and too long ago. When is the next time I’ll be able to have a decent lunch, while I won’t be running around trying to get my job done? Anyway, I should pay attention to the chat that’s going on. That soju begins to have an effect it seems.

Hyejin is telling Yongsun how she almost got Wheein to move in the next apartment complex over before she made the final decision to stay on campus a little more. What those two have is… is there even a word to describe it? They are literally soulmates. I’m sure that if we have multiple lives, they meet and become inseparable in one way or another in all of them. I thought I had found that too.

Dringdiling dringdiling…

- “Ha, I’ll go pick the pizza up! It should take like 5 minutes if they are ready.

- I’ll come with you Hyejinie.

- You’re taking the prince roleplay too seriously!

- Shut up, do you want to carry them alone?”

The two girls half-joke half-argue until they are out of the door. Alright, the tea and the beers from earlier want out. Time for a bathroom break! And maybe by the time I’ll be done, the girls will be back and I won’t need to face Yong.

… And they are not back yet. It’s fine, I’m fine. I’ll just go back to my trusted bottle of soju.

- “The girls seem to be doing fine.”

Oh. She chooses awkward conversation over awkward silence? That’s surprising. Or maybe I’m the only awkward one? Am I?

- “Yeah, they’re doing great. Really.

- They impress me. I wasn’t expecting to see them so far in life already.

- They work hard. Hyejin… The first months after she opened her flower shop were intense. She worked her off; I’ve never seen her work so hard in her life. And Wheein is very much herself, a genius. She hesitated before entering her PhD program, but I think she is obsessed with research. That’s pretty much the only thing I understand when she talks about it.

- You are proud of them.

- Of course I am.

- I am too.

- Are you serious about them?

- What do you mean?

- Are you going to be there for them?

- Yes.

- They missed you.

- I missed them.

- Why did you disappear?

- Byulyi…

- They didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve it.”

BAM!

- “Wheein-ah! Don’t destroy my door please! I’m renting here!

- You are the one pushing me!

- What can I say, that smell? I’m hungry! Hurry up, go in!”

Hello everyone, I hope you all are enjoying this little story. I find this style harder to write in that I had anticipated, it's hard to make scene descriptions and such. I really wanted to show how one's mind can jump from a thing to another in an instant as well. I try to make everything clear, but if they are moments when you don't understand what's happening don't hesitate to make me know via the comment section, I'll take everything into consideration. 

And if it's working, let me know also!

Lots of love anyway !