“Yang Seungho?”

            The waiter looked at me with huge incredulous eyes. Do I know him? He didn’t stop staring at me.

“Do you know me?” I ask. “I’ve never seen you before here.”

“Y-yes, I do.” He spurted nervously, scratching his head. “I’ve heard of you since I… eum… I came here from Seoul.”

“I didn’t know I was that popular,” I half-laughed. There was a time when I thought being popular was fun and all. But now, there are some things in popularity I just don’t like.

“Isn’t that Yang Seungho?” I heard.

“That’s right! It’s him!” Some girls in the corner whispered.

“Wasn’t he rich? What is he doing here?”

“Isn’t this what they call… fate?” Some girl giggled. I felt the looks piercing through me. I sighed. Can’t I order a meal properly here? I looked for the waiter and he was searching for his pen which he dropped on the floor.

“You know what,” I said to the boy as I pushed my chair back to leave. “I’ll come here another time.”

“Huh?” He lifted himself from the floor and turned back quickly. He panicked when he saw me standing. “Don’t… go.”

“What did you say?” Did this waiter truly say something as ridiculous as

“Don’t go…?”

“Are you the one to decide that?” I replied with a cold tone.

“Omo, why is he standing up? Is he leaving?” the whispers continued. “Doesn’t he look cool like that?”

            I took a deep breath and looked him back in the eyes. My glare signaled him to step aside, and he did.

            I left.

“Dara, what did I do again?” I said as I hugged a rabbit doll from the small sofa.

“Well, you stared at him, talked to him, dropped your pen, and he left.”

“That, I know, but what’s wrong with that? Was it the pen?”

“C’mon, Sanghyun, his reason wouldn’t be that stupid.”

“How would you know?”

“Well, he comes to the restaurant often. He always eats the same things. And by things I mean, A LOT of food,” she sighed. “What I mean is, whether you failed or not, he came to the shop to eat and not to get a first impression. So maybe he wasn’t feeling well and left. Anyway, you lost your chances to work there.”

            I turned to the window, which was at the opposite direction from Sandara. “It was not as if I wanted him to leave,” I said as my voice was muffled by the fluffy object in my arms. It was the first time I saw him as Sanghyun, and I utterly screwed up. Even I was not proud of myself; how would anyone hire me?

            “Don’t go” I cannot believe I said that. True. It was not my choice. Why did I say that? I should’ve said nothing. How am I supposed to face him next time? If there is a next time…

“Noona, I’ll be going outside.”

“Huh? At this hour?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

            I took my jacket, put on my shoes and left.

           I went to this convenience store nearby and thought of buying these sweet snacks Sandara had bought once. I brought the yogurt bottles to the counter and paid the cashier with the pocket money I was given.

            I pushed the straw so that it pierced through the thin metallic sheet, and drank the strawberry flavoured drink as I peacefully walked on the sidewalk.

“Bye bye oppa! Be careful on your way home!” A girl said. She waved to the car, even as it was getting farther away. I just stood there, watching the scene. Unexpectedly, the short girl looked at me. If she’d look away, it was only to look back in my direction. Was I dressed strangely? I lowered my head in order to see what was wrong with me, but as I lifted it, she was closer than ever. I slightly bowed to her as to say hello. She bowed as well. We just stared afterwards. I removed my lips from the straw and said:

“Do I know you?”

            She smiled.

“You don’t remember me, Sanghyun?” She must be someone Sanghyun knew before. “At least two years passed, and now you act like you don’t know me. That’s pretty fast.”

“Sorry, I really don’t remember.”

“Ah, now I get it. You want to start over? Sure.” She spun a whole turn and said: ”Hello, my name is Jieun. And you?”

“My name is Sanghyun.”

“So, how long have you been in Anyang?”

“Eum… Less than two years. I used to live in Seoul.”

“Really? Me too. Only, I came to Anyang a month ago.” She took my hand, and we sat on the bench that was close to us. “I came here because my dad found a job here. I had to transfer school.”

“School?” I asked indifferently.

“Yup, school. Do you live nearby?”

            I simply nodded.

“Then we’ll probably attend the same school.”

            I poked the straw to another bottle of yogurt. It was the eighth bottle, my last bottle. My straw made a loud noise as I drank the last drop. *sigh* Why could these not last longer?

“Oh! There’s my bus! Gotta go! Bye!” Jieun exclaimed. “Come back here tomorrow, same hour, ok?”

            I nodded and waved goodbye as she left.

“Why did Sanghyun have to suddenly leave like that?” I asked myself as I came out from the bathroom. I took a towel and shuffled my hair with it.

“Dara, I’m back.” I heard Sanghyun’s voice from afar. “Where are you?”

“I’m in my room.”

“Can I come in?” he asked as he was just behind the door.

“Yeah, come on in.”

            He opened the door and sat on the floor, legs crossed. He still had his coat on.

“Next time,” I said, “don’t just leave like that.”

            He nodded, but it seemed like he wasn’t listening.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m tired,” he said, his eyes staring at nothing. “When am I going to school?”

“School? Well, I got your uniform prepared and all. I think it’s in a few days.”

            He nodded once again, absorbed in his thoughts.

“Who is Jieun? Do you know her?”

“Jieun?”

            Jieun? Could it be that Jieun?

“Do you know her family name?”

“No, she didn’t tell me.”

“Did she seem to know you?”

“Yes, but I didn’t recognize her. Maybe I forgot her during the past two years. Maybe I never knew her before.” He suddenly frowned. “But then why would she know my name?”

“I don’t know. Sanghyun, just go to sleep.”

            He looked at me, his eyebrows still furrowed.

“Do I, or rather you, really not know her?”

            I gulped as he stared into my eyes.

“You and I shared no relation with that girl. You and I never met her or never spoke to her before,” I stated.

“Oh ok. Good night, Dara!” He smiled and left.

            What struck me is that he left. Just like that. It was as unbelievable as the moon crashing to Earth. He let me go. He would never do that. Because he would always, without a doubt, know.

            And yet it happened. I lied, and he just left.

Hello!

I'd like to thank all readers, and mostly my subcribers <3<3<3  And sorry for the late update ;;

*sigh* I know the Seungdoong reunion isn't that great although it had geat expectations, but I didn't know how to not make it non-sensical (is that even a word?) or too fast in development...

Many things are yet to be explained so don't worry! It will all be explained! Or maybe you guys can already predict what will happen... If so, don't spoil the others on the way!

MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE!! (lol I should've at least written this on one of the right days)