xuanmiin: Anything that appears in the hypothetical mobile drama will be in italics. 

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8th October 2024

Taekwoon really shouldn’t be mucking around, seeing that it’s just past the middle of the fall semester. But he can’t help himself, seeing that he’s just finished up with his mid term tests.

There’s no enjoyment to be had outside, as Hakyeon and Hyuna are button mashing on their new favourite video game, while Hongbin and Sohyun are studying for their upcoming national examinations.

Taekwoon disconnects the laptop from the charger, and sits the bed, surfing idly before coming across a newly released mobile drama on one of those drama review sites.

“Better than not having anything to do,” Taekwoon thinks, before clicking on the link to the mobile drama.

2012

The year makes Taekwoon pay a little more attention. It was not common that mobile dramas chose to set their stories over ten years ago. More importantly, 2012 held special meaning for him.

Crowds of elated girls wearing graduation robes throw their square academic hats into the air.

Taekwoon frowns. Aren’t high school dramas supposed to start in high school with awkward introductions, not them graduating?

“It’s a waste that we can’t go on a graduation trip.” Girl 1 laments.

“Now you know why girls like to go for rich guys. Because you can’t do anything without money.” Girl 2 shoots back.

“Well at least we got some free tickets to the ocean park.” Girl 1

“Like that can replace an overseas trip,” complains Girl 3.

“Well it’s better than nothing isn’t it?” Girl 2.

-

All three girls are now in what looks suspiciously like Vivaldi Park Ocean World.

Taekwoon has serious questions about where this plot is going, and it hasn’t even been 5 minutes into the drama.

“Are you going to bring your phones in?” Girl 3

“You can’t unless you got one of those protective covers, if not your phone is going to get all wet.” Girl 1

“The benefit of having a waterproof phone case,” Girl 2 exhorts, already stringing the hone by the cord around her neck.

“That phone case is so ugly seriously, Sujeong!” Girl 3 says about Girl’s 2 black bulky phone case.

“So that’s Girl 2’s name, Sujeong. Literally meaning crystal?” Taekwoon mutters under his breath.

“Ah don’t bring that abomination of a phone case around. Who is going to be calling you anyway?” Girl 3 continues to dissuade Sujeong from bringing her phone case.

“I might as well use it to get my money’s worth.”

Taekwoon wonders what the obsession with the phone case is. Is it a product placement? But it can’t be, seeing that they’re calling it ugly.

The three girls go playing on the water slides, wave pool, then break for lunch before continuing with their day of fun at the lazy river.

The phone rings.

Taekwoon can smell the drama coming already, the foreshadowing with the phone case was totally building up to this. Not to mention that the ringtone sounds so familiar to him, but he just can’t place it.

Unknown number.

Sujeong hesitates.

“Don’t pick it up. They’re probably asking you to sell your property even though you don’t own one, or sign up for tuition even though you’re not studying or to answer some survey you have no interest in answering.” Girl 3 attempts to physically restrain Sujeong from picking up the phone too.

Sujeong hesitates a little more, then the ringing stops.

But it resumes right after it comes to a stop.

Sujeong picks it up this time. And her expression changes from a happy carefree one to a completely blank one before morphing into a mortified look of horror.

“If it’s something like her job application with the most prestigious firm in the country is not successful or something, I don’t know what to say,” mumbles Taekwoon as he waits for the situation to be revealed.

Sujeong looks at her two friends with such a pained, hopeless expression in her eyes, then squeezes her eyes shut before turning around and dashing off.

“Sujeong-ah!” Girl 1 and 3 call out to her, but Sujeong doesn’t even once turn back.

-

Sujeong sits