I exhaled deeply as soon as I heard the beep and strolled back into the room and sat in my seat again. Everyone at the table immediately turned their attention to me. All of them smiled at me, which only made me slightly self-conscious. I wasn't used to this much attention, especially after the call. Except for Hosung. His gaze was steady and calming, as always.
"Everything okay?" he asked quietly, his voice low enough for just me to hear.
"Yeah, just my mom."
Hosung's gaze softened, and his lips curved into a wordless 'oh.'
As they continued to discuss everyone's old memories, I felt both thrilled and more disinterested in joining the conversation. And Eunkyung, as curious as usual, brought up the topic again, which I thought he had forgotten over the years, but fuck, this jerk remembers it and now drags it.
"Oh, Sungmin-ah, are you still smoking?" As soon as the questions came out, everyone's gaze turned to me, waiting for what my reply would be.
Yah! How can you fucking remember that from so long ago?
But these words never came out except in my forced, tight-lipped smile.
"Whoa, don't tell me you are still smoking, Sungmin-ah," Ha-joon said, his mouth and eyes both opening wide.
"Thanks to Him, you were spared when you were caught by those teachers' pets. I can't recall the name of that senior...it's Something is Moon-Sun...."
"Moon Yoonsuh," I said, frowning. The almond-shaped eyes of Ha-joon glowed with recognition. "Yes! That's the one, indeed. Back then, he saved your ass. I take it you still remember his name?" Ha-joon laughed, obviously enjoying the memory of it.
"Yeah, didn't you remember that Sungmin can remember people's names once he hears them, even if it's one time?" Joon-woo went on to say,
I rolled my eyes, trying to cover up the strange feeling that was beginning to creep up on me. "I do have a decent memory, you know," I replied, a little sarcastically.
How could I have forgotten his name when he was the one who smoked, and I was the one who got caught? It's not something that I can easily forget. But, except for Ah-in and Hosung, who used to accompany me throughout detention, others don't believe me, no matter what I say.
Yes, we were late waiting for Ah-in because of her indolence, and it is obvious that she gets detentions when the bell rings. That's how I met my senior year of high school, Moon Yoonsuh.
However, from what I know, he is never the aloof, reckless, strong-headed knucklehead that the entire school portrays him as. He had a best friend in the past, but I can't recall his name or face, even though he was famous for his appearance at the time, but it was he at the time who saved me from suspension.
Additionally, I used to receive more detentions than Ah-in since I never finished the assignments correctly. Due to detentions, I used to stay late at school. That's another way we got to know each other more. During those detentions, Yoonsuh actually assisted me with my schoolwork, despite his initially frightening attitude. Then I found that, opposite to what people assumed about him, he was far gentler and more caring.
However, Yoonsuh has one bad habit, which is smoking in secret, and he found that my uncle smokes, so he began to ask me at first, and when I refused, he used to bribe me with snacks or help with schoolwork. Eventually, he received the pack of cigarettes he requested.
One day, some of my teacher's pets were caught red-handed when Yoonsuh gave me his half-smoked cigarette to hold just...to just knot his shoelace. And that's it; I almost thought that I was doomed. Fortunately, because of Yoonsuh and his best friend, they never went to the teachers but rather spread strong rumors.
And as the years went by, no one bothered, and Yoonsuh graduated from school without any consequences, and we have never met. And now I'm left wondering how he's doing. Also, how could I forget his best friend's name? I can't even remember his face either. His best friend was always by his side, but now they are both just distant memories.
Anyway, I wonder if he ever kicked the smoking habit or if he continued down that path. It's strange how someone you knew so well in school can become a distant memory as time goes on.
"You know, he got into an accident," said Minjeong, one of my former classmates.
My head snapped up, and I looked at Minjeong in perplexity. "What? Yoonsuh got into an accident?" The words went out of my mouth faster than I could process them.
Minjeong nodded, her eyes becoming dark. "Yeah, it happened a few years ago, like after he graduated, like that." She replied, turning her head slightly, trying to recall. "I only found out because my cousin knows someone in his family. It was pretty bad."
The table went quiet; no one spoke for a few moments as we all processed the news. Yoonsuh was someone we had all known in high school, though as the Cold King of our school. The thought of him being in such a serious accident was shocking to all of us.
The mix of shock and guilt quickly crept into my mind and heart. Yoonsuh had been just a name in the back of my mind for so long, but now the thought of him hurt and struggling hit me harder than I expected.
And how would Minjeong say it happened a few years ago?
My lips parted, but before I could speak, Hosung said, "I guess it's time for us to depart. I'm sorry," he murmured with an apologetic smile, and then his gaze turned to me, tilting his head as if to tell me to get up and follow him.
Even though I wanted to learn more about what was going on, I followed Hosung without hesitation. But not before saying goodbye to everyone at the table who smiled at us. Their smiles are no longer filled with the earlier happiness.
"Yah! Minjeong Can't you be quiet for once?"
"Whoa, what's wrong? It's just slipped out,"
The last words that I heard walking out of the restaurant were filled with tension and unease. It was clear that something serious had happened, and what was it?
As we were walking out, my mind frequently questioned what had happened to Yoonsuh and what his best friend was doing at that time, while the cold wind hit my face as if trying to make me focus on the path rather than the thought, sending shivers.
Why hadn't I talked about Yoonsuh at all? After graduating thirteen years ago and deliberately ignoring the question, why now?
"Hosung-ah?" Hosung's name slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. He glanced at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "Do you know?" I asked, not sure why I was pressing the issue.
When he heard the question, he stopped dead in his tracks, his smile dissolving like sugar into coffee, taking away the light it always had. The light in his eyes vanished just like his smile. Between us, there was nothing but silence, weighed down by the question that had yet to be answered.
So, he knew, I scoffed sadly internally. I didn't push him to say it aloud, though. I was worried about his possible reaction. Knowing that certain things are better left unsaid, I chose to ignore the situation, and I had to let it go after the accident that I got in, after some memories I had forgotten.
"Oh! Hosung-ah, look at them!!!" I said, showing the bungeoppang stand across the street. His eyes followed my gesture, a flicker of distraction crossing his face before he turned back to me with a small smile.
I smiled along at his small smile. I could tell he appreciated the effort to change the subject. It was a relief to see him relax, even if just for a moment. I caught his arm, ready to drag him. "Let's go get some bungeoppang."
"You just stay here; I'll go get them Alright" he said softly, unholding my arm. I opened my mouth to stop him, to say, no, let me go with you, but he was fast enough to move, not letting me speak. I shook my head, watching Hosung jog across the street toward the cart.
The ahjumma at the stand greeted him warmly, her voice carrying across the road. I couldn't hear all the words, but I saw her laugh and saw him scratch his neck in that shy way he always did when teased. My lips curved unconsciously, though the cold air nipped at my cheeks.
Pulling my coat tight around me, I turned around, tilting my head to the sky. The city lights drowned out most of the stars, but a single faint one blinked above the rooftop line. My lips parted, breath curling into the cold air as the rooftop dream replayed again—his shimmering eyes, no curve on his lips; he didn't even ask for help or part his lips to ask for help; he just jumped.
I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head as if that could erase it. I didn't want to think about it and didn't want to remember. But when I opened them again, my heart jolted.
Across the road, a figure stood with his back facing me. Their hands gripped the railing tight, knuckles pale against the faint glow of passing headlights. Their hood was up, the dark fabric blending with his hair, so I couldn't tell where one ended, and the other began. They slowly walked to the bench and stood on it, too close to the edge, like they hadn't even bothered to check the drop below or the traffic rushing past.
A cold shiver ran through my spine. Something about that person, about the way they leaned forward ever so slightly, wasn't right.
"Hey!" I called out, my voice breaking sharp—I mean, slicing through the air—but those fucking honks just drowned it out, swallowing the sound whole. Their head remained bowed, staring into the black water below the bridge, the surface swallowing the night until it looked bottomless.
My heart thudded painfully against my ribs. Without thinking twice, I started to run to the other side, not caring about the honks or turning back to call Hosung. 'Please don't...please don't fall,' I begged; my lungs started to burn as I dashed across. The blaring honks cut into my ears, and a rush of headlights belied my periphery, but I didn't care, not even about Hosung at the stand yelling my name, except for that stranger swaying too close to the edge.
Thank god the distance wasn't too far. My shoes slapped the asphalt, and before I knew it, I was there, close enough to feel the icy air rolling off the water beneath.
"Yah!, What are you doing?!"
The words tore out of me as my hand reached out, and my finger closed around their wrist just as they began to tip forward, the momentum of their weight shifting toward the drop. Their skin was colder than the night air, and for a terrifying second, I thought I was holding a ghost.
My grip tightened as I yanked back with everything I had. Their body jerked, the sudden motion breaking that awful forward lean.
"Are you out of your mind? You could have died if I were a second late to run and catch you!" I snapped breathlessly, though my chest was too tight to let out more than a strained rasp.
And then slowly, like the air around us, it stopped. It's Man. He slowly turned his head toward me. The dim streetlight caught only half his face, a shadow slicing across his cheek, but it was enough to make my heart stumble at how handsome and familiar he was. The same dark brown eyes, the same smileless face... he almost looked real, so real.
"...Joohwan"