Sungmin's Pov:
The group's laughter echoed throughout the fancy restaurant, drawing the attention of nearly every table. Some people laughed, caught up in the infectious joy of the gathering, while others glared at us. The last thing made me look down at my lap, embarrassed.
Can't they turn it down a little?
My fingers anxiously brushed against the edge of the table. There is a quiet throat clearing near me, drawing me out of my thoughts. I turned to glare at the person, only to be met by Hosung, Ah-in's boyfriend and my so-called best friend, who offered me an apologetic smile. His smile is supposed to be reducing, but it merely made my annoyance worse.
Why am I here in the first place? If I'm not interested and annoyed?! You might wonder that just like me, and yes, that's because my only best friend, 'Choi Ah-in,' urged me to attend the reunion. And now, that smartass was not even there. The reason: cramps from her monthly period had kept her at home to rest.
But she could have told me sooner. No, she brought me here as a stand-in, leaving me to deal with the chaos with Hosung, who easily dropped the news after I got here. I almost yelled at him when he told me she wasn't coming.
I looked around at the lively gathering, sighed, and stroked my hair. I swear, Ah-in, when I catch you... I'll definitely kill you.
"Isn't our Sungmin missing her dearest best friend now?" said Eunkyung, the guy seated just across from me at the table with raven-black hair that is as thick and shiny as a crow's feathers. His little, round eyes glittered with mischief as he leaned forward and rested his chin on his palm.
I raised an eyebrow at her, trying to keep my annoyance under control. "What are you talking about, Eunkyung?" I asked, ignoring the topic, and sipped water to avoid her piercing gaze.
Eunkyung grinned, clearly enjoying himself. This girl never missed an opportunity to tease me, particularly concerning Ah-in's absence. She was the same way in high school, making fun of me when Ah-in wasn't there. Ah-in and I were inseparable at the time, of course, and even now, everyone in our class jokes that we will never be apart.
"Still playing innocent, huh?" Eunkyung leaned back and crossed his arms with a mischievous smirk on his full lips, which looked like they were painted with a light shade of red. "Oh, Come on, Sungmin. It is clear. You two are like magnets; you can't stay away for long. Do you feel adrift without her tonight?"
I lowered my glass with a soft clink, along with a forced smile. "Eunkyung, you definitely need to get some new stuff. This joke is older than we are," I said, keeping a light but strong accent.
She laughed, unaffected by my sore retort. "Some things never get old, though. At least you had the other one stuck at your side," she replied teasingly, causing me to roll my eyes and Hosung to give me a side eye. Everyone at the table burst out laughing.
Ha, pretty funny. I scoffed internally, yet a smile formed at the corners of my lips. And that's true: Ah-in and I were inseparable, doing everything together, whether it was good or bad. Hosung, on the other hand, was our reluctant third musketeer who was always getting into trouble because of us.
But he never left our side, and I still wonder how sunshine Hosung fell for our dumb Ah-in, which is both amusing and mysterious to me. No matter how close Ah-in and I stayed, Hosung, even still, as a boyfriend, never objected or restricted her in any way. And we three are still together as is.
"But it's really unbelievable how close you three still are after all these years," said Ha-joon. From the other side of the table, who had been our high school class topper.
"Yes, yes, it's rare these days." With a smile, Ha-Joon's best friend, Joon-woo, added. "But don't forget, Hosung's always the one who ends up taking the fall when these two start trouble."
His words made me chuckle softly, but I couldn't avoid rolling my eyes. These two are still inseparable, much like myself, Ah-in, and Hosung. They had been partners in crime, just like us, and they were still able to get away since the two were in the Top Four.
"Oh, look who's speaking these words," Hosung sarcastically said, glancing at Ha-Joon and Joon-woo. "The worst troublemakers themselves, who merely escape detection for their so-called 'class Tops' impression."
Joon-woo and Ha-joon nodded in agreement and flashed their teeth in a bashful smile. Joon-woo winked at Hosung and me and said, "Well, we might not get caught, but we sure know how to have a good time." The table erupted in laughter at that point.
Maybe coming to the reunion isn't bad.
But that thought didn't last long. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and when I took it out, I saw my mom calling me. A low scoff escaped my lips. 'What timing,' I thought, and I glanced up at them, who were still laughing. And I knew I had to take this call if I didn't want to become homeless.
"Excuse me," I said as I stood up from the table, making my way to a quieter corner to answer the call while Hosung's eyes never left me.
"Hello, Eomma, what is it?" I asked, trying to stay composed even though my chest was getting stiff.
Her voice seemed dead serious as she questioned, "Where are you right now?" and my heart leaped into my throat.
Mom is Mom, no matter how old you get, and her voice quickly takes you back to your childhood. Even though I had done nothing wrong, it seemed like she was prepared to give me a good lecture.
"I…" I trailed off, staring at her and there as if hunting for a suitable lie. "I'm in an important meeting. Do you remember my manager, Joo Junwoo?"
And I can sense her nodding. "Yeah, the kid you always complain about," she interrupted.
A relieved sigh escaped as her voice became less serious, and I replied, "Yeah, he had arranged a meeting."
There was a long pause between the lines that made me wonder if the line had disconnected until I heard her sigh. "If you are in that important meeting, how come you are talking with me?" she asked, nearly making me click my tongue.
She must have applied for the FBI before working at that textile store.
I cleared my throat before speaking. "I excused Eomma. Now, tell me, exactly why did you call me?"
I heard my mom letting out another sigh before replying, clearly shaking her head. "There is a parent meeting at Rooyeol's school tomorrow."
And that is enough for me to understand why she called me. She now wants me to go for it because she was unable to go due to her responsibilities at our textile store.
"So, I want you to—"
"Okay, okay, you need not tell me that; I know I'll take care of it."
"Ah, I know my Sungmin can say what his mother thinks," she said in a cheerful voice, and her smile came through the line. Her cute, plump face rose, her large, round eyes wrinkled at the corners, and her soft lips parted as her teeth showed. This made me smile all the time at the flash of her image.
All of a sudden, I miss her. The warmth in her grin, embraces, sweet little scoldings, and tears found their way into my eyes, which I didn't realize until one fell.
Why am I acting so childishly right now?
I wiped the moisture off and swallowed the lump. "Okay, Eomma, take care; I'll handle it tomorrow," I murmured, but my voice was trembling, causing me to hiss.
"Sungmin-ah, did you catch the cold?" she asked innocently, which made me chuckle.
"No, Eomma. I am OK. I guess it's the effect of cold water. Okay, I will start going."
"Okay, take care; don't drink too much cold water," she said, stressing the cold water, hinting that she did not believe what I had said. I bit my lower lip to hide my smile because I knew she could catch my lies, though not all the time.
"Alright, Alright, just don't forget to come, okay? Bye." She added hurriedly, and the call ended without even listening to what I was about to say.
I miss you, eomma.