Chapter 4: The Lost Moment
It was just an ordinary afternoon, following an exhausting choreography session that had pushed us to our limits. Our team, for once showing some mercy, had allowed us to go to a discreet cafe in a Hannam-dong alleyway, far from the bustle and the camera flashes that usually followed me.
The four of us were there. **Jun-ho** was joking with the barista, **Do-yun** was reviewing notes on his tablet, and young **Choi Hyun** was trying to decide which dessert to order. I, however, stirred my coffee listlessly, feeling as though the days were repeating in an unbearable monotony. My gaze slid disinterestedly toward the entrance every time the door chime rang.
And then, I saw her.
A girl walked past our table with a light step. She didn't look at me; she was focused on finding a seat in the back, holding a book against her chest. Her hair fell in soft waves, and her essence seemed to bring a gust of fresh air into the place. Something about her felt so familiar that my heart raced instinctively, thumping hard against my ribs.
But I didn't react. I stayed frozen, spoon halfway to my mouth.
—**"Min-jae? Earth to Min-jae,"** —**Choi Hyun** said, waving a hand in front of my face—. **"Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?"**
I didn't answer him. It was only when the door closed behind her a few minutes later—she had left after seeing the cafe was full—that time seemed to regain its speed. My mind screamed what my heart already knew: It was her. **Seo Ji-ah**.
I stood up abruptly, spilling a bit of coffee onto the wooden table.
—**"Hey! Where are you going?"** —**Jun-ho** exclaimed, startled by my suddenness.
I burst out of the cafe, my pulse racing, looking desperately both ways down the sidewalk. The street was crowded with people carrying umbrellas and wearing dark coats. She was gone. She had vanished into the Seoul crowd.
The emptiness returned, stronger and crueler than before. I had been less than a meter away from her, and I didn't recognize her in time. The pain of the loss hit me in a way I couldn't explain. Meanwhile, just a block away, **Ji-ah** was walking fast through the light rain.
—**"Wait for me!"** —**Ha-rin** shouted, catching up to her—. **"Why did you leave the cafe so fast? We could have waited five minutes for a table."**
—**"I don't know..."** —**Ji-ah** replied, touching her chest strangely—. **"I just felt a sudden chill. Like someone was watching me. Let's just go home, Ha-rin."**
I returned to my seat in the cafe, defeated under the inquisitive stares of my bandmates. **Do-yun** watched me in silence, suspecting the truth. Only one thought occupied my mind: next time, I wouldn't let fate decide for me.