episode_0003
by fnovelpiaIt’s different from what I have in my head.
Of all the scenes I saw back 14 years ago, the most familiar one unfolded before my eyes.
Long brown hair that flutters even with the slightest wind, eyes that are close to brown that make the long hair stand out even more, and youthful skin that remains the same as before.
Yujin Shin.
Shin Yu-jin is now standing in front of me. And that too as a 20-year-old college student.
“Hey, Han Yu-chan.”
“… Huh?”
“What are you doing? I should say hello.”
“Ah, yes. Ah, hello. My name is Han Yu-chan.”
After giving a brief greeting, I quietly looked at Shin Yujin. You can see him chatting casually with Kim Ye-rim next to him.
Could it be that Shin Yu-jin, like me, returned to 14 years ago?
The moment I had that question, I made eye contact with Shin Yujin.
The eye contact was broken by a slight bow of the head without saying a word.
If you just look at that reaction and think about it, it doesn’t seem like Shin Yu-jin has returned to 14 years ago like me. So, that means I’m a 20-year-old college student with no past memories.
With the appearance of Shin Yu-jin, my mind becomes more complicated. Of course, this was the way it would go, but I kept repeating it in my mind as if I wanted to deny this flow.
“What are you doing here? Should we go to a cafe?”
“Good!! Eugene, are you okay too?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
“Yuchan, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes… ”
While walking to the cafe, Ho-jin continued to chat with Ye-rim Kim casually. And Shin Yu-jin also responded by adding more flesh to Kim Ye-rim’s reaction.
In comparison, I just walk along the street without being able to engage in any conversation.
My mind is so complicated that it feels like it’s going to explode. I feel like my headache is worse than when I do any complicated work.
Shin Yu-jin’s appearance was the same as when I first met him.
I am someone who doesn’t talk much and prefers to react to conversations around me rather than directly leading the conversation.
Am I really the only one who went back 14 years ago?
When we arrived at the cafe, we sat down. Of course, I took a seat next to Hojin, and Shin Yujin took a seat next to Kim Yerim.
The problem was that Shin Yu-jin and I sat facing each other.
For Shin Yu-jin, who I’m watching right now, it’s probably her first time seeing me, and I’m constantly showing signs of being uncomfortable.
You must be feeling quite embarrassed.
“Hojin, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen each other. Can I call you oppa?”
“Yes?! Everything, of course. Please feel free to call me.”
“Then, oppa, please feel free to tell me.”
“Really? I understand, Yerim.”
Ho-jin started talking to Kim Ye-rim with his mouth glued to his ear.
Looking at it like this, I seem to remember 14 years ago. At that time, just like now, Ho-jin and Kim Ye-rim became comfortable and Shin Yu-jin and I started talking.
Shin Yu-jin was just listening to the conversation between Kim Ye-rim and Ho-jin.
It’s still unfamiliar to me to speak first because it’s different from the Shin Yujin I’m used to, but I don’t want to make the atmosphere awkward since it was created by Hojin.
Very carefully, I spoke a word to Shin Yujin.
“Eujin, you are 20 years old, right?”
“Yes? Oh, that’s right. I’m twenty years old.”
“I guess you like English enough to get into the English department.”
“Yes, I like it. I’ve liked you since middle school.”
Unlike the conversation between Ho-jin and Kim Ye-rim, my conversation with Shin Yu-jin was quite awkward.
I’m sure the 23-year-old me wasn’t like this, but now I’m 37-year-old Han Yu-chan and I have no recollection of how I acted.
I just remember that it was quite popular. I think we made this atmosphere easy and fun.
“Is your hair naturally brown?”
“Yes, that’s right. Because of this, teachers always asked me if I dyed my hair when I was in school.”
“It must have been very difficult.”
This is also a known fact. Her mother-in-law was also naturally brown, so Shin Yu-jin inherited those genes.
Her eyes are also brown, just like her mother-in-law.
“Now let’s order coffee and come.”
“Ah, yes. Me and Yuchan… ”
“Would you like to go with me?”
I was trying to order coffee with Yu-chan, but I heard Shin Yu-jin’s voice.
As I heard that voice, a memory came back to me.
Today is the day we first met.
The four of us were talking, and just as Yu-chan and I were about to order coffee, Shin Yu-jin said that he wanted to go with me.
In the same flow as then, Shin Yu-jin began to become convinced that she had no previous memories.
Shin Yujin and I walked to the counter together and considered the coffee menu.
“What are you going to drink, Yu-chan?”
“I will drink Americano.”
“Well, I… ”
“Cappuccino.”
“Yes? How did you know that I like cappuccino? You said just cappuccino.”
“Uh… It seemed like something was going on. Haha.”
Instinctively, I spit out Shin Yujin’s favorite coffee. Whenever I go to a cafe, I only drink cappuccino and no other coffee.
Hojin and Kim Yerim ordered the drinks mentioned and sat around for a while and waited.
The current situation is so awkward that no conversation is taking place.
“Youchan is a computer engineer, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Oh, you can speak comfortably.”
“Because I’m not used to speaking comfortably to people older than me.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Still, Yoo-chan, please speak comfortably. You are older than me.”
“Yeah, really? I will do that, Eugene.”
Even though we had been together countless times, it felt strange to call him by his first name and not his last name.
At some point, we stopped calling each other by our first names and started calling each other by our last names or calling each other “hey.”
When I think about it now, I wonder if they are a married couple.
After chatting a bit, we sat down with the coffee we ordered.
While we were away, Hojin and Kim Yerim were getting more comfortable.
“That’s why my brother said that back then.”
“That’s right. It was like that. You saw me for a moment, do you remember?”
“Of course. It stands out so well, how can I not remember it?”
“I brought coffee.”
“Ah, thank you. I’ll drink it well.”
When I think back on the memories that have come back to life, we both had a good time communicating with Kim Ye-rim and Shin Yu-jin.
And when I broke up with Shin Yujin, we exchanged numbers.
But at that time, it was possible because I took the lead in the conversation and lightened the mood.
I think it’s probably impossible now.
Still, I thought it was a bit wrong for things to go this way, so I cautiously asked a question.
“What is Eugene’s hobby?”
“Me? My hobby is… ”
Read novels and watch movies.
“Reading novels and watching movies are my hobbies.”
I like English novels and prefer to watch movies without subtitles.
“I like English so much that I prefer to read English novels without subtitles.”
“That’s amazing. No matter how much you study English, it won’t be easy.”
I lived in the United States until middle school, so I am more comfortable with English.
“I think it’s because English is more comfortable and familiar to me because I lived in the United States until middle school.”
“Really? Why did you live in America?”
I started living in the United States since I was in the first grade of elementary school due to my father’s business.
“I started living in the United States since I was in first grade because of my dad’s business.”
“Amazing. Can I ask you later if there’s something you don’t know about English?”
“Yes, it’s okay. Then, I will give you my number so you can easily contact me.”
Everything was going as expected, but suddenly it started going differently than I knew.
Even though I said this, Shin Yu-jin didn’t tell me about the number, and the moment I received the number, I asked it when the two of us were hanging out and were about to break up.
Well, just because I go back to the past doesn’t mean everything will go the way I know.
This much is acceptable.
“Thank you. I’ll give you my number too.”
We exchanged numbers and made eye contact. I still feel like they are looking at me with a face full of curiosity.
Now, even though we are sitting at the same table, a completely different atmosphere has been created, as if Hojin and I are in different spaces.
Now, I remember going out to a cafe and spending time just the two of us.
“Will it happen now?”
The moment I was about to get up and clean up my surroundings after hearing Hojin’s words.
Shin Yujin’s hand caught my eye.
Before getting up from his seat, he gently pressed his index finger with his thumb.
As if trying to make a sound even though no sound is being made.
From what I remember, Shin Yu-jin’s hand movements were…
Early in my marriage, I broke my index finger and after it recovered, I started repeating it.
I thought it was amazing how the bone made a sound every time I pressed it, so I started repeating it and it became a habit.
wait for a sec.
Isn’t this something that Shin Yu-jin, who is facing me right now, has a habit of doing?
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