Ga-young pushed open the restaurant door, her heart fluttering with excitement. She scanned the room, already imagining Min-jae sitting across from her. A small smile tugged at her lips. This was going to be perfect she said to herself with an inward squeal.
Then her smile dropped.
Seok-min.
The one person she never wanted to encounter again. The one person who hated her more than she could comprehend, her very own walking nightmare.
She froze.
Before she could gather herself, his gaze landed on her.
Her stomach twisted. She had rehearsed this moment a thousand times, hoping that one day she could finally face him… but none of it mattered now. Her mind went completely blank.
Swallowing hard, she gripped the strap of her bag like a lifeline and turned, attempting to walk away.
"Hey… little kid," his voice came, light, almost teasing. "Do you plan on leaving without saying hi?"
The words hit her like a shockwave.
She stopped.
Slowly, she turned back, eyes wide as they met his.
He was already walking toward her.
"Have you been well?" he asked, a small smile on his lips.
Ga-young stared at him, speechless. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
"Ah…" he exhaled softly, glancing around. "Seems like Min-jae deceived us both."
He looked back at her, his smile returning, gentler this time.
"Since we're already here… let's make the most of it, shall we?"
"Y-yes," she managed, her voice barely steady.
Seok-min nodded and gestured toward the table. "Please, sit."
"Thank you," she said quietly, bowing her head slightly before taking her seat.
He watched her for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
"I must say… you've really changed. Who would've thought the little kid would become this calm?"
Ga-young let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I'm just… stunned," she admitted.
"Ah, that reminds me…" Seok-min leaned back slightly, his expression turning more serious. "The last time we met, I was… unnecessarily harsh."
He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.
"I actually tried to get your contact afterward, but I couldn't. I wanted to apologize. It was uncalled for… I'm sorry."
Ga-young's expression softened.
"If anyone should be sorry, it's me," she said quietly. "I understood where you were coming from. Honestly… I would've been furious too."
She exhaled, her fingers tightening slightly around her glass.
"I was more angry at myself than anything else. I'm really sorry." She paused, a small, almost relieved smile forming. "I've always wanted to say that."
Seok-min studied her for a moment… then smiled.
"It's alright," he said gently. "I'm just glad you and Min-jae worked things out."
He lifted his glass, taking a small sip before exhaling.
"I think… I held onto it longer than I should have."
Ga-young looked up at him, surprised by how light his tone was. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, but this time, the silence didn't feel suffocating.
It felt… easier.
"Well," she said softly, a small smile forming, "you weren't the only one."
Seok-min let out a quiet chuckle. "I guess we were both a little stubborn."
"A little?" she raised a brow, the hint of playfulness in her voice catching even herself off guard.
He smiled, shaking his head. "Alright, very stubborn, but nothing can beat high school Choi Ga-young" he teased.
She let out a laugh.
The tension between them eased, almost naturally, like something that had been tightly wound for years was finally loosening.
A waiter approached, taking their orders, and for the first time, Ga-young didn't feel the urge to escape.
Instead, she stayed.
"So…" Seok-min leaned forward slightly, resting his arm on the table. "What have you been up to all these years?"
Ga-young exhaled, relaxing into her seat. "A lot, actually. Life didn't exactly slow down after everything."
"I can imagine," he nodded. "Min-jae mentioned a few things… but not much. He's still annoyingly secretive."
Ga-young laughed, a genuine one this time. "That hasn't changed."
"Not at all," Seok-min agreed. "Though I have to admit… I didn't expect to see you walk in tonight looking like that."
She blinked. "Like what?"
"Different," he said simply.
For a second, she was caught off guard, but instead of deflecting, she smiled.
"I guess… people grow."
"They do," he nodded, a quiet understanding passing between them.
Their food arrived, filling the space with something more comfortable than silence.
They talked, at first about simple things, careful and light, but slowly, it became easier.
Old memories slipped in.
Small jokes.
Even a few shared laughs that felt strangely familiar.
At some point, Ga-young realized she wasn't thinking about the past anymore.
And when she looked up, Seok-min seemed… at peace too.
As they finished, he leaned back, letting out a small breath. Relieve washed over both of them completely.