Part 8

Seowoo quickly whirled around and started walking briskly ahead of him. But with his long legs, Jiwook easily caught up, narrowing the distance between them.

With Seowoo walking slightly ahead, Jiwook silently followed behind her, maintaining a half-step distance. 

The usually bustling street seemed strangely quiet today, perhaps because the semester had ended.

They weren’t walking together, and they weren’t walking apart. It was just an uncomfortable situation.

She still had about 10 minutes to walk. 

Was he really planning to follow me all the way to my house?

As Seowoo pondered, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. The footsteps following her stopped as well.

“How long are you planning to follow me?”

Seowoo turned to him and asked. Jiwook chuckled as if surprised and lowered his gaze.

“When was I ever following you?”

“It’s……so you’re not following me right now?”

“We’re just going the same way. I need to go this way too.”

He gestured down the narrow alleyway. Seowoo’s ears turned crimson.

“Your ears, they’re so red.”

Even though it was dark and probably hard to see, he felt the need to point it out.

Seowoo quickly covered her ears with her hands.

“Are you a freshman?”

“…Yes.”

“Majoring in English?”

“Yes.”

Seowoo found herself answering his sudden interrogation earnestly. His gaze, which had been fixed on her for a moment, shifted to her hand covering her ears.

His eyes gleamed sharply as they landed on the back of her hand.

“I know someone named Yoon Seowoo too.”

Jiwook murmured, leaning down slightly to make eye contact with her.

“The name’s exactly the same.”

Hearing that, it felt like her heart dropped with a thud.

Could it be… did he recognize me?

Seowoo’s eyes shook as if there was an earthquake.

From her perspective, it was impossible not to know the grandson of the famous K Group. However, Jiwook couldn’t possibly recognize her just from the name ‘Yoon Seowoo’.

After all, Yoon Seowoo wasn’t an uncommon name.

“S-so?”

Seowoo stammered, feeling extremely flustered. Jiwook stared into her eyes and spoke again.

“It’s interesting.”

“What… do you mean?”

“I’ve never met someone with the same name as someone I know before.”

“…….”

Seowoo’s eyes widened as she pondered.

Someone with the same name…

Could he really be talking about me? 

The realization made her heart race uncontrollably.

Even just standing face to face was making her heart flutter. Seowoo quickly turned away and started walking again, trying to look nonchalant. Jiwook followed suit.

“That’s impossible.”

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t believe it.

It’s one thing to suddenly reunite with someone after 12 years, but to remember me? It was too unbelievable.

It must be a dream.

“Oh, that hurts.”

As she quietly contemplated, she pinched her cheek and frowned. The sound of their footsteps walking side by side echoed in her ears.

“Yoon Seowoo.”

It was when she was trying to walk faster to avoid him. At the sudden sound of her name, she stopped dead in her tracks.

“What would you like to drink?”

“….”

Seowoo turned around in confusion, only to find him standing in front of a coffee shop.

“I asked what you wanted to drink.”

Why is he…?

It was a strange request out of nowhere. She had no idea why he was asking for coffee. Seowoo pursed her lips and gave him a puzzled look, and unable to wait any longer, he furrowed his brow and spoke up.

“I’ll have it my way. Two iced Americano, please.”

Without waiting for her response, he placed the order. A hollow laughter escaped Seowoo’s lips as she stood there awkwardly. It was a series of bizarre events indeed. 

Kwon Jiwook was standing in front of me, and he was ordering coffee to drink with me.

“Thank you.”

He thanked the barista and took the two cups of coffee. With a confident stride, he walked over to her. As he leaned in close, the heavy, woodsy scent of his cologne hit her nose.

“Drink.”

It was a simple and straightforward command. Seowoo took one of the cups, alternating between looking at the coffee and at him.

“Why?”

“…….”

Normally, Seowoo hardly ever drank Americanos.

The reason was simple. It tasted too bitter. She had tried it a few times following her peers, but she never understood why they enjoyed it. She bit her bottom lip, unable to say the words.

“You should have said you don’t like it.”

“Wh-who said I don’t like it?”

Seowoo deftly avoided his attempt to take the cup from her. Then, she put the straw in her mouth and took a sip.

Ugh, bitter.

As the bitter flavor hit the tip of her tongue, her face naturally scrunched up. Jiwook, who was observing her from the front, raised an eyebrow.

“You can’t handle bitter things.”

Unable to refute his sharp comment, Seowoo awkwardly mumbled under her breath. Unlike her, he remained unchanged in expression.

The Americano suited Jiwook very well with his hairstyle covering his forehead, a casually worn black basic t-shirt, and light-colored jeans.

Unlike before, his attire, which didn’t seem too eye-catching, now caught her attention.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’ll drink it well.”

Seowoo grunted in response to his gruff voice and stuck the straw in her mouth again. Seeing her cheeks pale as she drank, Jiwook let out a small chuckle.

He walked past her, and now Seowoo followed behind him. No, more accurately, they walked side by side.

Whenever a warm breeze blew, a strong woody scent filled the air.

“…….”

Seowoo glanced up at him curiously. Jiwook was tall enough to have at least one head over her. As her gaze trailed down from his face, she noticed his broad shoulders.

“So, I heard you’re going to an MT tomorrow.”

“What? Oh, yeah.”

“Good luck on your exams. See you tomorrow.”

Jiwook said one last time before crossing the street. Seowoo stood there for a moment, watching his retreating figure without a chance to respond.

“See you tomorrow?”

Is he going to go with us?

Suddenly appearing in front of her, walking with her, starting conversations with her, buying her coffee, and now, he’s saying ‘See you tomorrow’.

She felt like I was dreaming.

Staring at the coffee in her hand, she muttered.

“I don’t think I’m dreaming…….”

The coffee in her hand was proof that this was no dream.