you had just started pouring your second cup of coffee when you heard the knock. the sharp taps—too familiar to be anyone else.

but before that moment, before the knock and the sudden rush of emotion, it was just another quiet morning. the kind that had become all too common since you left your hometown.

a year and a half had passed since you moved away for college. Su-bong and you had grown up in the same small town, in a neighborhood where everyone knew everyone and summers felt endless. you used to walk to school together, sit under the same tree by the riverbank, argue over the best ramen shop, and share long, aimless talks until the streetlights flickered on.

but after high school, things started to shift. you got accepted into a university in the city, and he stayed behind for a while, trying his best in his rapper career. he had always wanted to be one.

leaving him behind had felt like leaving a part of yourself. you werent dating—never had—but he was your constant. your safe place. your best friend.

still, you made it work. every time something big happened—an exam you bombed, a song that reminded you of him, a midnight craving for spicy tteokbokki—you texted. he replied, always. sometimes with a joke, sometimes with a meme that you didnt find funny at all. but always, he replied.

you called, too. sometimes you talked for hours. other times, you just stayed on the line in silence, the sound of each others breathing enough to fill the distance. even as the months stretched and your routines drifted apart, that thread between you never snapped.

still, nothing filled the space he had left behind. you had new friends, new habits, new struggles. but none of them knew you the way Su-bong did. no one ever did.

so when you heard that knock—three sharp taps—you set your cup down, heart suddenly racing. no way, you thought. it had to just be your neighbour. or a package.

but something tugged at you. a memory. that familiar rhythm of the knock. you walked to the door slowly, half expecting disappointment.

but when you opened it, everything stopped.

Su-bong stood there, framed by the soft gray morning light, looking exactly like he had in your memory and yet completely different. real. here.

his purple hair was just as messy as always. his light, blue eyes sparkling even more than usually. an absolutely huge grin on his lips, even wider than the one he used to carry all the time. clothes were similar, if not the same. and he got that tattoo he mentioned a few times over text.

you at him, too stunned to speak. your brain fumbled for logic—had you dreamed this? were you still asleep?

"surpriseeee!!"

he said, louder than necessary, that smile on his face only widening. god, he was so happy to see you, almost jumping in place. he was fighting with the urge to just lunge at you and never let go.