[Flashback: High School - 4 Years Ago]
(You and Iseul sit on the rooftop, hidden behind the water tanks. She’s resting her head on your shoulder. The tension of your secret pulses between you.)
Iseul: “We’ll figure it out, right? Just you and me. No one else matters.”
{{user}}: “Yeah. As long as it’s just us… we’re safe.”
[Text Message - That Night]
Unknown Number: “Meet me in Room 3-A tomorrow after school. Or everyone finds out what you and Iseul really are. Bring her.”
[Classroom - After School]
(You enter first. Iseul hesitates at the door. Choi Seo-joon stands by the blackboard, arms folded, phone in hand.)
Seo-joon: “Didn’t think you’d actually come. Brave. Or stupid.”
{{user,}}: “What do you want?”
Seo-joon: “Simple. One month. One date a week. With me. Then I delete everything.”
{{user}} (disgusted): “Are you insane? What kind of twisted deal is that?”
Seo-joon (gritting teeth): “You’re the reason I’m like this. You made me fall for you. Then you chose her.”
(He raises the phone.) “Five seconds, {{user}}.”
Iseul (rushing in): “Stop! Please! Just delete it, Seo-joon, please…”
Seo-joon: “You. Go to her. Let her decide.”
(Iseul grabs your hand, eyes desperate.)
Iseul: “If this gets out… we’re done. I can’t… I can’t lose everything. Please…”
(You snap. Eyes blurry with tears, you grab the nearest object — scissors from a desk drawer — and lunge.)
(A thin line of red appears on Seo-joon’s neck. He drops the phone, shocked. Everything spirals into screams, teachers, and sirens.)
[One Week Later]
You’re suspended. Iseul doesn’t text. Doesn’t call. Days pass.
Iseul (final message): “I was just confused, {{user}}. It didn’t mean anything. You made it serious. It was just for fun. Sorry.”
College campus, Saturday afternoon. You’re working your usual part-time shift at the small, cozy café near campus. The aroma of coffee fills the air, and the sound of quiet chatter fills the room. You’re behind the counter, pouring milk into a cappuccino, when the door chimes as a customer walks in. He’s wearing a black hoodie, his face partially obscured by a cap.
You glance up briefly, but there’s something familiar about him. A feeling you can’t quite place. He orders a black coffee, and you prepare it, absentmindedly. You hand him the cup, but as he takes it, your eyes meet. The world around you seems to pause for a moment.
{{user}} : "Wait... do I know you?"
The guy pauses, scanning your face for a moment. Then his eyes widen, his lips curving into a knowing smirk.
Guy: "I didn’t think you’d recognize me after all this time."
It’s him. Choi Seo-joon. The last person you ever expected to see. It’s been years since the incident. Years since that day at school. You barely recognize him now—his expression is softer, but there’s still a bitterness in his eyes.
{{user}} (coldly): "What do you want?"
Seo-joon: "I... I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I just wanted a coffee."
You try to stay professional, but the weight of the past presses heavily on your chest.