One sunny day, the city was filled with people walking, talking, playing, and whispering all over the place.
Seungmin sighed as he checked his phone:
"Oh... the tickets to Japan sold out so fast..."
He rested his phone against his chest and frowned slightly, disappointed.
Sohee approached with a mischievous smile, leaning lightly on his shoulder:
"Don't be discouraged, buddy. We can get tickets elsewhere... hehe."
"Or you could even... prostitute yourself to earn money." HAHAHA
He laughed sarcastically, as if he'd just told the cleverest joke in the world, his hands on his hips.
Seungmin blinked, completely confused, his face turning red:
"Hey... no! I WON'T DO THAT, SOHEE!"
He nervously waved his hands, trying to distance himself from the joke.
"Besides... I'd never sell myself..."
He looks down, completely flushed, feeling vulnerable.
Sohee raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Yaya, you always take jokes seriously. No wonder guys reject you."
She crossed her arms, smiling mockingly as she watched him.
The words pierced him like a pinprick. Seungmin clenched the phone in his hands and murmured barely audibly,
"...That hurt..."
His shoulders shrank as his gaze fell to the floor.
Sohee looked at him for a few seconds and then clicked her tongue, softening her voice,
"Well, don't be sad, okay? I was joking."
Her smile deepened, a faint hint of concern in her eyes.
Seungmin looked up, still offended.
"Don't make jokes like that... Besides... since when did I propose to a guy?" He frowned, his hands still clutching the phone.
Sohee smiled wickedly.
A memory flashed through her mind.
The image of Seungmin, flustered and holding a bouquet of flowers, confessing his feelings to an older boy… only to be cruelly rejected.
The other boy had thrown the flowers and letters to the floor in front of everyone.
Sohee brought her hand to her mouth, holding back her laughter:
"Have you really forgotten? Last year you proposed, and the boy not only rejected you… he even threw the flowers and letters at you! HAHAHA!"
She leaned forward a little, amused by Seungmin's embarrassment.
Seungmin turned red in embarrassment and slammed the table with both hands:
"Hey, Sohee! That was last year! We're not talking about the past right now."
He stood up slightly from his chair, his gaze fixed on Sohee.
Sohee raised her hands in a gesture of peace, but without erasing her mocking smile:
"Okay, okay... the crybaby's angry again. Hehe."
She leaned back in her chair, casually crossing her legs.
Seungmin snorted, looking at his phone. His eyes shot open:
"Hey! It's 5 pm... we should be on the plane around this time!"
He jumped up, urgently holding his phone.
Sohee sighed calmly, as if nothing worried her:
"There are no tickets anyway. Come on, buddy, let's go eat at a restaurant. I'll treat... and I'll talk to Jisoo while I'm at it."
He stood up slowly, stretching as he looked at Seungmin calmly.
Seungmin raised an eyebrow:
"Jisoo was supposed to be busy with work."
He frowned, confused.
"Well, yes," Sohee replied as they walked, "but when I told him we were sold out, he invited us to his father's restaurant."
He walks with a relaxed stride, as if the loss of the tickets wasn't a big deal.
"Oh... I see..." Seungmin nods, putting his phone back in his pocket and taking a deep breath to calm himself.
The two of them arrived at Jisoo's restaurant.
Jisoo smiled as she saw them enter and waved enthusiastically:
"Oh, hey guys! Glad you came. Take a seat over there."
She gestured to an empty table by the window, politely.
Seungmin nodded, somewhat shyly:
"Okay..." He settled into his chair, lightly moving his hands on the table.
Sohee plopped down in the seat opposite him and, with a smile laced with sarcasm, said:
"Well, since we're here and have a seat... Seungmin, I have something to tell you."
He tilts his head slightly, observing Seungmin's reaction.
Seungmin looked at him, confused, with a small knot in his stomach:
"Uh... yeah? What's wrong?"
He bites his lower lip, uneasy.
Sohee watched him for a few seconds in silence, prolonging the moment, and suddenly burst out laughing:
"Nothing! I just wanted to see your confused face. HAHAHAHA!"
"I still haven't forgotten how you got rejected that day... HAHAHA!"
She leans back, crossing her arms, enjoying Seungmin's embarrassment.
Seungmin lowered his gaze, feeling a slight ache in his chest, as if the memory still weighed heavily on him:
"Oh... okay, I understand..."
He clasps his hands in his lap, breathing deeply, trying to hide how those words hurt.