The sun was beginning to set on the western horizon when Hyebin finally arrived in her neighborhood. The girl's footsteps slowed as she made her way across the front yard. Then they stopped completely when a boy standing in the neighboring yard called out to her.
"Hi!"
A tall guy in a casual T-shirt and shorts walked toward the fence in front of Hyebin's house. She tilted her head slightly and raised both eyebrows, studying a stranger's face that somehow looked familiar.
"Oh... h-hi? Do you know me?"
"Of course, Han Hyebin. I'm right, aren't I?" he replied, chuckling at the surprised and confused expression on her face.
"Yeah, I'm Hyebin... and you are..." Hyebin let the sentence trail off, desperately racking her brain.
"Your childhood friend," the guy answered casually.
"My childhood friend? Who?" Hyebin muttered, having completely forgotten and unable to come up with even one name.
"Lee Eunho. Do you remember now?"
"Oh~ Eunho?" Hyebin said, trying to recall the name.
The guy abruptly stopped chuckling and stared at Hyebin with a furrowed brow. "Just... Eunho?" Hyebin put on a puzzled expression. The guy crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm older than you, Hyebin. Where are your manners?"
Hyebin instinctively looked to her left, cursing her inability to recognize people. "Mm... sorry, Eunho. You look about my age, so I got confused," Hyebin squeaked, biting her lip.
"I'll take that as a compliment on my youthful face," Eunho replied with a chuckle. "But honestly, I'm a little hurt. I thought you'd remember me better, considering we used to play in the mud together all the time."
"Sorry, I really did forget..."
"It's okay. I was just kidding."
Just then, the door of the neighboring house swung open. A middle-aged man walked out carrying a large cardboard box. "Eunho! Hurry up and bring the rest of your things inside—oh!! Hyebin!"
Hyebin's eyes widened. "Uncle Lee?!"
Lee Hee-do set down the box and walked over to the fence. "Wow, Hyebin! You're getting prettier every day. How have you been, kiddo?"
"I'm great, Uncle!" Hyebin replied, bowing respectfully. Then she glanced back at Eunho, who was smiling beside his father. "So... he's really Eunho?"
"Yeah." Eunho tilted his head and gave Hyebin a playful look before spreading his arms wide. "Who else would I be?"
"Oh my gosh!! I'm sorry, I really did forget you!" Without another thought, Hyebin rushed forward and hugged Eunho tightly. "I missed you!"
Eunho let out a bright chuckle. His right hand rose to gently stroke Hyebin's back, welcoming the warm embrace from his little neighbor. "I missed you too, my little enemy," he whispered, playfully pinching Hyebin's nose.
"Ow, that hurts!!" Hyebin cried, releasing him and clutching her reddened nose. "How did you grow so tall and... um, get even more handsome?" she asked, her face filled with a mixture of bewilderment and admiration.
"I've always been taller than you." Eunho playfully ruffled Hyebin's loose hair. "Looks like you're the one who didn't grow."
"Eunho~!!" the girl whined, annoyed that he was making fun of her height.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm really busy helping Dad unpack right now. How about we talk and catch up later?"
"I don't want to!" Hyebin immediately folded her arms across her chest.
Eunho had just turned to pick up the next box when he stopped. "Huh? Why not?"
"Because you're annoying!" Hyebin huffed, shooting him a sidelong glare. "We finally see each other after all these years, and instead of having a proper conversation, you make fun of my height and then try to get rid of me."
Eunho chuckled at the girl's sulky expression. Hyebin's way of pouting hadn't changed at all since they wore elementary school uniforms; she always folded her arms over her chest and turned her face away.
"I'm not trying to get rid of you, Hyebin," Eunho explained patiently. He took one step closer and lowered himself slightly so he could meet her eyes. "Dad needs my help. If I don't start carrying these heavy boxes soon, his back might be killing him tomorrow morning."
"You could carry them later..." Hyebin squeaked softly.
The girl lowered her head to stare at the tips of her shoes, hiding how reluctant she really was to part with him. Eunho noticed the change in her expression. The mischievous sparkle in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a warm, understanding gaze.
"Wait a second... you still missed me, didn't you?" he teased, this time without a mocking tone.
Hyebin's face suddenly turned red. "W-who says I missed you!" she snapped, her eyes going wide in shock at being caught. "You're so full of yourself!"
"Really?" Eunho leaned closer, tilting his head to peek at Hyebin's flushed cheeks. "Your face can't lie, Han Hyebin. It's as red as a boiled tomato."
"Eunho!!" Hyebin smacked his arm hard.
"Ow!" Eunho winced, rubbing his arm even as a quiet laugh escaped his lips. "Your hands are getting stronger."
"That's what you get for pushing my buttons!" Hyebin scolded him. A moment later, though, she let out a long sigh and tossed her pride aside. "I did miss you, okay? You suddenly disappeared for years without any real explanation, and now you suddenly show up as my neighbor. Am I not allowed to want to talk for a little while?"
Eunho froze for a moment as he listened to her innocent confession. A faint, genuine smile spread across his face. He gently put an arm around Hyebin's shoulders and patted them, full of remorse.
"I'm sorry," Eunho said softly. "I had to stay away from Korea for several years, until you almost forgot me yourself. But I never forgot you. Seriously."
"Liar," Hyebin muttered, rolling her eyes. "If you remembered me, you should've brought me a souvenir."
"It's in my suitcase," Eunho cut in with a wide smile. "I brought a lot of things you'll definitely like. So let me unpack my suitcase and boxes first. If I don't open them, how am I supposed to get your souvenir?"
"You really brought me something?"
"I did, Hyebin. Would I lie to my fierce little sister?"
"I'm not your little sister anymore! I'm twenty years old!" Hyebin protested, though her lips could no longer hold back the smile beginning to bloom.
"Yeah, yeah, a twenty-year-old girl who still pouts whenever someone makes fun of her height," Eunho teased, fixing Hyebin's hair. The girl froze at his sudden gesture. "All right, pretty girl. Go on inside!"
"O-oh?" Hyebin blinked slowly before coming to her senses. "Yeah, okay, I'm going inside!" She waved one last time before turning and walking toward the door. "Cherish! I'm back!"
Hyebin called loudly for her beloved cat the moment she stepped into the quiet house. While waiting for an answer, she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get her favorite chocolate-flavored waffle ice cream from the freezer.
"Cherish? Where are you?"
Hyebin looked around for the thick-furred cat before finally heading upstairs to her room. As it turned out, Cherish had gotten there first. The white-and-gray ragdoll cat was sitting comfortably on Hyebin's bed, right in the middle of her thick blanket.
"Cherish! You won't believe what happened today!" Hyebin sat down on the carpet beside the bed and played with her cat's front paws. "Can you believe it? Eunho came back! I'm so happy!"
Cherish only let out a soft meow and responded with a bored stare, but Hyebin tried to ignore it and kept talking.
"Now that Eunho is back, I have someone close to talk to after I get home from campus. Doesn't that sound great? I won't be lonely anymore!" Hyebin pinched Cherish's adorable cheek. "Anyway, I'm happy today!"
Then Hyebin stood up to wash up and take a shower. After showering and changing into comfortable clothes, she went back downstairs to get her waffle ice cream, which she had accidentally left on the kitchen table.
"Aw... it's melted," the girl murmured as she looked at the ice cream's texture.
Hyebin walked into the family room, sat down on the couch, turned on the TV, and began eating her slightly melted ice cream. But just as she enjoyed her first bite, the phone lying beside her seat began vibrating loudly, signaling an incoming message.
Jeongmin: [Hi! I'm Jeongmin]
Hyebin: [I know]
Jeongmin: [Do you have any plans tomorrow? I mean, after our college classes are over?]
Hyebin: [No. Why?]
Jeongmin: [Then meet me on the campus field after class]
Hyebin: [What for?]
Jeongmin: [We need to start discussing the project] [By the way, where should we discuss it? Your house, my house, or somewhere else, like a café?]
Hyebin thought for a moment. She didn't want to bring a strange guy to her house, but she also didn't feel like looking for somewhere crowded, like a café.
Hyebin: [I don't care where, as long as it's quiet]
Jeongmin: [Then let's meet at my house] [See you tomorrow!] [Good night, Love]
Hyebin's eyes widened when she read the last word in the message. "Love? From partner to Love? What is this guy's deal?!" she snapped, her face flushing.
Hyebin shook her head in annoyance, refusing to get carried away, and immediately turned off her phone without any intention of replying to the flirtatious message. She tossed the phone onto the couch and returned her focus to her ice cream, though her mind was now buzzing with thoughts of what would happen tomorrow at Jeongmin's house.