Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.1

“Yeonsu, over here.”

As Yeonsu stepped into the Chinese restaurant’s entrance, Seonyeong’s bright voice called out, her face appearing. Seonyeong, who seemed to have grown more naggy than when Yeonsu last saw her two years ago, quirked an eyebrow accusingly.

“You should attend more often! Huh?”

Yeonsu offered an awkward smile. Instead of apologizing for her long absence, she lightly placed a hand on Seonyeong’s shoulder.

“How’s work? Is that boss who bullies you still around?”

“Don’t even ask. I’m stubborn enough not to quit, but my boss doesn’t seem to have any intention of quitting either. That’s the problem!”

Seonyeong, who recognized Yeonsu’s charm from their first meeting in college, drew her into her orbit with her unique friendliness. From their freshman year, when they were like fledgling chicks, until they both graduated early, Seonyeong was always by Yeonsu’s side. The other friends they made came along with Seonyeong. It had been years since their classmates’ gathering met regularly, but Yeonsu was only now showing her face for the first time in two years.

“Oh, Yeonsu! Long time no see, huh? Heard you’ve been busy lately.”

As she entered the private room inside the restaurant, her classmates greeted her warmly, each adding a comment.

“Nah, Yeonsu’s always been busy. She’s probably busy today, busy tomorrow, and busy the day after.”

“Didn’t she say she was a freelancer?”

“Right. And she quit the big corporate job, right? When did you quit, anyway?”

“Yeonsu, where are you now?”

To the barrage of questions, Yeonsu briefly replied, “Jeju-do.”

“What? Jeju-do? When did she go all the way there? Didn’t you say you were in Daejeon last time? She’s impossible to keep track of.”

“Guess that’s what freelancing gets you.”

Yeonsu gave an embarrassed laugh, picked an empty chair, pulled it out, and sat down. It happened to be right next to Jinseok. As soon as she sat, Jinseok, as if he’d prepared it beforehand, brought her chopsticks, a fresh plate, and a wet wipe.

“Thanks.”

The classmates’ gathering took place periodically every three months. Seonyeong, with her sociable and lively personality, managed the group chat and always personally chose the meeting place. Yeonsu’s social circle was relatively small, but when she was with Seonyeong, it was a different story. Thanks to Seonyeong, she had maintained relationships with her classmates, seeing them often in her spare time even after graduation.

Her disappearance for the past two years had a reason. A reason she hadn’t told anyone yet. Last month, when Seonyeong contacted her after a long time and pressed her, Yeonsu had used being busy with work as an excuse. Of course, that was also true. Twenty-seven. The classmates seemed unchanged, as if they hadn’t aged at all.

“Hosoo? That guy is really annoying. He didn’t contact me once, then out of nowhere, he called the other day. I answered, and he immediately asked me to sign up for a fund. Said his branch manager at the securities firm was pressuring him to meet targets or something. Why should I care?”

“Hey, what are friends for? What’s the big deal about signing up for one measly fund? We’re all working stiffs, just help him out.”

“Are you only saying that because you work at the same securities firm?”

“Exactly! If you don’t like funds, want to get a look at my asset portfolio? Investing now means an easy next ten years, man.”

“Shut up.”

In the cheerful atmosphere, the staff brought out all the food. Yeonsu, who was sitting near the room’s entrance, stood up to personally help the employee serve the dishes to the inner tables.

They had met as students without money, but now everyone was a respectable working professional. Most of the male classmates were still rookies in the workforce due to their military service, but the female classmates already looked very much like seasoned professionals.

Perhaps because it was a long-awaited reunion, everyone seemed to have dressed up nicely. But Yeonsu hadn’t bothered to doll herself up. She wore her favorite jeans, a gray T-shirt, and a black jacket.

As Yeonsu took off her jacket, Jinseok, once again, brought her a disposable apron. Seonyeong clicked her tongue from across the table. It was meant to be a hint for Jinseok to back off, that Shin Yeonsu wasn’t a dog, but he paid no mind. Yeonsu didn’t put on the apron.

Just as she was about to start eating, she saw Seonyeong quickly making room for another person and tilted her head, asking.

“Is someone else coming?”

Seonyeong poured the sweet and sour pork sauce, replying, “Who else? Hajun Senior, of course.” A few classmates sitting nearby yelled at Seonyeong, asking why she poured the sauce without asking, and if she was disregarding the ‘dip’ group.

“My bad, I’m a ‘pour’ person.”

While Seonyeong pressed her hands together to apologize, someone entered the entrance to the cheerful jingle of a bell. The lights flickered momentarily, deepening the shadows around them.

Hajun, a senior two years older than Yeonsu, began greeting the employee at the entrance with a polite air.

“Hello, you have the alcohol I ordered earlier by phone, right?”