That Autumn

The Reunion

Lee Tae Woo, that guy is really... Ck, I lost my words. He doesn't answer my calls anymore. I've been saying long ago that I'm going to Seoul. I even sent my departure schedule. Then where is he now? Since I arrived at the airport, I haven't even seen the bridge of his nose. Because of him, Shin Woo and I had to be abandoned like this.

I threw my phone on the table. Right now, Shin Woo and I are at a cafe in the center of Gangnam. The place where the reunion is held. Yes, I finally decided to come. Thanks to Tae Woo, I couldn't do anything and had so much free time. That's why I came thirty minutes early.

There's no one here. Not my former school friends or other visitors. Looks like this place was intentionally booked for a reunion. The table has also been arranged in the middle of the room to accommodate many people.

"Shin Woo-ah, do you want to eat something?" I handed Shin Woo the menu list that the cafe waiter had left a while ago because I wasn't planning on ordering anything yet.

The boy took it and then skimmed it. "May I? They look expensive."

"Hearing those words from you makes me feel really poor." I'm laughing.

"I'm not hungry." Shin Woo puts the menu book back on the table with a disinterested expression. "I already have my dinner. I'm full."

Yeah, we had dinner the night before here. But.. Is it okay for us to just sit there without ordering anything? Actually, I started to feel the cynical gaze of the cafe worker from behind his tall table. It was uncomfortable. I have to order something.

"How about ice cream?" I asked again. Shin Woo never refuses ice cream.

"Okay!" Shin Woo agrees without much thought. As expected before.

The attitude he showed was like I was forcing him. But when his order came, he rushed over with joy.

"Mom!" He lifted his ice cream bowl while looking out at where there were several other tables that were indeed provided on the outside of the cafe. "May I eat outside?"

"Sure." I ruffled his hair. "But don't go anywhere else."

"Thanks, Mom!" Shin Woo immediately ran out after getting my permission. I just smiled, watching him.

Just then, I saw a girl coming on an old motorbike. The sound of a motorcycle making noise caught my attention. It's Da Mi. She looks different from the last time we met.

"Da Mi-ah!" I waved at him.

She saw me then rushed in. She looked at the empty place then sat down next to me. "The others haven't arrived yet? Have you been here long?"

"It seems so." I'm a little surprised to see her appearance today. Da Mi grew up and became more and more beautiful. Not like someone I met yesterday. I mean.. She's beautiful. Of course, she's getting prettier. It's just that it doesn't grow at all. "I purposely came early because.. Well.. You could say I have a lot of free time."

Da Mi laughed. "Me too. I also have a lot of free time."

"How are you?" I asked. Just then, a waiter came to take our order. Then Da Mi ordered a beer and a snack while waiting for the rest of our friends to arrive.

"Extraordinary!" Da Mi replied after the maid left. "Never felt better than this."

That's right. She looks beaming. I feel happy to see her happy like this.

"But..." I looked outside where Da Mi had parked her motorbike. "That's not your style."

"Is that true?" Da Mi laughed again. "What's my style like?"

"Rolls Royce," I said sarcastically.

"I can't bring that to school." Da Mi drank her beer that had just arrived. "Exaggerating."

"School?"

"Yes.." Da Mi nodded. "I teach sports at a private high school."

"That was cool! Are you a teacher?" I thought she was going to run her family company. Turns out she has a life of her own.

"Well.. Not as great as being a doctor indeed."

"Doctor?"

"While Shin Ah is a doctor, I'm just a gym teacher. Khaah.. Since school, she's always been better than me." Da Mi tapped the table thoughtfully, then realized her mistake. "I’m sorry.. I shouldn't have talked about her in front of you."

"It’s okay." Even if I say it's okay, I feel my smile disappear. "That's just the past."

"The past? Ck.. That person also said the same thing about you." Da Mi then continued her sentence with a low mumble but I could still hear it. "She's even engaged to a young architect. Aish! Why am I the one who doesn't want Shin Ah to be engaged to that guy?"

Engaged? So Shin Ah has completely forgotten about me?

"Then what about you? What have you been doing all this time? I never heard from you." Da Mi asked then.

"I..." I was about to answer the question when Da Mi's cheer cut me off.

"Gina!" Da Mi pointed at a car that had just arrived. It stands out because it stops right in front of the cafe and the driver rushes to open the door. "After marrying a snack food company owner, her only job was to go to the salon and shop. Look what she's wearing. This is a reunion, not a red carpet."

Da Mi never fails to make me laugh. "You seem to know a lot of gossip."

"This is not gossip Anna-ya!" She leaned her body on the back of the chair while continuing to look in the direction where Gina went. "Me and other friends often keep in touch. Call each other or send messages. And we even meet occasionally, although not all at once like this reunion. Only you who disappeared without any news."

"So you arranged this reunion?"

She shook her head. "I saw it on the f*******: group. That's why I came."

"Me too. I thought you were the admin." At first I thought it was Da Mi who held this reunion because it was Da Mi who was always enthusiastic when it came to get-togethers.

"No! No! I don't even know who she is. Just wait. She must be one of those who came."

"Hey, Anna-ya!" Gina finally arrived and she immediately hugged me. "How are you?"

"Great," I answered. "And you?"

"Fine even though I'm in a bit of a bad mood." Gina sat on the other side of me, then immediately ordered a drink. After that, she opened her bag, took out her make-up kit and fixed it even though it was still neat.

"You didn't greet me?" Da Mi asked because she felt she was being ignored. "You said hello to Anna right away, but I didn't?"

"Eoh! Hi, Da Mi-ah!" She waved briefly then focused back on her makeup.

"Aigoo.. Look at this girl!" Da Mi pointed her index finger at Gina. "When she was at school she was chasing me madly. Now, I seem invisible."

"Yes! You were the first one who ignored me!" Gina slams her lipstick on the table, then stands up, pointing back at Da Mi. "You expect me to chase you forever? Really!"

"You're too loud, Gin." I tugged at her shirt for her to sit back down. The sound was so loud that not only the few cafe workers saw it, but also the pedestrians outside.

Realizing her voice was too loud, Gina sat back down. "I'm sorry."

"Good grief!" Da Mi, who was surprised by Gina's loud voice just now, held her chest. "I forgot how terrible she was."

"Woah.. You guys had a fight?" The newly arrived Min Ji stands behind Da Mi. Meanwhile, accompanying not far from him, Na Ra jogged towards me.

"Eonnie!" The girl bent down to hug me. Since when did she become this tall?" "I really miss you!"

"Aah.. Uri Na Ra.. I miss you too." I rubbed her head, which rested on my shoulder. And.. That girl was already crying.

" I am … hungry!" Min Ji looked confused at seeing a table that only had a few drinks. "I'll order food first."

"Eonni, where have you been?" Na Ra let go of my hug then wiped her tears that had fallen. "Why no news from you? I called you several times but your cell phone is off."

"There's a little problem. I'll tell you later." My promise to Na Ra.

"Little problem." Da Mi chirps sarcastically.

"From now on I will stay in Seoul. You should visit me often. Arraseo?" I continued without paying any heed to Da Mi's remark.

"Eonni! I want to sit near Anna Eonni." Now Na Ra turns to Da Mi and whines at her. Besides getting taller, I think she's also getting more childish. "Can Eonni move there?"

"Why don't you just ask Gina to move?" Da Mi doesn't accept it. The happiness that she had displayed when he arrived just now disappeared with Gina's arrival.

"You want to die, huh?" Gina raised her fist at Da Mi.

"Ah.. Yes.." Da Mi chose to give in and walked away. But she still grumbled. "And why did you take this eater with you, Na Ra-ya?"

"I didn't invite her. We met outside earlier." Na Ra looks happy after getting her dream seat.

"I saw the invitation on Facebook." Min Ji, who had finished ordering, took a seat and joined us. "Although not for my class, I have a feeling there will be a lot of food here. That's why I came."

"You haven't changed." I'm laughing.

"Eoh! Anna-ya! You came!" Min Ji apparently just realized my existence.

"Hello everyone...!" Another one came. In unison, we turned towards the entrance. That's Ah Rin.

"Finally!" Min Ji spreads her arms to welcome Ah Rin.

I thought so. Apparently not. What she received was the food she ordered, which began to arrive.

Ah Rin came closer to hug us in turn, then she sat next to Da Mi. She was amazed to see the line of food that kept coming without stopping. "Whose order is this? Isn’t it too much?"

"You ask?" Gina pointed at Min Ji with the tip of her chin. "There! That person there."

"Ah.." Ah Rin nodded in understanding. "Where's Kyu Ri? She hasn't come yet?"

"There she is!" Na Ra pointed at someone who was hitting the glass door. A girl wearing a face covering helped her, then helped her walk in.

"What are you doing?" Min Ji laughs at Kyu Ri's arrival. "Don't you see there's a door there?"

"Of course. I see." Kyu Ri sat on her bottom safely before continuing her sentence. "I'm just trying to comfort you guys who seem to be in a lot of trouble."

The girl in the face mask sat down to join us. She sat right next to Kyu Ri.

"Who is her?" I asked, almost whispering to Kyu Ri.

Kyu Ri looks at the girl next to her with a confused face. "I do not know."

Then we looked at each other. Seeing, we were confused because we didn't recognize her. The girl with the face mask removed her mask so we could see her face clearly.

"Ye Jin!" Da Mi rushed to hug the face-covered girl whose identity was already known as Ye Jin. "You come!"

"Eonnie!" Ye Jin patted Da Mi's shoulder who was still hugging her. "You're exaggerating. We just met last week."

"Right!" Da Mi nodded, then returned to her seat. "And that feels like a long time ago."

"By the way," Min Ji starts her eating ritual. "This isn't your class reunion. Why did you come?"

"Shin Ah Eonni invited me," Ye Jin replied. Without further ado, she immediately helped Min Ji with her activities. "She has not come yet?"

"Not yet," Gina said.

"Is she coming?" I asked curiously. My question just got a response from Da Mi's surprised look.

"I heard you left her because you were pregnant out of wedlock. What happened? You still want to see her?" Gina again. She spoke so plainly as if it was a trivial matter.

Everyone who had been busy chatting fell silent. Their eyes were on Gina and me.

"You could say so." Yeah, that's not completely wrong. "Oh, yes! I haven't introduced you to my son yet. Shin Woo-ah!"

I waved outside for Shin Woo to see me. The boy didn't see me at first, but he heard my voice and turned his head. Realizing I had called him, he came to me.

"Shin.. Woo?" Min Ji and Kyu Ri looked at each other.

"This is my son. Wang Shin Woo." I introduced him to all of them proudly. I'm not the least bit ashamed of having Shin Woo because it was a choice that I made. "Shin Woo-ah, they are my friends. Greet them!"

"Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun Wang Shin Woo-imnida." Shin Woo bowed to greet my friends with broken sentences.

"Hey!" Gina dropped the glass in her hand after she saw Shin Woo up close. "He is.. your son?"

"I would have thought he was Shin Ah's son if you hadn't introduced him as your son." Ah Rin's comment.

"They really do look alike." Ye Jin can't keep her mouth shut until Min Ji helps her with a slice of pizza.

I just smiled at all of them. I want to explain it because they are my closest friends. It's just.. There's Shin Woo here. I don't want to make him sad by hearing about my past. Indeed, Shin Woo rarely uses the Korean language, but he understands.

After that, we spent a lot of time chatting. Maybe I'm the only one who didn't share my story because Shin Woo was sitting with us. At least I know a lot of things I've missed in ten years. Na Ra managed to realize her dream as a lawyer. Even though Da Mi played a lot at school, at least now she is a sports teacher. Ah Rin works in her family's company and Kyu Ri opens a restaurant with her direct hand as a chef.

Gina spent more time traveling around the world after she married a rich man. Even though her father's company went bankrupt, now she can still enjoy her life. Ye Jin is an artist. Not surprising because I knew and watched the drama when I was in New York. Min Ji is a reporter. It was quite strange to see her getting to know Ye Jin even though they had been friends since high school.

Meanwhile, Shin Ah.. Until the reunion ended, she didn't come. But I get a lot of information about her from friends. She is engaged to a boy named Alan Lim. Da Mi showed us the guy's i********:. Didn't mean to be curious. I just joined in watching with other friends. That guy looks handsome, smart and athletic. It's just that Da Mi says she has a problem with height. Then, don't they match?

***

Seoul, fall 2008

Da Mi walked into Shin Ah's room with a pale face. A while ago, she came out to get a call. Ten minutes later, when she returned, she looked like a living corpse.

"Is it something wrong?" Shin Ah was the first to ask about Da Mi's unusual behavior.

That night we were studying in Shin Ah's room. Again. Since yesterday, she has taught me math. Now it's my turn to teach her English. At least I'm not weak in all subjects, I excel in one of them. I've never taken school exams, but I'm confident in my English skills. Knowing we were learning English, Na Ra was intrigued and joined in. Meanwhile, Da Mi finally chooses to join because there are no friends to play with.

"I think I'm going to die any minute." Da Mi sat limply between Shin Ah and me. She forced a place that wasn't there until I had to move away. "My parents are taking me to the harabeoji place tomorrow."

Na Ra giggled a little in response. "Then you will die, Eonni!"

"Shin Ah-ya!" Da Mi whines as she hugs Shin Ah. Yes! She hugged my Shin Ah! I've never even hugged him. "What should I do?"

"Da Mi-ah!" I pulled Da Mi a little roughly so she let go of Shin Ah. Meanwhile, Shin Ah held back her laughter seeing my behavior and I pretended like nothing happened. "So what if you go to your grandfather's place?"

"Harabeoji..." Da Mi acted like she was crying again as she hugged Shin Ah again.

"Tell me! I want to know!" I also didn't want to lose and pull her back away.

"Harabeoji..." Da Mi hugged me instead.

"You!" Now it's Shin Ah's turn to be angry. "Where did you touch her?"

"What's the matter with you guys?" Na Ra, who is sitting right in front of us, looks at me and Shin Ah in turn suspiciously.

"Right! What's the matter with you guys?" Da Mi wiped her tears that weren't there at all. "You should be entertaining me. Why are you even playing with me? Throwing me here and there!"

More to the point of pulling, not throwing.

"You can't hug Anna carelessly!" Shin Ah snorted in annoyance.

"Why can't I hug her? I'm going to harabeoji place tomorrow! Don’t you feel pity for me?" Da Mi grabbed Shin Ah's shoulders and shook the girl who was smaller than her. "Harabeoji will force me to accompany him to play baduk all day. He won't let me relax."

"Ck, that has nothing to do with it." Na Ra looked indifferent and returned to struggling with her book. She then shouted at me when she found the error. "Eonni, isn't this supposed to be whitehand? Not withand."

I looked to see the book in front of Na Ra. "Am I wrong?"

"You actually can speak English can't you?" Shin Ah joked.

"YA!" Da Mi stomped her feet like a child. "You guys don't care about me? If you want to study, why not just go to Hagwon?"

"Da Mi-ah!" Shin Ah put her elbow on Da Mi's shoulder. "Your problem isn't that serious. You're just exaggerating. If you don't want to go to your harabeoji place with your parents, then don't go home."

"That is true!" Da Mi is excited about Shin Ah's idea, which she thinks is brilliant. And she hugged Shin Ah again. "Thank you Shin Ah-ya! I'll just stay here and hug you all night."

Hugging Shin Ah all night? It can’t be! I won’t let her do that to my girl.

"You can't hug her all night!" I separated Da Mi from Shin Ah. Shin Ah is my girlfriend. Da Mi couldn't just carelessly hug her like before.

"When did I say you could stay? I just said you don't have to go home." Shin Ah added. "Not that I'm offering you to stay here."

"We've never had a sleepover." Na Ra also chimed in. "Seems cool."

"Agree!" I supported out loud. I will not let Da Mi stay here alone and freely hug Shin Ah. I'll come stay and watch over them. I will prevent Da Mi from getting close to Shin Ah. "Let's just stay overnight. Coincidentally, tomorrow is the weekend. We can stay up all night."

"Exactly! I thought you guys didn't realize tomorrow was the weekend to study this hard." Da Mi grumbled in a low voice.

"You guys too?" Shin Ah frowned. Her questioning gaze was more directed at me. "Are you sure?"

"Why not?" I suddenly got excited at the thought of spending the whole night with Shin Ah.

"But there are only three rooms here." Obviously Shin Ah. "One room belongs to Jae Hoon Oppa and he will be home soon. There is one guest room. Da Mi and Na Ra could be there. Then Anna is here with me. Is it okay?"

She had arranged it that way on purpose. What was she planning in her little head? I like it!! Whatever it is, I like it!

"Then you agree we will stay." Da Mi snapped her fingers in the air, happy that her problem was solved.

"But staying together isn't like that," Na Ra interrupted. "What's the point of staying overnight but sleeping separately?"

"Shin Ah's room is too small for the four of us to sleep. How about the living room? It's more spacious there. We can play games until morning." Da Mi's suggestion.

That means I can't be alone with Shin Ah.

"You're going to annoy Oppa!" Shin Ah protested.

"I think Shin Ah Eonni's room is enough." Na Ra expressed her idea. "Shin Ah Eonni can be in bed and the three of us on the floor."

"It can't be. I'm a person who values guests." Shin Ah said disapprovingly. "How can I be in bed alone while my guests are on the cold floor? You guys in the guest room. Let me and Anna come here."

"Instead of sleeping separately like that, I'd better be in bed. You three are down here." Da Mi volunteered.

"Not bad." I like that idea. At least Shin Ah will survive Da Mi's embrace.

"Yes!" Da Mi looks the happiest out of the four of us.

"Didn't you ask your parents for permission first?" Shin Ah asked me. "Those two people obviously don't need to ask permission."

"I'll text Dad." If I'm not mistaken, Dad gets the night shift. I might interrupt his work if I called.

"If you want to change clothes, you can get them in the closet." Shin Ah got up ready to leave. "I'll get a snack first."

"Wait!" I rushed to my feet. "I am coming along."

I followed Shin Ah down to the kitchen to get the snack she mentioned earlier. There's something I want to ask.

"So... what's your plan?" I asked when Shin Ah was taking out the cookie jar from the storage cupboard.

"Eung?" Shin Ah doesn't see me. She was busy moving the cookies onto the plate.

"You want the two of us alone. What are you planning? Huh?" I repeated my question.

"I'm not planning anything weird." Shin Ah's face suddenly turned red. "I just want to be with you a little longer."

"Just that?" I asked again as I approached. Trying to seduce him.

"Oh!" She nodded nervously. Her expression is so cute. "And.. What if we go on a date tomorrow? Just the two of us. Do you mind?"

Stupid Shin Ah! If we go on a date, of course, only the two of us.

"Er.. I don't know." I pretended to think. "I've never been on a date before. What are we going to do?"

"Just taking a walk. You don't want to?"

"I didn't say that."

"So.. you want to go with me?" She looked at me expectantly.

"We will see later." Somehow I can't stop playing with her.

When the front door opened, I was a little surprised because it was so late and I thought no one was there. Then a man entered with staggered steps. He seemed to be struggling with his own steps until several times he almost kissed the floor.

"Oppa!" Shin Ah exclaimed as she ran to the boy to help him. Shin Ah grimaced when she smelled the strong alcohol from him. "Are you drunk?"

"They challenged me! What can I do?" The man that Shin Ah picked up spoke quickly as if he was raving.

"I'll take Oppa to his room first." Shin Ah talks to me. "You can go upstairs first."

"Oh!" I nodded. Even so, I remained standing on the spot waiting for her to return.

"You're still here?" She asked as she went out of her brother’s room and saw that I was still there. She went to the kitchen with me to get a drink. "Do you need anything?"

I followed her to the fridge. "You look a lot like your oppa."

"That’s not true!" She put a big bottle of juice in my hand. "When do I get drunk? I'm not even old enough to drink alcohol."

I laughed while carrying the juice bottle while Shin Ah brought a tray of four glasses and a plate of cookies. "I mean your faces."

"Yeah, a lot of people say that." Shin Ah walked back to her room. "Don't get me wrong. He doesn't usually come home drunk like that. Maybe he's having a good time or because it's the weekend."

"I didn't say anything. Dad also comes home drunk sometimes. Adults are weird. Why do they like alcohol so much when it's not good?"

"Have you ever tried it?"

"I've tasted what was left of wishky in dad's glass," I answered. "It really doesn't taste good."

"What about cigarettes? Have you ever tried it?"

"What do you think I am?" I stabbed her in the shoulder from behind, making him chuckle. "I'm not interested in that kind of thing."

Shin Ah opened the door to her room when we arrived on the second floor. Na Ra and Da Mi are still in their original place, but it's no longer a book on the table, but a set of card games.

"You're coming!" Da Mi exclaimed. "Just as we were about to start playing."

Shin Ah puts her tray down near the low table then sits down next to Da Mi. I followed her.

"Eonni, can you play Go Stop?" Na Ra asked me.

I shook my head. "What's that?"

"Then you're on the same team as me." Shin Ah shifted her seat next to me. "I'll teach you to play."

That night, the four of us spent time playing. Shin Ah isn't really good at playing that game they call Go Stop. She lost many times. Even though I couldn't join the game, it was fun.