In the quiet car, only the soft sounds of a song playing via Bluetooth filled the air.
After the car had started, not a single word had passed between us. I was certain this was the first time for such a situation.
However, I didn’t find the silence uncomfortable. Maybe it was because I had already figured out the answer in my mind, or perhaps it was because Seo-ha’s cute attempts to glance at me while trying to strike up a conversation, only to turn away again, made it so.
Anyway, we traveled in silence for about twenty minutes.
“Hey, Uju….”
Seo-ha was the first to break the silence. When I glanced over, I saw her anxious eyes shimmering under the moonlight.
“Yes, noona.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the sea.”
“Huh, what? The sea…?”
Was it such a sudden place that she found it hard to process? After hearing my answer, she blinked her wide eyes, seemingly in a daze.
“You once said that when things weren’t going well and you felt down, going to the sea and getting some fresh air helped.”
“You remembered that?”
Seo-ha seemed surprised that I recalled something she had casually mentioned.
How could I forget something someone said?
“Of course! Besides, I thought I might use it someday.”
“I see….”
It seemed as if her curiosity had been satisfied, and she turned back in her seat, leaning against her backrest.
Meanwhile, as the conversation had finally started flowing, I decided to seize the moment and keep it going.
“By the way, that bag is new. Noona, you usually just carry a handbag around.”
I noticed a small backpack at her feet and brought it up as a topic. It was a valid point; it was the first time Seo-ha had brought such a bag when meeting just the two of us.
“Oh, yeah. I have a lot of things to carry for work, so the backpack is more convenient.”
“That makes sense. I used to be close with my backpack in college, too.”
Well, I still am. Most days, I prefer a backpack unless it’s a simple outing.
“Speaking of which, I’ve never heard about your college days.”
Seemingly interested in my life, Seo-ha continued into the conversation. Honestly, it wasn’t a topic I was particularly enthusiastic about.
“There’s nothing interesting to share. I quickly took a leave of absence, so I didn’t really hang out with people.”
“But didn’t you have a lot of fans? I bet girls were all over you.”
“Pfft, fans? The only time I spoke to people was during group projects; I was always alone at college.”
Sure, there were a few times someone casually invited me to join a club or offered me a drink with classmates in the evenings, but that was about it.
I didn’t have a single person I could consider a close friend.
“Hehe, if I were your classmate, I wouldn’t have left you alone.”
“Wow, having you around in college would have been tempting.”
Can you imagine living a campus life with Seo-ha, going to classes together, grabbing meals, and maybe even doing group projects before heading out for drinks afterward?
It would have been the ultimate college experience—even if it was a foolish dream.
“By the way, what were your college days like? I bet you had guys chasing after you everywhere.”
“I was the same. I skipped a grade and entered college early.”
“Whoa, you skipped a grade?”
I was somewhat surprised, maybe a bit overly dramatic considering my good grades in high school. I never imagined there would be someone in front of me who had skipped a grade.
Of course, there are many who graduate early from special schools, but seeing it in real life for the first time was fascinating.
“Yeah, I attended high school in the U.S. I transferred to college around my second year of high school and graduated a little over two years later before coming to Korea.”
“Wow….”
That’s some elite-level stuff right there. I thought people like that only existed in novels.
“Noona, you’re really impressive.”
“It’s not that remarkable. It happens often in the U.S.”
“No, it’s still impressive regardless.”
No way is it common for 90 out of 100 people to skip grades and graduate like that. At the very least, she was outstanding to be able to do so.
Man, I felt my shoulders shrinking.
“In my opinion, you’re much more impressive, Uju. Making so many people smile and bringing them joy is not an easy task.”
“Oh, come on.”
Noticing my awkwardness, Seo-ha smiled brightly, showering me with compliments.
But it didn’t feel empty. I always felt her words of praise came from the heart, making me even more embarrassed.
I’m just an ordinary person, so having someone like her think so highly of me made me feel grateful.
“As I said before, I’ve gained a lot of strength thanks to you too.”
“I feel the same. You treat me with such sincerity, it empowers me.”
As I bashfully spoke, I wanted to express my gratitude for everything she had done for me.
“No, I….”
Seo-ha’s face clouded again as she bit her lip, seemingly wrestling with some pang of guilt.
I still wondered if she was hiding something.
I wanted to ask right then, but since my main purpose for being here today was to cheer up Seo-ha, I decided to hold off and turned my gaze outside.
“Oh, noona. I can see the sea already!”
“Oh… You’re right.”
Forcing her enthusiasm, she pointed at the sea outside, smiling broadly. Seo-ha, realizing that we had finally arrived at the beach, turned her head to look outside with a gentle smile.
Even though it was twilight and we couldn’t see the vast blue ocean when we arrived, the soft sound of crashing waves filtering through the slightly open window was enough to lift my spirits.
“Is it the sea breeze that’s so refreshing? It feels like we don’t even need the air conditioning.”
“Right, I think we can turn it off.”
Following Seo-ha’s suggestion, we briefly switched off the air conditioning and let the strong sea breeze wash over us.
Whoosh!
As I opened the window, the breeze came in at just the right intensity, feeling incredibly refreshing.
Seo-ha seemed to be enjoying it too, leaning slightly out the window to absorb the night breeze.
I thought about parking nearby and heading to the beach, but I didn’t want to disrupt Seo-ha’s moment, so I opted to just circle around the area.
“Shall we head out that way?”
“Sure.”
When I sensed Seo-ha was in the mood to dip her feet in the water, I found a suitable spot on the empty street to park and get out.
“Uju, do you want some coffee?”
As I unbuckled my seatbelt and prepared to step out, Seo-ha suddenly mentioned coffee.
“Coffee?”
“Yeah, I saw a café up ahead. Want me to get us some?”
The two-story café she pointed to was still open.
I could drink coffee whenever, and I usually sleep well even after having it late at night.
“I’ll go get it. You stay in the car.”
“No, I’ll get it. I’d like to go to the restroom anyway.”
“Oh, in that case….”
Well, I guess there’s no helping it.
I thought about bringing up a topic before getting out of the car, but now it seemed I’d have to wait until after seeing the sea. It was a bit disappointing, but I decided to bide my time.
“In that case, I’d like a latte, please.”
“Got it, iced or hot?”
“Hot, today.”
“Really? That’s unusual. You always go for iced.”
Indeed, it felt weird even to me. I usually drink only iced coffee, even in the winter, but today, I craved something warm for some reason.
Perhaps it was my nervousness leading me to make an unusual choice.
“Want to look at the sea first?”
“No, I’ll wait in the car. It’s dark out, so it’ll be hard to find you.”
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.”
Clunk.
Once Seo-ha stepped out first, disappearing across the crosswalk, I glanced around the somewhat messy car to organize.
Ah, I’d left that half-drunk bottle and didn’t throw it away. I should remember to get rid of it later.
Tap.
“Ow.”
As I picked up the bottle stuck next to the passenger seat to move it to the driver’s side, Seo-ha’s bag toppled over.
The problem was that the zipper had been open, and the contents spilled out. Pens, some cosmetics, and what seemed to be lemon-flavored candies tumbled everywhere.
Great, just what I needed.
“Ugh.”
There were so many items that it was going to be tough to pick them all up, so I turned on the light and started gathering the contents.
“…Huh?”
During the clean-up, I spotted a small notebook tucked away in a corner. It was slightly larger than my palm, and it had opened up from the commotion.
What is this? Is this a memo pad for her work?
As I picked it up absentmindedly, the words hidden in darkness were gently illuminated by the orange glow.
But the first sentence that jumped out at me felt off. Somehow, my name popped up.
“……?”
Momentarily feeling a sense of alienation, I became curious about the rest, and I involuntarily read the next line aloud.
“Today, I lied to Uju again.”
As the incomplete sentence fully registered in my mind, I realized that this notebook was none other than Seo-ha’s diary.
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