It’s truly a miraculous feeling. I don’t usually believe in fate, but maybe we really were meant to be together. No, I’m starting to be convinced it was fate.
I was so happy to meet an unexpected long-lost connection that my steps towards Uju and the movie theater were even more excited than usual.
“Unnie, do you want some popcorn?”
As soon as we arrived at the movie theater, Uju tossed that question at me.
Receiving the question, I looked through the menu board, and there were so many options. Thinking back, I’ve always watched movies at home, so I realized how unfamiliar this situation was since I haven’t come to the theater often.
“Yeah, should we get some? What flavor do you like, Uju?”
“I like any flavor. My unnie only eats caramel popcorn, though.”
“Yeon-joo unnie? That’s surprising. She doesn’t seem like the type to like sweets.”
“She doesn’t, but strangely, she always says caramel popcorn is the truth.”
What even is that?
Uju is one thing, but Yeon-joo unnie definitely has her quirks too. They might be very similar after all.
“Then how about we split it half and half? I don’t eat that much popcorn anyway.”
“Sounds good. What flavors should we get?”
“Hmm… I’ll go with cheddar cheese popcorn.”
“Then I’ll go for onion popcorn.”
After easily deciding on the flavors, we headed to the counter to place our order.
“Excuse me. Could we get one couple combo S, please?”
“You’re asking for a couple combo S? What flavors would you like for the popcorn?”
“Cheddar cheese and onion, please.”
“Got it, cheddar cheese and onion. And what about beverages?”
“What do you want, unnie?”
Beverages? Hmm, that’s a tough one.
Cola? Soda? I like coffee, but with a pregnant body, caffeine is a bit much.
Then I started wondering if carbonated drinks are actually okay.
So here, I’ll go with…
“I’ll have orange juice, then.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Based on your personality, I thought you’d avoid carbonated drinks since they’re not good for the baby.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed for having my inner thoughts exposed, I was happy that Uju knew me well enough, causing me to smile unconsciously.
Nodding slightly, I asked the clerk for two glasses of orange juice while Uju took a step back.
“Aren’t you going to drink cola? I thought you liked it.”
“I didn’t want to make you feel bad by drinking something you can’t have. Besides, I like juice, so it’s fine.”
And then, with his usual gentle yet playfully teasing voice, he grabbed my hand while answering my question.
Seriously, how much more does this guy have to charm me to feel satisfied?
“Uju.”
“Yes?”
“Weren’t we supposed to get married?”
“Of course! There’s less than a month left, you know?”
As if questioning why I suddenly brought that up, Uju blinked at me, and I stepped closer to hold his hands together and look up at him.
“But why do you keep flirting with unnie?”
“…Huh? Am I flirting with you?”
See? You’re pretending not to know again. Blushing all the way to your cheeks, giving off an innocent nerd vibe.
“You’re flirting right now. You’ve already put a baby in my belly, how far are you going to take this flirting?”
“Uh, um… I don’t know how to answer that. I wasn’t really trying to flirt…”
Oh, so that means I got charmed by something you didn’t even plan to. That’s even worse!
“Unconscious flirting is the worst, Na-yeon said.”
“What kind of knowledge is Yuna-yeon feeding you, huh…”
Honestly, Na-yeon never said that, but this little lie might get a pass. I just made it up to tease Uju.
“If you keep flirting like that, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Um… I find that troublesome too. I wasn’t really planning on doing that.”
“Hey, stop scratching your cheek so cutely!”
“Are you saying you think I’m flirting no matter what I do…!?”
Huh? Is that the case? That might actually be true.
Thinking back, when leaving the house for lunch today, Uju had packed my chopsticks before his own and it made me flutter a little.
I’m really in deep. Though I don’t plan to fix it now that I know. This is all the fault of our husband, not mine.
“Your ordered popcorn and drinks are ready.”
“Oh, unnie, our order is here. Let’s grab it and head in right away.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
While I tried to rationalize it in my head, I collected the snacks with Uju and headed towards the screening room.
There were moments along the way when I almost slipped back into my sappy feelings, but I managed to hold it together. To tease Uju properly, I should poke at him occasionally for the best reactions and the most fun.
“Uju, what’s the title of this movie again?”
“It’s called ‘The Season You Disappeared’. Apparently, it’s the trending romance movie.”
“Ah, a romance, huh…”
Honestly, I’m not much of a romance fan. Maybe because I’m not very emotionally expressive, I find it hard to immerse myself in others’ stories.
Except for one person, Uju.
So until now, I’ve been pretending to enjoy movies to match his tastes, mostly watching action films or big international blockbusters. Maybe he thought I would prefer these emotional ones since I’m a woman.
This could be a bit of a miscalculation. But since it’s a trending movie, even though it’s not my favorite genre, there might still be a chance I can enjoy it in some way.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
“Looks like we timed it well.”
Contrary to my worries, the public service advertisements didn’t last too long, and the film started quickly. We must have hit the timing just right.
– Are you sure you want to go back? In the new future, the person you love may not be by your side.
– Still, I will go back. Because a world without that person has no meaning.
That was more or less the movie’s premise. It’s about a man who, after losing his wife, struggles to go back in time to prevent her death.
It’s ordinary enough to be considered so, and somewhat clichéd to some extent. But that’s why I could accept it without much discomfort. The actors did a wonderful job, so I found myself getting absorbed in it.
Thud.
While I took a sip of my juice to wet my throat, I reached for my share of the cheddar cheese popcorn when I accidentally brushed against Uju’s hand. I blinked in surprise, and Uju’s face turned beet red as he quickly pulled his hand away.
“Ah, s-sorry! I was just trying to grab some popcorn…”
Eeeh, how ridiculous that he’s feeling shy about holding hands now. But on another note, it made me enjoy getting to know this man’s personality.
Normally he seems like a gentle, shy guy, yet at night, he can be so wild. He truly is a person whose personality surprises me every time.
But that’s why I like him. Even though I confidently think I know him better than anyone, there’s still so much more to learn about this guy.
Just like there’s fun in learning new things one by one, there’s fun in getting to know someone little by little as well.
– Do you…
– Do you remember me?
– Ah, no. I just… have this feeling of having met you somewhere…
– ….
I found that I was concentrating more on Uju’s profile than the movie’s story when it started to reach its climax.
Honestly, the content wasn’t particularly moving. Yet, whenever I saw people nearby wiping their tears with tissues, I couldn’t help but think, “Is it really that impactful?”
Am I really the emotionless woman here? Although I do smile often in front of Uju and have shed a few tears.
Perhaps my emotions are stirred because of this person at this moment, which was a silly thought to cross my mind.
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, I heard someone nearby trying hard to hold back tears. It was so close that I felt a momentary sense of alienation.
“…Uju?”
Feeling a sense of dread, I turned my head towards the source of the sound and saw Uju.
With tears flowing down his cheeks like a scene from a movie, he was steadfastly focused on the performance of the actors on the screen, despite his reddened eyes.
“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s embarrassing for a guy to cry over something like this…”
Embarrassed to be caught crying because he was moved by the film, Uju hurriedly wiped his tears and tried to look away.
What kind of attraction did I feel in that moment?
I gently grabbed Uju’s wrist, which was about to turn away, forcing his gaze back to me.
Though his eyes may have been a bit bloodshot, the glistening tears reflecting the light were utterly mesmerizing.
Yes, these are the eyes. The ones that comforted me at ten years old, protecting me from sharks.
They are undoubtedly fragile yet possess a peculiar strength.
If I were in his position then, I wouldn’t have been able to offer a handkerchief. No, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it. I’m not the kind of kind-hearted woman who can empathize with someone’s weakness.
Because you are someone who can empathize with someone’s emotions, someone’s weaknesses, someone’s stories.
I’m certainly captivated by you, both then and now.
“…It’s okay, so use this to wipe your tears.”
“Ah… th-thank you, unnie.”
I smiled at that Uju, now switched roles, as I handed him my handkerchief.
Taking the handkerchief carefully, Uju wiped away the traces of tears, and his face regained its firmness as he faced the screen again.
By that point, the thought of concentrating on the movie didn’t even cross my mind.
Fearing that I might forget the face of that boy from that day, I kept watching his profile, etching it into my memories while covering his hand with mine.
I might be a cold woman who can’t empathize with those who are weak.
I might be a merciless woman who cannot shed tears for someone else’s sorrow.
I might be a boring woman who cannot feel moved by fictional stories.
That’s why I think I fell for you.
The radiance you possess that I lack—you’re the person who shines brighter than anyone else in my eyes.
So please, don’t diminish that brilliance you call weakness.
The person I have loved for the first and last time in my life is someone just like you.
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