riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters
genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life
note: you can check my asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi for this story.
The soft melody of raindrops tapping against the cafe's windows and the hushed conversations of patrons in the background enveloped Jiwoo, making her feel right at home as she gazed at the slow twirl of a brown bubble on her coffee's surface. While some people frowned at the gloomy weather, the few inside the cafe found solace in the respite it provided from their bustling lives.
Jiwoo, like her fellow cafe-dwellers, took this moment to unwind from her daily grind by simply watching the busy street outside through the rain-splattered window. A steaming cup of coffee sat on the warm, mahogany table before her, as she indulged in an impromptu photo session with her subject of choice: the solitary coffee cup.
Content with her snapshots, Jiwoo felt the urge to capture herself seated on the gray cushioned couch. Tilting her phone at just the right angle to conceal any unflattering imperfections, she was pleasantly surprised by the striking image she beheld. Her sense of pride soared as she reviewed her photos, momentarily lost in her own world, until the music softly playing in the background snapped her back to reality.
That song brought back a flood of memories. It had been years since she'd last heard it, but as she read in a recent post, certain things had the power to unlock one's core memories – whether it be a scent, a taste, a sound, a sight, or a sensation. With this single song, Jiwoo found herself reliving her youthful emotions and pondering the 'what-ifs' and missed opportunities of her past, all while questioning whether she still had the chance to experience them.
2006
Jiwoo hopped off the motorcycle, her heart racing with anxiety, and bid her father farewell before entering the school gate. It was her first day of school, and she felt a mix of nerves. She couldn't decide if it was the textbooks in her bag weighing her down or the realization that everyone else seemed to know each other already.
She silently wished to spot a familiar face and, to her delight, she did: her best friend, Miri.
"I'm so thrilled to see you here," Miri greeted her with a blend of joy and wistfulness. Joyful because she found Jiwoo on the first day, but wistful because they weren't placed in the same class. Jiwoo had been assigned to Class 1-B because her academic rank was lower than Miri's.
"Will you be okay, Jiwoo?" Miri asked, concerned that her reserved friend might struggle in her new class.
"I'll be just fine," Jiwoo assured her, offering a bag of cookies her mom had baked for Miri. "Mom said to give these to you and your mom later," she added.
"Wow, that's so sweet of your mom. Thank you so much! I'll be sure to tell my mom... Oh, sorry, Jiwoo, I have to run now. Let's make sure we meet at lunch, okay?" Miri said as she hurried back to her classroom.
"Okay! Good luck, Hwang Miri!"
"Good luck, Shim Jiwoo!" Miri shouted, waving her hands wildly.
Jiwoo found her way to her classroom and took a seat near the door. No one seemed eager to sit in the front row, so she picked one of the empty seats and settled in. She longed to introduce herself to her classmates but felt too nervous and shy. Besides, it appeared that everyone else had already started forming connections on their first day. Even the latecomers had easily made friends.
Whenever Jiwoo felt like she had missed her chance, she remained seated, a silent observer of her surroundings. She didn't have much else to do, so she lingered there like a wallflower, until a gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned to find a girl who was incredibly cute with her fair complexion, brown wavy hair tied in a ponytail, and big, pretty eyes. Jiwoo's heart skipped a beat.
"Hello! I'm Suyoung," she warmly greeted, extending her hand for a handshake. "And you are?"
Jiwoo was taken aback, struggling to process what she'd just heard. "Oh! Sorry," she stammered. "I'm Jiwoo... Shim Jiwoo."
"Nice to meet you, Jiwoo! Do you have Friendster?" Suyoung asked, and Jiwoo's face froze in surprise.
"Friendster?" Jiwoo replied.
Suyoung nodded and showed her phone, which only added to Jiwoo's astonishment. "It's like this. I was wondering if you have it so we can be friends here and stay connected," she explained, flashing a warm smile.
"Sorry, but I don't have a phone yet, and I... I don't know what Friendster is," Jiwoo admitted, feeling embarrassed.
Suyoung didn't seem bothered and chuckled. "That's okay! Maybe when you get one, we can be online friends too," she suggested with a grin.
"Thank you so much," Jiwoo said with a nod. Just as things began to feel a bit better, they took an unexpected turn.
As she turned back to her surroundings, her eyes landed on a face that seemed to slow down time. In that moment, she couldn't have cared less about anything else. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest.
Who was he?
That boy's face imprinted itself in her memory like a photograph. Jiwoo blushed, feeling the warmth flood her cheeks.
