The next afternoon, Areum stood outside the Blue Bird Cafe. It was a small, quiet place tucked away in an alley—the complete opposite of the flashy spot Jungkook had picked. Her heart was doing that annoying drumroll against her ribs again. She hated that she was nervous.

It's just coffee, she told herself. Five minutes. If he's a weirdo, I'm out.

She had texted Jin before leaving, and he had replied, "I'm by my phone. Don't forget the code word." Knowing he was on standby made her feel a little braver.

She pushed the door open. The cafe was nearly empty, smelling of old paper and bitter cocoa. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on a man sitting in the far corner, his back to the door. Even from behind, there was something familiar about the way he sat—shoulders squared, head tilted slightly.

Areum took a deep breath and walked over.

"J.M.?" she asked, her voice steady despite the flutter in her stomach.

The man stiffened. He didn't turn around immediately. He took a slow breath, as if he was bracing himself, and then he stood up and faced her.

Areum felt the air leave her lungs. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, the sounds of the cafe fading into a dull hum. 

"Areum," he said.

His voice was deeper than she remembered, but it still had that same smooth edge that used to make her feel safe when they were twenty-two. Now, it just made her feel sick.

It was Jimin.

The same Jimin she had loved with a "puppy love" intensity back in university. The same Jimin who had promised they'd graduate and start their lives together, only to disappear right before finals. He had left her a messy note saying he couldn't handle the "weight of a future" and blocked her number. He had left her when she was just a girl with a dream, long before she actually became the CEO she is today.

"You," Areum whispered, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her purse.

"I didn't think you'd actually come," Jimin said, a small, tentative smile touching his lips. It was the smile of someone who thought he still had a right to be here.

Areum took a step back, her shock turning into hot anger. "You used a fake profile. You lied to get me here."

"I didn't lie," he said, taking a step toward her. "I knew if I put my picture up, you'd never swipe. I just needed ten minutes, Areum. We were kids back then. I was immature. I didn't know how to handle things."

"You had six years to grow up, Jimin," she snapped, her voice trembling. "You don't get ten minutes now."

She turned to leave, her heart racing so fast it hurt.

"I'm settled now, baby!" he called out after her. "I'm not that confused kid anymore. I have a career. I'm back because I'm ready for us now!"

Areum froze at the door but didn't turn around. "You're ready for the woman who built herself from nothing. But you weren't there for the girl who had nothing. Don't ever call me that name again."

She shoved the door open and ran into the street, the cold air stinging her eyes.