Taehyung 

We decided on meeting at Jimin’s house since his wife is away on a short work trip, and he also insisted on showing me his latest collection of whiskey. Knowing that drinking with Jimin would always exceed my usual limits, I picked up a few hangover drinks for us and we gulped them down first in the process of preparing ourselves for a drunken night ahead.

“Wow! When did you get this?” I examine the brand-new bottle of KaMiKi whiskey that Jimin brought out to the table.

“I bought it on my way back from Japan last month. I was actually waiting to open it,” he eagerly rubs his palms together and plops himself down on one of the chairs.

After loading both our glasses with ice cubes shaped like spheres, I pour out exactly one shot of whiskey in each glass, and we both clink our glasses before taking the first sip.

“These ice spheres look so cool.” I appreciate the efforts by lifting the glass to my eye level and smiling at how pretty they actually look.

“So-Hee does these, and I think they look cute,” Jimin chuckles, swirling his glass lightly. “Wait up, I prepared snacks as well,” he leaves the table for a moment and returns with some chicken, salted pistachios, and a humble fruit platter.

“Did you come here straight from the hospital?” He asks me ehile refilling our glasses with another shot of whiskey.

“Yeah. Actually, no. I went to the restaurant, and Da-Won blew the fuse on our dinner date,” I laugh softly as I take a large sip of my drink.

Jimin slightly leans forward and pretends to sniff me.

“If you turned up smelling like that, I would, too,” he flicks my forehead and laughs, and I laugh a little, too.

“She was talking, as always, and I kind of zoned out, and that threw her off.”

“She does use that mouth a lot, doesn’t she?” Jimin winks, talking implicitly, and I stay quiet, not knowing how to respond to that.

“Jokes aside, I wouldn’t survive a day with her. Her mere presence chokes me,” he spills his acrimony once we both down two shots of whiskey each.

I couldn’t agree more though, and I’m also still wondering how and why we’re pulling along despite being polar opposites. Nevertheless, she’s still my girlfriend, and I cannot just diss her as he does.

“She isn’t always like this,” my words make Jimin nod his head animatedly.

“Just admit it already. You’re still with her only because she gives head like a pro,” I almost spit out my drink when I hear him say that, and he makes a face at me to stop being so dramatic.

He’s not entirely wrong though. Lately, I feel emotionally detached from her, and I also feel that the sex we have is the only thing which keeps us together. These days, it isn’t even as frequent as before and, frankly speaking, there’s actually nothing more to hold on to.

My silence is taken as a sign of acceptance, and Jimin smirks in success as he pours out another shot of whiskey in either of our glasses.

“I saw someone today,” I arrive at the main topic, and our gazes lift to meet at the same time.

“Also known as the reason for your zoning out during dinner,” he judges too quickly but also nails his judgment with the finest precision.

And that’s really how well he knows me.

“Right,” I nod my head as I hold the glass in both my hands and keep my eyes fixed on it.

“Who was it?”

“Cho-Wol,” my eyes lift to look at him, and his eyes crinkle at first, and then they widen a little as he takes a big gulp of his drink.

“Shin Cho-Wol? Oh, wow,” he says; the room falling completely silent for a moment afterwards.

“Yeah. I delivered her baby last week,” my voice lowers, as does my gaze.

“Oh,” Jimin lets out softly. “Did she see you?” He questions me after a whole minute of silence.

“No, I guess not,” my shoulders lift in a little shrug as I empty my glass and place it on the table.

Jimin nods his head a few times, passing the chicken to me. I pick up a piece and munch on it, trying hard to forget the lost look in Cho-Wol’s eyes.

“She was alone during the delivery as well as during the follow-up today. Does anyone stay in touch with her?” I pour out to him, and he hums a little in response.

“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think anyone stayed in touch with her after she dropped out,” his voice turns serious and it causes a pang in my chest.

“She has a limp as well,” I add, making Jimin gasp lightly in disbelief.

“Does that mean she did not recover well? Now, that’s sad,” he shakes his head a little as he takes hold of the bottle to pour out another shot for us.

“Taehyungie, you’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?” Jimin asks me, observing how I’ve fallen silent all of a sudden.

“Have always been,” I confess sadly.

Jimin nods his head slowly as he reaches out to hold my hand comfortingly.

“I know, buddy, I know. I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel this way. But why don’t you talk to her and apologize for what happened?” Jimin says in a kind and concerned manner.

“After all these years?”

“Does it matter?” He raises his eyebrows in question and slightly tilts his head to one side; his voice soft.

It does. I have no idea what her life has been like over the years, but I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m the root cause of most if not all of the anguish in her life, and it breaks my heart. An apology would mean nothing to her, and now that I have seen her and know for sure that her injury has definitely affected her life, I’m sure it will trigger her if we ever have to face each other.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t ever want to meet me,” even though I say that, I really wish it was otherwise.

I really wish we could meet someday when I could apologize my heart out and ask for her forgiveness, even though I know it’s quite a Utopian scenario.

“I don’t think it’s bad to give it a try. Besides, you’ve delivered her baby. Use that information wisely,” Jimin slightly tilts his glass in my direction before he takes it to his lips.

That is the last thing I remember hearing, and I have no idea how many more shots we both consumed after that. But I do remember making up my mind to meet Cho-Wol, face-to-face.

I do not care about what happens afterwards, but I cannot continue living in guilt like this. Now that our lives are crossing paths after all these years, I do not think it is a mere coincidence. I feel the threads of our destinies are intertwined somewhere, and I’m not going to let it pass just like that. If anything, I at least need a chance to apologize to her in person.
 

•───────•·𖥸·•───────•

 
After having passed out at Jimin’s home last night, I woke up with a parched mouth this morning, and if not for the calls from the hospital, I wouldn’t have woken up any time before noon.

Soon after, I head home to get ready for work, and all the while I keep thinking about how to gain access to Cho-Wol. Actually, that part isn’t even the hardest. The tougher task at hand is getting to actually meet her and talk to her.

Swallowing my anxiety, I proceed to work and spend a smooth day there, mostly reviewing and editing my thesis papers. Luckily, there weren’t too many cases to attend to, and the only patient in the ward right now wouldn’t go into active labor at least for the next 24 hours.

I haven’t had any texts or calls from Da-Won, and I realize how liberating it is to actually not feel pressured to call her once every four hours. In fact, I completely forgot about the calls all this while.

However, I think she might have missed me. Or at least I hope so. I make up my mind to send her a message later today because I wouldn’t give up so easily even though we might not be an actual couple. Now or ever.

Heading over to the helpdesk at the hospital, I greet secretary Hwang who works there, and then I sit down facing her.

“Hi, Miss Hwang. I need a favor.” I request politely.

“Yes, Dr Kim. How may I be of help to you?” Secretary Hwang answers even more politely and sends a pleasing smile my way.

Smiling, I lean forward and rest my elbows on the desk to talk to her.

“I need details about a patient who was here a week ago for delivery. Is that something you could help me with?”

“I- I’m sorry, Dr Kim, but is it okay to disclose personal details like that?” Her question and concern are valid since she’s new to the job, and she probably fears doing something she thinks might be inappropriate or could potentially cost her the job itself.

“She’s actually a classmate from school, and none of my friends are in touch with her. I saw her here, but I couldn’t talk to her for various reasons. It would be really great if you could help me get her address and contact number.” I smile softly, with an almost pleading look in my eyes.

She lets out a soft sigh, nodding her head in acceptance, after which she opens up the patient database on her computer.

“Could you please tell me the name of the patient?”

“Shin Cho-Wol.”

Secretary Hwang types out the name, and I peep into her monitor and see exactly two records popping up on the screen. She clicks on the latest record and navigates to a screen that displays Cho-Wol’s details along with links to her discharge summary and prescriptions.

After copying the necessary details onto a separate file, Secretary Hwang prints it out for me and makes sure not to save the file before she hands me the printed sheet.

“Please let this remain between us. Thank you so much for your help, Secretary Hwang. I will always remember this,” I bow my head, thanking her as I rise from my seat, and she reciprocates my gesture.

“It’s nothing, Doctor Kim. I hope you keep this between us as well, and I also hope you meet your friend. Good luck,” she smiles brightly, after which I take my leave and head straight to the address printed on the sheet.

It is in Itaewon and quite close to the hospital. The skies are already dark by the time I reach the given location, which is a small restaurant named ‘Geumsujeo’.

I park my car in a corner and walk into the restaurant where there are just two people who are finishing up their meal. The place looks clean and comfortable with the tables spaced wide apart from one another, and there are enough seats for about twenty people to dine in at a time.

But I wonder what Cho-Wol does here.

Walking up to the counter, I notice a young, pixie-haired girl, probably around twenty years of age, sitting on the other side and scrolling through her phone. She is donning an apron with the logo of the restaurant, has a prominent nose piercing, and her forearm is filled with colorful tattoos. The girl doesn’t notice me until I call out to her.

“Hi, could you help me with something?” My voice makes her look up at me.

She then puts aside her phone and walks up to me with a weary smile on her face.

“Hi, yes. Would you like to order something? Sujebi is on the special menu today,” she points with her thumb to a small hand-written chalkboard that’s set on the countertop.

“Do you perhaps know Cho-Wol? I’m her friend from school, and her address points to this place,” I ask her as I look around the place from where I’m standing.

“Cho-Wol? There’s no Cho-Wol here. I’m sorry, I don’t think I would be of any help,” she apologizes with a small bow of her head.

“She recently had a baby. Is there someone nearby who gave birth recently?” My desperation begins to show in my voice.

“I don’t think I quite know anyone who gave birth recently. I’m sorry,” she apologizes once again, but her tone stiffens a little, and I think she might chase me out if I ask her anything more.

However, I’m pretty sure this is the address that I was given, but I also don’t know if Cho-Wol used a fake address at the hospital.

“That’s okay. Thank you,” I send a smile her way and turn around to leave, and that is when I hear a baby wailing.

The sound is faint, but it’s as real as it can get, and I’m sure I heard it from somehwere deep inside the restaurant and not from the outside. I whip around to look at the pixie-haired girl, and she’s standing there with a look of defeat on her face, rolling her eyes and looking away from me.

The wailing continues for a moment as I step closer to the counter and cross my arms under my chest, raising a brow at her.

“What? She doesn’t meet anyone, but I’ll let her know. Wait here,” she says meekly before she pushes past the curtains covering a small open door on my right, which was where the wailing was heard from.

I wait anxiously, shifting my weight between my feet. I’m also mentally preparing myself to maintain my composure when I meet her because I’m here with an intention, and I don’t intend to back away until I apologize my heart out to her.

Forgiving me is a choice which I’m not entirely sure she would make. Yet, I’m not giving up without trying.

As a plethora of thoughts run through my mind, the curtains covering the door on the right move aside, causing my heart to pick up pace. Cho-Wol steps outside, frail and small, holding her tiny newborn in one arm, snug against her body.

And then her eyes find me. My eyes freeze wide on her, feeling like I’ve come face-to-face with an apparition.

Cho-Wol’s eyebrows come together as she studies me with her curious gaze, and then her eyes widen in apparent shock. She takes a step forward, letting go of the curtain as her gaze stays on me. But the astonishment in her eyes evaporates as quickly as it appeared, and then she takes a deep breath with her eyes closed. When she exhales and opens her eyes again, the stoic look in them reappears.

My legs, however, feel like they might give up soon.

“What brings you here, Taehyung?” Cho-Wol asks; her tone unamused and her eyes now devoid of any emotions.

🎭

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Also, geumsujeo translates to golden spoon.

Published on : 06/16/2025