Remember 1999

Chapter 20 - Faded Memories

"Wow! This is the first time the ladies cooked for us all throughout the vacation," Gong Yoo exclaimed as he stared at the dinner the ladies prepared while they played billiards.

"And the last time since we are going back tomorrow," Han Ye Seul hurled back.

"Yah! You should cook breakfast too tomorrow. It was all me for two days!" Gong Yoo complained.

"As if it took you a lot of time to fix as a toast and coffee," Ye Seul snapped back while rolling her eyes at him.

Ye Jin sat in her usual seat at the end of the table beside Ye Seul. Hyun Bin opposite her. She glanced at him quickly and he just stared at her stoically for an entire minute, not betraying any emotion in him.

They were in the middle of an unusual gloomy dinner, considering everyone was already tired from the three-day vacation when Gong Yoo suddenly spoke.

"Since this is our last dinner together, I'm gonna ask one thing that I am really curious about," Gong Yoo stated in his usual bossy manner. He glanced at Hyun Bin and Ye Jin.

"How did you two met?"

Ye Seul looked at Ye Jin whose attention was on her food and to Hyun Bin who suddenly cleared his throat. Ye Jin did not bother to answer for she had already discussed these kinds of inquiries with Hyun Bin beforehand. They came in prepared. She thought of letting Hyun Bin answer, not expecting that he had something different on his mind to tell.

"High school," he uttered abruptly and impulsively that made Ye Jin lift her head in surprise.

"High school? You already knew each other since high school?" Ye Seul asked unbelievably. She looked at Ye Jin who was now staring intently at Hyun Bin. He was not returning her gaze though.

"I transferred in Daegu before. We eventually became friends after some complications. We were even seatmates and went camping together." he said steadily.

"Oh! Was it the school before you transferred to Seoul?" Gong Yoo asked.

"Yes," he said nonchalantly.

"Wow! You were high school sweethearts? So that's the reason why you did not look at other girls before. You are so loyal," Gong Yoo said amazed.

"But you don't seem to know each other at all when we met in the seminar," Ye Seul retorted confusedly. She looked back again at Ye Jin whose eyes were now downcasted on her plate. She looked slightly pissed.

"Oh, they must have broken up when he went to the US. Well, reunited ex-lovers act like that, they pretend not to know each other," Gong Yoo answered on behalf of the two. Acting like a love expert. He was strongly convinced that the two were really an item such that he already accepted defeat on their betting game. It was just money anyway!

"-But why did you transfer? You only have one semester left... I mean, it's such a waste, right?" Gong Yoo glanced at the others for a second of motion before looking back at Hyun Bin.

"Yes. It's such a waste...." breathed Hyun Bin gloomily, then he turned to Ye Jin and continued:

"Don't you think so, Ye Jin?"

She finally lifted her face to stare back at him. Her eyes were ablaze.

The self-acclaimed love expert, spoke instead, "I knew it! They broke up." Then he nods to himself happily for deciphering their story.

"It's such a waste!" A sharply raised voice of a girl suddenly penetrated her head.

She held her breath as another wave of pain pierced inside her. Ye Jin could not take the atmosphere anymore. His gaze demands something out of her soul. She stood up abruptly.