Meet Me Here

Prologue: Childhood Sweethearts

"Eomma, what are you looking at?" Ye Jin peered over her eomma's shoulder to look at the photo album.

Ye Jin's eomeoni simply hummed in response as she continued flipping the photo album.

"This again?" Ye Jin commented when she realised which album she was looking at.

It was an ancient album, one that documented her 5- to 7-year-old journey. There wasn't anything too special or different about the photo albums except for the fact that Hyun Bin appeared in most of the photographs with her. The Hyun household had such a photo album as well and their parents occasionally looked through them when they felt nostalgic.

That nostalgia happened often. Which was why Ye Jin's eomeoni was flipping through the album for the umpteenth time.

"You used to whine about seeing Binnie, don't you remember?" Her eomma chuckled.

"How could I forget? You remind us of that every single day!" Ye Jin teased.

The photograph her eomma was pointing at now had little Ye Jin's lips in a pout as she refused to look at Hyun Bin. The rascal was smiling widely at the camera, absolutely pleased that he got under Ye Jin's skin once again. His little chest was all puffed up with pride as Ye Jin sulked next to him. It was one of those days she hated that their parents forced them to take a photograph together.

What did he do that day? Was it the day he purposely ate the last tteokbokki? Or was it when he took her favourite doll and taped her to his firetruck? Either way, Ye Jin knew that she spent most of her childhood dreading those playdates with Hyun Bin.

Of course, she got her fair share of laughter over his misfortune as well. Like the day he got himself stuck in their treehouse because they were playing catch. Hyun Bin cheated that day and climbed up to the treehouse. To keep Ye Jin from coming up after him, he cut the ropes. He didn't think that far ahead. With no way up, it also meant that there was no way down.

Poor Hyun Bin had been stuck in that treehouse all the way till dinner because Ye Jin decided to run off to play by herself rather than help him. Ye Jin got the scolding of her life that day but it was worth it because she got her payback. In hindsight, she really should have called for help but what did she know back then?

Perhaps that was her fondness for Hyun Bin talking. Over the years, Ye Jin and Hyun Bin matured and so did their friendship. Instead of finding boys disgusting, Ye Jin started to tolerate them. 

It was the same for Hyun Bin. He started to learn how to be a gentleman and he stopped being mean to Ye Jin. Granted, they still pranked each other at times but they knew each other's limits and never crossed them. Instead, their friendship blossomed beautifully.

"Lunch is on the table. Make sure you give Binnie his!" Her eomma called out to Ye Jin when she grabbed her school bag.

"Ne!" Ye Jin shouted back before she grabbed their lunchboxes.

For as long as they could remember, Ye Jin and Hyun Bin have always been in the same school. From kindergarten all the way to high school, they have been inseparable. Being the same age meant that it was common for them to be in the same classes as well. 

Now that they were older, they would often walk to school together. Being around each other was as natural as breathing and neither of them thought much about it. They were simply comfortable with their friendship.

Right on the dot, Hyun Bin was waiting for her outside. Skipping down the steps, Ye Jin grinned up cheekily at him and tipped the lunchbox over to him. Holding the warm lunchbox in his hand, Hyun Bin reached behind to unzip his bag to keep it properly before he offered his hand to her.