TOMORROW | Changbin

05||Changbin

Jiyeon's POV

A fist clenched around my heart, squeezing the air from my lungs. It felt like the world had shrunk, the once bustling restaurant collapsing in on itself until all that remained was this suffocating space between us. .

 Changbin.

The man who once held my hand with the same reverence one might hold a delicate butterfly, now stood before me, a stranger sculpted from rage.

His eyes, those eyes that used to shimmer with affection, were now narrowed with a chilling intensity.

It was like staring into a funhouse mirror, the reflection distorted, grotesque. This wasn't the Changbin I knew, the Changbin who wrote me poems under starry skies and promised forever with a shy smile.

My own reflection stared back from his hardened gaze, a ghost of the girl he once loved. Panic clawed at my throat, a primal fear that threatened to consume me whole. This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be buried memories, ghosts haunting different corners.

But here we were, past and present colliding in a heart-wrenching tableau.

The air crackled with a different kind of tension now. Relief, sharp and unexpected, washed over me as Han's voice pierced the suffocating silence. "Jiyeon? What are you doing here?"

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I forced myself to blink away the tears stinging my eyes, schooling my features into a mask of professional indifference. "Han," I murmured, a single-word acknowledgment before adding for their collective benefit, "I work here."

The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be neatly compartmentalized memories, filed away under "what ifs" and "regrets."

A tug on my blazer jolted me back to the present. Annie, the terrified waitress who'd spilled the drink, stood beside me, her eyes red-rimmed and pleading. "M-ma'am, I spilled the drink on sir accidentally. I swear I didn't mean it," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I forced a calm smile onto my face. "I see," I said, my voice tight. This wasn't how I'd envisioned our reunion, mediated by a spilled drink and a trembling employee.

Turning back to Changbin, I plastered on a customer service smile, the kind that hid a multitude of sins. "Sir, I am extremely sorry about what happened. I promise this won't be a recurring issue. Please, consider this a one-time mistake, and forgive my staff."

My voice remained even, and professional, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. Every fiber of my being recoiled at the thought of placating him, of being beholden to him in any way. Yet, here I was, bowing low, Annie mirroring my action beside me.

Silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Changbin blinked a slow, deliberate movement, taking in the scene – me, the trembling waitress, the expectant stares of people. Finally, he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "This shouldn't happen next time."

A curt nod, a forced smile. This was all I dared offer. The air seemed to crackle with unspoken words, a history we both desperately tried to outrun.

Chan, bless his oblivious heart, stepped forward, bowing slightly. "We're terribly sorry for the commotion, Jiyeon," he apologized on their behalf.

A ghost of a smile played on my lips. "It's us who are sorry, sir," I corrected mechanically, my gaze flitting away from Changbin.

Ignoring the tremor in my voice, I turned to address the guests. "Have you ordered yet?" I asked, professionalism a shield against the turmoil within.