Remember When

How Can You Forget Me So Easily and Be Happy?

"I need your help."

Somin chuckled as she leaned on the doorframe of her apartment. Tae-hyung was standing in front of her with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Is that your bribe?" she asked, glancing at the box of cake in his hand.

He grinned shyly. "Yes. May I come in?"

"Of course, you can."

Somin let him pass and shut the door. Tae-hyung handed her the box and Somin's mouth watered when she peeked inside and saw that it was her favorite cake.

"You are my most favorite person ever," she muttered as she moved to the kitchen.

When she came back to the living room with a tray, Tae-hyung was sat down on the sofa with his elbows on his knees, his eyes on the trophies and certificates Somin had received for her musicals back in university.

"I never could understand why you didn't major in musical theater," he murmured thoughtfully.

Putting the cake plates and drinks on the coffee table, she replied, "It was just a hobby, Tae-hyung. I like having a career in Finance more."

"But you were really good at it. Do you remember how you starred in all of our university's productions? You shined the brightest whenever you were on stage, performing and singing your heart out. Everyone couldn't keep their eyes off you."

Somin sat beside him and bumped his shoulder playfully. "You see why you're my most favorite person?"

Tae-hyung laughed.

**********

Somin was in the library, waiting for Na-eun. She tried to go over the lyrics of her musical but she couldn't just focus. Tonight was the night. She was going to be on that stage performing for 250 people in her first musical production in the university. And she was getting nervous.

When she still couldn't focus, she gave up, chucking the sheets down on the table and covering her face with a tiny groan.

"What's wrong?" The voice belonged to Tae-hyung.

Somin peeked at him through her fingers. He had taken the seat in front of her.

"Nothing," she said with a sigh, uncovering her face. "Aren't you a little too early for your classes?"

"I wanted to give you this." Tae-hyung reached out a hand to give her a box of chocolates. Her favorite brand. She smiled.

"Thank you. But what's this for?"

"Your musical is tonight right? This is my gift for you."

"Are you coming?" she asked him.

"Yeah. But Woo-jin can't go." He gave her an apologetic look. "He's... he said he has somewhere to be tonight."

Woo-jin could have just slapped her and it would have hurt much less. That's how betrayed she was feeling. And to think he promised her that he would be there.

She really meant little to him, doesn't she?

"It's fine," Somin waved his worry away, trying to maintain her composure, "Because you're coming anyway."

"Somin—"

"It's fine," she repeated firmly. She gave him a trembling smile. "Are you fine sitting next to Na-eun? She's kind of chatty right?"

"I don't think I'll even notice her when I'll be watching you all night," he said. Other guys would have sounded flirty speaking those words but not Tae-hyung. And Somin wished, God, she wished she had fallen in love with him instead.

"Hey, do you want to hang out with me after?" she told him slowly.

He smiled. "Sure. There's an after party right?"

"No." She shook her head. "Only the two of us."

Confusion swept across his features yet he still nodded. "Alright, Somin."

  **********  

"So what do you needed help with?" Somin asked Tae-hyung, shoving a forkful of cake into her mouth.

"It's Jiwoo's birthday soon," Tae-hyung confided. "I want to do something special for her."

She raised her brow. "You didn't do that to me when we were dating."

He grinned, unabashed. "You don't like surprises, Somin. And didn't we go to all the places you love?"

"Yeah, but I always had to choose the things we do and the places we go." She sighed. "You were never this proactive before. I'm jealous."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not," she agreed, sipping at her juice. "We're really better off as friends anyway."

"How about Woo-jin?"

She looked at him.

"Do you..." he hesitated. "Do you still love him?"

She gave him a tight smile. "You're not here to talk about our friend, Woo-jin. You're here to talk about Jiwoo. And I just have the perfect plan for your date."

Tae-hyung stared at her for a while. She gave him a hard stare back, daring him to continue the topic, daring him to talk about that fateful conversation in their shared past she wanted so hard to forget.

But then he shook his head.

"Let's hear it," he said gamely.

And she felt relief.