Twenty-One Hyeri
T hat night, the doorbell rings and I’m surprised to see Hanbin on the other side.
“Did Hongjoo-eonni send you?”
“I’m just acting as a delivery boy.” He holds out a gift bag.
“What is it?” I ask even as I take it.
“Minseok is going through a few things. Don’t be too hard on him, okay?”
I’m surprised to hear the gift is from Minseok, but I just nod.
“Great, see you at the next shoot.”
When Hanbin leaves, I bring the gift into my room, settling cross-legged on my bed before carefully pulling out the tissue paper. I tell myself that he can’t just buy me something and I’ll pretend that he wasn’t a complete ass.
But when I uncover the gift, I let out an involuntary laugh. It’s a jumbo bag of Honey Butter Chips. I hate that he knows me this well.
A text from Minseok dings on my phone.
It’s a picture of the little stuffed bear from our first date. And he’s holding a handwritten sign: I’m a dumbass. Forgive your faux-fiancé?
I hate that I’m charmed by it. It’s so silly and unserious. But it’s also kind of sweet.
Will forgiving him make me a pushover?
Or is it better to let this go? It would make my life easier on set if we weren’t at each other’s throats.
So, I type back: I’m only forgiving you because I ran out of Honey Butter Chips.
Minseok: Thank you. 1004.
It’s a stupid code kids used a lot when we were younger. 1004. Pronounced cheonsa in Korean, which is also the word for “angel.” And I roll my eyes, but my heart reacts with a quick flutter.
“Stop it,” I say aloud. I don’t have time to revisit old crushes right now.