Fragments of You. | Park Sunghoon

III

"IS IT TRUE? IS HE COMING BACK?" It didn't take long for rumours to spread throughout the graduating class.

"Yes! He is! Damn, when will you people leave us alone?!" Jay annoyedly exclaimed at the excited group of girls that circled around him and Jake.

As Hwamin eavesdropped the conversation, she couldn't help but exhale out in uncertainty. Sunghoon was confirmed returning, but when?

Of the class of 2020, Jay and Jake were the most popular boys, known for their playfulness and amazing visuals. However, everyone knew it wasn't always just Jay and Jake.

Once upon a time, it was Jay, Sunghoon, and Jake, and together, they were the most popular trio of the school district. And no one could ever forget Sunghoon. Who could? His visuals were ethereal.

Girls used to always be jealous of how close Hwamin and Sunghoon were back then. Their bond had seemed unbreakable, a source of fascination and envy for everyone who watched them. Hwamin remembered the whispered conversations, the lingering glances, and the subtle tension that had often surrounded their friendship.

Now, with Sunghoon's impending return, Hwamin felt a mix of emotions. The news stirred memories of their shared past and the abrupt end to their friendship. She wondered how things would unfold once he was back. Would he seek her out? Would they be able to reconnect, or would the distance and silence of the past years keep them apart?

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

At the mall, Hwamin and her friends wandered from store to store, their laughter and chatter filling the bustling space. Among them was Chaewon, her closest confidante, always attentive to Hwamin's moods. Despite the lively atmosphere, Hwamin had been unusually quiet, her thoughts preoccupied.

As they paused in front of a clothing store, Chaewon nudged Hwamin gently. "You've been awfully quiet lately. Is everything okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Hwamin forced a smile, trying to mask her true feelings. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit worried about the school year, you know?" she replied, hoping the excuse would suffice.

Chaewon studied her for a moment, her expression skeptical. "Are you sure that's all?"

Hwamin nodded, her smile more convincing this time. "Really, it's nothing. Just the usual stress about grades and university applications."

"You don't have to worry about those stuff, Hwamin. Have you forgotten who you share your last name with?" Chaewon chuckled.

"Right."

Their other friends, caught up in their own conversations, didn't notice the exchange. Hwamin was grateful for Chaewon's concern but wasn't ready to share her turmoil over Sunghoon's return. She needed time to sort through her own feelings before she could open up about it.

As they continued their shopping, Hwamin tried to push her worries to the back of her mind. She joined in on the jokes and discussions about clothes and makeup, hoping to distract herself from the thoughts that lingered just beneath the surface. But no matter how hard she tried, the anticipation and uncertainty loomed large, casting a shadow over her day.

As Hwamin and her friends continued their stroll through the mall, she suddenly spotted an old store she hadn't went inside in ages. It was a plushie shop, tucked away in a quieter corner. Memories flooded back of the times she and Sunghoon had browsed through the shelves, picking out their favorite plushies when they were kids.

The sight of the shop stirred a longing within her. She needed a moment alone, away from the chatter of her friends. "Hey, I just remembered something. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit," she said, excusing herself from the group.

Chaewon raised an eyebrow but nodded, "Alright, don't be too long."

Hwamin slipped away and made her way into the plushie shop. The familiar scent of new plush toys and the soft pastel colors of the store interior greeted her. She wandered through the aisles, her fingers grazing the soft fur of various stuffed animals.

Not much had changed in this place.

She paused in front of a display of bears, each one unique in its own way. Her mind drifted back to Sunghoon, and the times they had shared in this very shop. It had been one of their favorite places, a sanctuary where they could forget the world and just be themselves.

Hwamin wandered deeper, her eyes scanning the shelves filled with stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. She turned a corner and found herself facing a row of claw machines. A rush of nostalgia hit her as she remembered the times she and Sunghoon would gamble their spare change, trying to win their favorite plushies.

Her gaze landed on one of the claw machines, and she froze. Inside, sitting among the other toys, was a plushie she instantly recognized. It was the same one she and Sunghoon had tried to win countless times when they were younger—a small penguin with a bright red bow tie.

She recalled their laughter, the playful arguments over whose turn it was, and the determined looks on their faces as they tried and failed to grab the elusive penguin.

Hwamin stepped closer to the machine, and in that moment, she felt like a child again. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a few coins.

With a deep breath, she pressed the button, and the claw descended. It grabbed the penguin and lifted it, but just as it reached the top, the toy slipped from the claw's grip and fell back into the pile.

Hwamin sighed, a mix of frustration and amusement washing over her. Some things never changed. She inserted more coins, determined to give it another shot. After a few more tries, the claw finally grasped the penguin securely and dropped it into the prize chute.

Triumphantly, she retrieved the plushie and held it in her hands, the soft fur comforting her. For a moment, it felt like a small victory, a connection to the past that she had thought was lost forever.

Hwamin turned to return to her friend group, the victorious plushie clutched in her hands. As she rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing right in front of her was someone she didn't expect to see.

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding wildly. She was beyond shocked to see him, so much so that she couldn't find the words to speak.

He looked different, so different. His clothes, especially, were Canadian. Instead of the South Korean minimalist style, he wore an entire outfit consisting of Stussy merchandise. Back then, she could recall him saying his family couldn't afford branded clothing.

Sunghoon's expression was unreadable, his eyes cold and distant. He looked at the plushie in her hands, then met her gaze. "You finally did it yourself, huh," he said, his voice void of any warmth.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving Hwamin standing there, stunned and speechless.

The encounter had lasted only a few seconds, but it left her reeling.

Sunghoon was back, and it was clear that things between them were far from resolved.