The next morning, Ha-eun had already left for her part-time job, and the apartment felt too still without her faint humming in the kitchen. Sunwoo walking to the university, with one hand in his pocket, the other holding a half-eaten triangle kimbap. The streets bustled with sleepy students and office-goers, but in his mind, things were strangely quiet.
As he walked past a small slope near the university's back road shortcut lined with stone steps and overgrown bushes someone leapt out from behind with a loud smack on his back.
"Yah! You ghosting me now?" a familiar voice chirped.
Sunwoo staggered forward slightly, blinking in shock before turning around. "Su… Soojin?"
Soo-jin stood there, with a smug grin on her face and a lollipop in her mouth. She looked exactly the same, and the loose ponytail that had never once obeyed her comb.
"Who else?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Since your dad's funeral, you disappeared for weeks, poof. Nothing. No calls. No replies, then suddenly asked for money. is everything alright?"
Her tone was playful, but her eyes betrayed the concern behind the smile.
Sunwoo gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. Family stuff. It… got complicated."
"Complicated enough to forget your best friend?" she teased, though softer now. "You never even borrowed money from me in middle school, not even when I broke your glasses. What was so serious this time?"
He looked away for a second, choosing his words, trying to hide the marriage. "It's… just one of those things you don't wanna talk about, that every family have issues. But it's getting better now. Really."
Sujin watched him a second longer, then nodded slowly. "Fine. Be mysterious. I can understand your pain about your dad, but if you vanish again, I'm filing a missing person report."
He chuckled. "Deal."
They fell into step together, heading toward the university gates. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, casting long shadows on the sidewalk as the morning bustle picked up.
"Anyway," Sunwoo said, changing the subject, "I need to catch up big time. Feels like I've missed a lot. What am I lacking right now?"
"Oh, where do I even start?" Sujin sighed, slapping his arm lightly. "You missed the submission for that internship drive—the one with J&H Holdings. They were recruiting students to shadow their operations team for three months. It's huge, Sunwoo. Like… real-world business management experience, and Professor Park was personally recommending names."
"Damn. That serious?"
"That crucial," she said with a stern nod. "And to make it worse, your name was actually on her shortlist. I had to explain why you weren't around, and she was pissed. But don't panic I managed to stall the submission a bit. You'll need to act fast though. I've got all the forms, project outlines, even the video prep guidelines. I saved everything."
He smiled for the first time in what felt like weeks. "I owe you."
"You owe me bubble tea, two chicken wraps, and an apology dinner," she said, counting on her fingers. "We'll start with that."
As they neared the university, the gates stood wide open, and the noise of student chatter and campus life washed over them like a familiar tide. For a moment, Sunwoo felt like he was finally stepping out of the storm and back into normal life even if he knew deep down that the storm hadn't passed. Not yet.
In the campus before heading to Professor Park's office, he veered off toward the cafeteria—his stomach protesting despite the butterflies in it. The air inside smelled of tteokbokki and burnt coffee, a comforting mix. As he stood in line, trying to ignore stares from a few familiar faces, a voice called out behind him.
"Yah! Sunwoo?"
He turned slowly. Standing there, arms crossed and eyebrow raised, was Minji, sharp-tongued and effortlessly stylish even in a hoodie. She was flanked by Jisoo, the soft-spoken arts major who blinked twice in surprise.
"Where the hell have you been?" Minji asked, hands on hips now.
Sunwoo gave a half-smile. "Some family stuff. Had to take care of a few things."
"You just disappeared." Jisoo said gently. "We heard something about a funeral?"
He nodded. "Yeah… that. It was… tough. I didn't mean to vanish on everyone."
Minji narrowed her eyes but said nothing more, only muttering, "You better show up for the finals group meet this time."
As he walked away with his coffee, a faint voice called out from a table by the window. "Sunwoo?"
He turned and saw Ara, the vice-captain of the business club. She was alone, typing furiously on her laptop. "Did you hear? J&H's giving an extension till today for applicants. Park's waiting for you."
"I'm on it," he said, eyes widening. He gave her a grateful nod and quickly exited.
On the way across the campus green, a soccer ball rolled toward him. He instinctively kicked it back—perfect shot.
"Still got it, huh?" laughed Yuna, the sporty girl from first year, now holding the ball. Her eyes lingered on him, teasing. "Thought you joined the military or something."
He said. "Wish it was that simple."
Before more questions could follow, he excused himself and took the shortcut through the side building corridor where posters for internships, events, and club meetings lined the walls. He finally reached the Economics department wing and stopped at Professor Park's door.
The plaque read Dr. Park Hyesoo—stern, brilliant, and infamous for her ruthlessness. But she had once called Sunwoo "a rare combination of intelligence and intuition."
He knocked.
"Come in," her voice rang from inside, clipped and clear.
He stepped in, bowing slightly. The office smelled of paper and lemon sanitizer. Park looked up from her monitor, eyes sharp behind thin-framed glasses.
"Sunwoo," she said, tone neutral but her expression softening slightly. "You're back."
"Yes, Professor. I came to submit for the J&H internship. I heard the deadline was extended."
She stared for a moment, then gestured toward the seat. "Sit. Explain why I shouldn't give your slot to someone more... consistent."
The weight of those weeks came crashing down. But Sunwoo met her eyes, steady. "Because I'm still the same person that earned you belief and shortlisted for the internship before. I just had to face some complicated family issues, which are inevitable."
There was silence.
Then, Park sighed, opened a drawer, and handed him the form. "You have till 4 PM. Don't make me regret this."