—That one holiday where Jin-Ah missed her bus and Jin-Woo did not miss his another chance.
***
"What do you mean there are no more tickets?!"
Jin-Ah is not usually the type of person who would make a scene, let alone at a public space. Yet somehow the fact that she travelled for an hour to the bus station just so she could go home to Daegu for the weekend only to find out there weren't any tickets left, has caused her uncharacteristic outburst.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you should've booked a ticket via website." The lady inside the booth looked genuinely apologetic, "It's Chuseok. People from the metro will really go home to their provinces, ma'am."
Her fingers brushed through her hair in frustration, and nodded back to the woman. Before she can grab the huge bag she dropped on the tiled floor, she heard the saleslady speak, "There's a car rental shop across the street, you may want to try it."
Jin-Ah forced out a smile at the genuine concern of the lady, before sitting on the benches meant for waiting passengers.
She doesn't even know how to drive.
With all hope lost, Jin-Ah grabbed her phone and opened the app to book a ride home to Seoul. Maybe next Chuseok, she said to herself, mentally tattooing the reminder to always book for a ticket weeks before her trip.
"Yoon Jin-Ah?" Someone beside her had said, startling her poor soul so much her phone slipped from her hand.
The owner of the voice caught it, fortunately, saving Yoon Jin Ah a trip to the electrics store. Looking up to man, her mouth parted a little in surprise, her doe eyes slowly forming into two large Os - never in a million years she have imagined she would see the boy-- now a dashing, handsome man-- that caused all the butterflies in her stomach and made her heart flutter for the very first time several years ago.
"I -- Yoo Jin Woo?"
"Hi, Jin-Ah." He raised his hand to wave, "How have you been?"
"Oh I've been well! Just.. you know.. life." Her hand gestures told him she doesn't want to talk about it. She almost rolled her eyes at the misfortunes she'd been experiencing these past few months, latest of which is the failed trip back home— but she didn't wanna bore him with details. "Nice to see you here. How about you? Are you going home?"
He nodded.
"Ugh. There are no more tickets. I was actually on my way back to Seoul now, since the only way I can go home to Daegu now are the cars for rent.. Lucky me, I can't drive." Jin-Ah uttered with disdain, "You already booked a ticket via website, no?"
"Tickets ran out? Too bad.." Jin Woo slid a piece of paper on his back pocket. "..Any chance you still want to go? I can drive."
"Oh, yes, thank you! You're heaven sent!
***
Yoo Jin Woo is a spawn from hell.
"..Huh? You never dated Joon Hee?" 30 minutes into the trip, and he was already teasing her about all the men she 'supposedly' liked back in high school.
"What? No!" She replied defensively, even leaning near him to reiterate her point, "I mean he liked me but... it wasn't mutual! It was just because we coincidentally attended the same university. I was a familiar face."
Jin Woo nodded and pursed his lips for a second, eyes marred with playful mischief. "How about Gyu....? The tall one. With glasses. "
"Gyu-min?!" Her voice raised a notch, "Now you're just making things up!"