Strawberry Wine

sixteen

She slipped some coins into the payphone, dropping one in the process. Maybe two. The line rang loudly on the other end and it hurt her ear. She suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to burst into tears, so she stuffed her shirt sleeve into her mouth.

"Hello?" Chan Yeol's voice sounded weird on the phone. Like it was muffled or like she had cotton balls in her ear.

She removed the shirt sleeve from her mouth. "Oppa? Is that you?"

"Chae Young-ah?"

"Oppaya, I'm sorry..." she heard herself whimper. "Park Chan Yeol, I'm sorry..."

"Chae Young-ah, are you drunk?"

"No, I'm not..." she said hopelessly as she began to sob.

"Chae Young-ah." There was a panic in his voice now. "Where are you? Are you alone?"

"Oppa, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I don't deserve to be worried about by you."

"Chae Young-ah." His voice was firm and steely. "Listen to me carefully. Are you alone?"

"No, Ji Rin lives close by."

"But is Ji Rin there?"

She heard herself cry some more, unable to respond.

"Chae Young-ah." Again, the same steely tone. "Stop crying and answer me."

"Ok, I'm sorry...." She blubbered. "I'm alone."

"Where are you?"

"No, Oppa, listen to me- ˮ

"Chae Young-ah!" His voice suddenly sounded angry. "Look around you. Where are you?"

She tried to look outside the phone booth. It was too dark and too bright. The night was dark and the streetlamps too bright. "Here..." She fumbled for something to say. "Where I used to say is over there... one? No, two blocks away."

"Ok, do you remember the name of the street?"

Chae Young had to think for that, but she was not in the mood to think. She had to tell Chan Yeol something or else. Or else, what, she didn't know either. But she had to tell.

"But, oppa, I need to say something first."

He sighed in exasperation. "Ok, tell me."

"Please break up with me." With that, she began to cry. She clutched onto the phone for dear life as she crouched down, unable to stand any longer. "Break up with me."

There was silence on the other end.

"Oppa, 'sorry' cannot begin to describe what I want to say," she blubbered on. "Just forget about me and find someone else."

Still silence.

"Say something, oppa."

He did not respond.

"Oppa, I cheated on you," she finally blurted between sobs. "I don't expect you to reply. You knew we would end someday, didn't you? But I know this was not how you envisioned it..."

The door of the phone booth suddenly swung open, and a girl's form silhouetted against the light.

It caught Chae Young off guard that she immediately stopped crying.

"Yaah, Park Chae Young, are you crazy?" The girl's voice was soft, kind, familiar.

She recognized it. "Ji Rin?"

"Chae Young-ah." Chan Yeol finally spoke over the receiver. "Give the phone to Ji Rin."

"Ne?" She said it to both Chan Yeol and Ji Rin. As though Ji Rin had heard him, she reached over and snatched the phone from her drunk friend's hand.