Introduction to Romance

VIII - Warm and Soft

In a mild cool dusk inside the architecture design laboratory, Joohyuk and his group members were huddled around the table, their hands busy with glue and bits of foam. They were diligently working on their architectural model for an eco-park design project. The room was filled with the scent of coffee and the soft hum of conversation.

As Joohyuk carefully placed a tiny tree onto the model, he couldn't help but steal glances at the clock, wondering how much time they had already spent working. As he got back to work, his brows furrowed in concentration as he delicately glued together miniature benches.

Just when he is so immersed in the task, his phone vibrates in his pocket. Startled, he pulls it out and sees a message from his cousin, Go Eun. His eyes narrowed in curiosity and mutters under his breath, "What could it be?" 

He contemplates ignoring her message since he is amidst a hectic environment but decides against it, knowing she's not the type to send messages unless they are about important matters. Still a bit hesitant, Joohyuk taps on the notification to see the context within.

"It's Suzy's birthday. Don't you know it? I was expecting you were up for a surprise or something but it's already dusk and you're not disturbing us here at the GAC office yet. She went home before us, her classes ended early." His cousin stated.

His eyes widened in surprise as realization washed over him. Joohyuk felt a pang of guilt as he read the text.  The pressure of their architectural project had consumed him so completely that everything else seemed to fade into the background.

 Without wasting another second, Joohyuk quickly typed a reply to Go Eun.

"I was too busy that I didn't even think of what day it is today 😭😭😭."

As he sent the message, Joohyuk couldn't help but feel like a failure. He prided himself on being reliable and thoughtful, but now he had let down someone who meant the world to him.

Guilt gnawed at him as he continued working on the model with his group members. Their laughter and conversation filled the room, but Joohyuk was lost in his own thoughts.

Minutes later, he had the urge to speak with his groupmates. "How long do we plan to work on this for today?" Joohyuk asked politely.

His question hung in the air for a moment before the other members exchanged glances. It was Hae In, their leader, who finally spoke up. "Ah, guys" he began with a hint of distress but still showed a little smile after sighing, "I'm afraid we'll be here until 8:00 PM at most. Then we can continue tomorrow if we still have this unfinished by then."

The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at Hae In, their faces etched with exhaustion.

Joohyuk's heart sank as he realized that they were all trapped by the looming deadline that threatened to consume them whole. The pressure of being a graduating student is heavy, as they can't let themselves fail, especially not when it's just a year left at school before they take the next step in becoming professionals.

He thought back to Go Eun's message about Suzy's birthday. A small flicker of hope ignited within him as he considered the possibility of taking a break. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was extinguished by the realization that he couldn't abandon his fellows in their time of need.

With a heavy sigh, Joohyuk returned his focus to the architectural model before him. The intricate details blurred together in a sea of shapes and colors.

His eyes burned with exhaustion as he finally set down the miniature benches. The hours had bled together, stretching into an endless void of work and pressure. But now, as the clock struck eight in the evening, their time was up. With a collective sigh of relief, his group members began to pack up their materials and clean the workspace.