✓ cold boy next door | p.sh

epilogue

"after storm"

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yeoji sat on her childhood bed, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips as she stared at the memorabilia inside the box she had just taken down from the shelf above her bed. she was now in her old room in their old neighborhood because she decided to visit her parents.

the room, a living proof of her teenage years, was adorned with soft pink and white hues. the walls were painted a light white blush, dotted with framed pictures of friends and posters of her favorite kpop boybands. a white vanity table with a matching stool stood in one corner, cluttered with her old perfumes and makeup. a pink canopy draped over her bed, giving it a dreamy, princess-like feel. her desk, with a pink flowery fabric on top, was still covered in school supplies, books and old notes, a reminder of her studious days.

she reached into the old box and pulled out a black jacket, running her fingers over the worn fabric. it had been his, a piece of him she had clung to during those painful days after he lost his memories, which she has not returned. next, she lifted a minimalist rabbit necklace, a gift he had given to her when they went out during their school's foundation day. she held it up to the light, the tiny charm catching the sunlight streaming through her window.

the photobooth photo came next. it showed two young, happy faces, full of life and love. they had taken it during the foundation day too, crammed into the small booth, laughing and making silly faces. then, there was his gold medal from the skating competition he rewarded yeoji, a testament to his talent and dedication during the time that yeoji always supported him when the world turned back to him.

lastly, she found her film camera, filled with photos of her and sunghoon together. she flipped through a few, as memories starts to flood back— the photos and videos of them during sunghoon practices, when they wander everywhere to enjoy their youth, and the captured photos of sunghoon when they made an article for school paper. it was all mostly sunghoon, that's why she remembered sunghoon's camera, which was also filled with yeoji's candid photos. she just chuckled as she reminisced the good times about their teenage memories.

she thought that ‘her younger self was surely having fun those day and suffering at the same time.’

even though she had moved on, the pain still lingered. she closed the box with a heavy heart and placed it back in the drawer, where no one would find it. just as she shut the drawer, she heard a knock on her door.

"yeoji, are you ready?" her fiancé— kang hyunwoo, called from the hallway.

she took a deep breath, giving her room one last look before stepping out. "yes, i'm coming."

yes, she was really engaged with hyunwoo. and they've plan to get married in december 8. it is because when hyunwoo graduated from college, they bump each other in singapore and that's where why they started dating. she somehow also learned to genuinely love hyunwoo of how she also loved sunghoon before. but she realized that this time, this was really true love because they love each other unconditionally.

as they walked down the stairs, yeoji's mother and father were waiting in the living room. her mother smiled warmly, tears brimming in her eyes. "you look beautiful, yeoji. i can't believe my baby will be getting married."

her father hugged her tightly. "we're so proud of you, sweetheart. you've grown into a wonderful woman."

"thank you, mom. thank you, dad," yeoji said, hugging them back. "i couldn't have done it without your support."

hyunwoo smiled at her parents. "we'll take good care of her. don't worry."

her mother nodded, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "we know you will, hyunwoo. just take care of each other."