Coincidence

Secrets Beneath the Surface

"What are you two doing here? Mom's voice was sharp as she approached us.

I turned slowly, my heart skipping a beat at the seriousness etched on her face.

"Uh, Mom—"

"Yume, should I tell Aunty now?" Jaehun interrupted, looking at me with a mixture of concern and urgency. I blinked in confusion, not quite understanding what he was getting at. Mom’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Tell her what?" Mom asked, her gaze shifting between the two of us.

Jaehun exhaled, his expression turning solemn. "Yume was saying she'd try parasailing with only one clip. It's really dangerous," he said, shaking his head as if disappointed. "It’s not safe at all."

"Is that true, Yume?" Mom's glare was intense.

"You were the one who suggested it first!" I shot back at Jaehun, feeling my frustration rise.

"I've done it before," he retorted, his tone defensive.

"Enough," Mom cut in, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Jaehun, why are you arguing with this child? And you, isn’t he like an elder brother to you?"

Elder brother? Please. Do I look like a kid to her? But whatever. I wasn’t about to win this one.

"That’s enough. Jaehun, your dad is calling you. And you," Mom pointed at me, her glare still sharp, "go to your dad if you don’t want to miss parasailing."

Jaehun gave me an apologetic glance as he turned to leave, and I did the same, heading off in the opposite direction.

~

That evening, I found myself back on the same bench as the night before, soaking in the cool air. The trip had been short but refreshing. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness, though. I missed Yori and the comfort of my bed. I didn’t even have my phone with me, thanks to Mom’s last-minute decision to leave it behind.

As I sat there, lost in thought, I noticed Jaehun approaching hesitantly. He looked like he was gathering all his courage just to come over. Finally, he made it to me, but I turned away, pretending to be annoyed.

"Um, Yume?" His voice was tentative.

I didn’t respond.

"I’m sorry for what I did today," he said, trying again.

Apologize properly, you idiot.

"I’m really sorry, please forgive me? I got confused and didn’t want us to get caught,"

I finally looked at him, letting out a small sigh. "Fine... Just don’t do something stupid like that again."

"Sure, ma’am,"

We both fell silent, the quiet settling between us as we fumbled for something to say next. Finally, I broke the silence. "When will you come to Japan next?"

"I’m staying here,"

"What? But aren’t your parents—"

"I don’t live with them. And I study here."

"Oh, right. I forgot."

"Why? Will you miss me?"

"I don’t know."

"Oh yeah, you’re still not sure about your feelings." He teased, a playful smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about your problem."

He looked confused at first, but when I nodded toward his hand, he understood. His expression grew serious as he bit his lip. "Do I really have to tell you?"