Lost In You

Chapter 23 - Reality

Aneung

And so it begins—the twenty-one-day plan to win back Ar-Neung. Today marks the official first day, and at exactly 10:14 pm, I keyed in her number, my heart pounding with excitement as I waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" The familiar mature voice answered, calm and slightly wary.

"Ar-Neung!" I chirped, barely able to contain my excitement. Could she possibly be waiting for my call already?

"Why are you calling? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! I just wanted to tell you I love you," I said, practically bouncing on my bed. "And you answered right on time! You must have been expecting it!"

"Expecting? Please," she scoffed. "You really have nothing better to do, do you?"

"Wrong! There's nothing better I could possibly be doing than this." I hugged my pillow, my feet swinging in the air. "So, what are you up to?"

"I'm busy. Working. Unlike some people."

"Oh, come on. Let's meet tomorrow," I whined, trying my best to sound as endearing as possible.

"No."

My lips pursed in a pout. "Why not? I want to spend time with you."

"Aneung, you have school, and I have work," she replied, sounding more than a little exasperated.

"But—"

"Goodnight," she cut in firmly.

I barely managed to squeeze in an "I love you, Ar-Neung!" before the call clicked off, leaving me grinning at my phone. This small moment, even with her stubborn resistance, was all I needed to drift off to sleep with sweet dreams.

The next few nights, I didn't miss a single 10:14 pm call. At first, the calls were brief, her voice crisp and dismissive. But gradually, our conversations stretched longer, and our exchanges became less guarded.

Until the twentieth night.

"Ar-Neung, let's go out tomorrow," I suggested, unable to keep the anticipation out of my voice. "It's the weekend!"

"I can't. I have an appointment," she replied.

"With who?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

A short silence followed. Just enough to spark a bit of suspicion.

"Someone you don't know."

"Well, that's fine. I can tag along! You're probably just making excuses to avoid me, aren't you?" I teased, determined not to let her slip away this time.

She sighed. "Fine. You want to come? Then come. But don't complain when you meet a stranger."

"You bet I won't! As long as I'm with you, that's what matters."

"Go to bed, Aneung. It's late. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ar-Neung. I love you."

With a broad smile, I placed my phone down, giddy for the weekend. But as I drifted to sleep, I had no idea that the next day would bring an unexpected reality—a reality I wasn't prepared for.

Neung

"Khun Neung," Sam called out as she walked briskly down the hallway, catching up to me. "Heading out?"

I nodded, waiting for her to catch up. Sam was coming along with me, as she often did.

"Who are you meeting?" Sam tilted her head. "Isn't it rare for you to go out on weekends?"