After hours ✓(editing)

14.

Against everyone's popular belief, Sehee did get out to meet her friends from college. Since everyone had passed the 25 age mark everyone was quite busy. Most of her friends had even got married and the others who didn't were looking for someone.

Sehee smiled brightly seeing her friends waiting outside their usual hangout place. The place was quite uptown with good and classy pubs and bars.

"Sehee! It's so nice to see you after so long." Jihoon, the one she had known for the longest time said, giving her a bear hug. At a time they were inseparable in the orphanage but then he got adopted. They lost touch naturally until one day he unexpectedly turned up at her newly opened restaurant.

They both had changed a lot in those years but they had gone back to being inseparable friends again.
"I missed you too, Jihoon. How have you been and where is your girlfriend?" Jihoon's face became sober, a sad smile coming on his lips.

"We broke up. I'm going to America for business purposes soon and she didn't want to wait up for me." He shrugged before giving her a bright grin. "You up to more than three shots of soju?" Sehee glared at her friend. "No, I'm not. I have work tomorrow unlike you and I can't risk falling asleep incase I got a call."

Jihoon's eyebrows rose with interest. "Don't tell me you got yourself a boyfriend while I was gone." Sehee couldn't hide her blush even though she didn't want to talk about her budding relationship right when her best friend might be suffering from a heartbreak.

"That's not important." She said hooking her arm with his. "Today we're going to diss that girl like there's no tomorrow." Jihoon chuckled finding her enthusiasm overpowering his own. He was really lucky that his family had picked her restaurant to have dinner at.

"I'm not mad, you know?" Jihoon said throwing back his drink in one go. "I'm livid!" Sehee flinched at his shout. "She asked me," he said patting his chest, "She asked me to wait for her when or if she went somewhere for further education and she backed out when it was me who had to go away instead of her. I mean, how can she do that?"

Sehee rubbed his arm comfortingly. "If she left you then it's good because now you know she isn't worth your time and maybe she wouldn't have stuck in the future." Jihoon nodded looking completely wasted as his next words came out slurred. "You are right. Why are you always right? But you know what I'm most sad about." She sighed. "What?" She didn't have a choice but only listen to him so he could feel better emotionally.

"I'm most sad for you." His words shocked her. "You had to grow up so much faster than the rest of us. Even Aera didn't have to grow up that fast because she had you. None of us did. You always became our elder sister. I wish you'd find someone so that you can just forget everything and live like your age. Experience that childhood you never had." With that he passed out on the bar leaving the atmosphere heavy.

Sehee felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. She tried swallowing them down with her drink. She had indeed grown up far earlier than the others. Everyone had their own stories, their own scars and she had helped everyone get over it. She couldn't help it since it was her nature. To help others and others did too, just not in the way she needed. It didn't matter to her much because she was content with how her friends treated her as family.

The ringing of her phone pulled her out of her not so bright past and thoughts. A smile instantly made its way to her lips seeing one of Seokjin's goofy pictures pop up on her mobile screen.

"Hey!" She greeted him with as much enthusiasm she could muster.

"Hey." He replied just as cheerfully. "You still up? I thought you were closing the restaurant earlier these days."

"I am, after someone pestered me the whole day about it." They chuckled together remembering how pouty and clingy Seokjin had been that day. "I'm out with some friends for drinks."

He hummed softly. "Don't stay out too late and take a taxi home. Subways can be dangerous at this time."

She smiled, warmed by his concerned words. "Don't worry about me, Seokjin-ah. I have a lot of people around me. How are you?"

He sighed heavily and it sounded as if he plopped down on something soft. "Good. Missing you and the food."

She couldn't help but laugh. This man and his appetite. "Come home quickly then. I'll make you everything you like."

"You sure everything?" She could see his lips quirking up in a smirk, the one that was filled with mischief.

"Well if it's something you can eat then I can."

"What if I want to eat you? You're just so sweet~"

Sehee giggled. "Seokjin, what's gotten into you? No, you cannot eat me. I'm not dating a cannibal."

"I wasn't talking in that sense." He said in that same teasing voice and Sehee felt her face burning.

"Oh my god! Seokjin! Who's being dirty minded now?"

That made Seokjin laugh hard. Her body shook with laughter as well hearing her boyfriend's contagious laugh.

Later that night when Sehee went to sleep she realised she always felt lighter, happier and younger when she was with Seokjin or even talked to him. He made her feel like they were little again with his silly jokes and like a teenager with his cheesy pickup lines. He made her feel like a young woman who deserved to be loved with his soft touches.