Sunlight spilled through the curtains, painting hollow streaks across Ga-young's face. Her eyes were swollen from the tears of the night before, yet a strange happiness hummed in her chest. She had finally told Min-jae how she felt. She was chasing him again. She was alive again. Something real, something hers, had returned to her life.
Clutching her pillow, she squealed with delight. Love past twenty had this strange way of making her feel sixteen once more.
Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, dragging her back to reality. She had completely forgotten her plans for the day. Panic flared and she scrambled out of bed, sliding across the floor with more grace than skill. Minutes later, she burst from her room, only to freeze as her eyes met Mrs. Choi's.
"Good morning, Mother," Ga-young greeted with a hopeful smile.
Mrs. Choi said nothing, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond.
Ga-young hugged her from behind, sulking. "Are you still mad at me?"
Mrs. Choi rolled her eyes without a word.
"Mother, moving out doesn't mean I'm leaving forever. One day I would have to leave anyway," Ga-young explained calmly.
"Imagine your daughter leaving you alone just because she can finally get an apartment. It makes me wonder how long you have waited for this. Am I really that bad a housemate?" Mrs. Choi finally said, turning to face her.
Ga-young hugged her again. "No. I couldn't ask for a better housemate, not even Ji-hye."
"Then why are you leaving?" Mrs. Choi asked.
Ga-young pulled back gently, smiling. "I feel like this is an important step for my growth. Living on my own will help me become more disciplined and organized."
"You are already so organized. What else do you want?" Mrs. Choi replied, folding her arms.
Ga-young giggled. "Mother, do you even know how cute you are when you are mad? I don't even know how to cook properly. I need to start doing certain things by myself. I am almost thirty."
"I am not complaining. You can just marry a chef," Mrs. Choi said, smirking.
"Not my style," Ga-young said.
Her phone buzzed again, cutting the conversation short. "They must be waiting for me. Bye, Mother. We will talk more when I get back," she said, rushing out.
Mrs. Choi exhaled quietly. "She really is just like me."
After what felt like an hour, Ga-young finally arrived at the café. Ye-seul and Ji-hye waved from their table. She rushed toward them, breathless.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I had to talk to Mother," she said, plopping into the seat.
"It is fine. You are always late anyway, except to work. Makes me think you do it on purpose," Ji-hye said, sipping her coffee with a mischievous gleam.
Ga-young narrowed her eyes, sensing the threat, but Ji-hye did not seem to care.
"Maybe you should just keep staying with her since she is this worried," Ye-seul suggested.
"No way. You have no idea who Mrs. Choi is. She wants to travel the world. I do not want to be the reason she does not," Ga-young explained.
"Is that what you tell yourself whenever you feel guilty?" Ji-hye teased.
Ga-young side-eyed her. "Do we have a score to settle, Mrs. Hyun-woo?"
"We both know who will win. Nevertheless," Ji-hye said, pushing her coffee aside. "So what is the plan?"
Ye-seul grinned. "Café, house hunt, park, movies."
"I have a list of house vendors we could work with," Ga-young said.
"I have booked our movie tickets," Ji-hye said, flipping her hair with flair.
"Oh,oh, I'm so excited. I rented out the park for us," Ye-seul squealed.
Ga-young and Ji-hye's jaws dropped. "You did what?" Ji-hye asked, stunned.
"Not good? I should not have?" Ye-seul said, covering her mouth.
"No, it is... impressive. But you rented a park?" Ga-young asked, her fingers now intertwined on the table, as if negotiating a business deal.
"I am sorry," Ye-seul said, head bowed.
Ji-hye and Ga-young exchanged smiles, patting her together on the head. "It is perfectly fine. We are just worried about how much you spent to make this happen," Ga-young said calmly.
Ye-seul's face lit up. "It is not actually my money. I convinced Ji-uk to handle it."
"Impressive," Ji-hye admitted instinctively. Ga-young shot her a narrowed-eye glare.
"Oh my. We are going to be late. We are supposed to meet the first client at eleven," Ga-young said.
"Shall we?" Ji-hye asked.
"I will drive," Ga-young said, taking the keys from Ji-hye.
"Ladies, let us have the day of our lives," Ji-hye shouted, drawing a few curious stares from other café patrons.
Ga-young covered her face, walking away.
"What? Are you embarrassed by me?" Ji-hye asked, looping her arm around Ga-young's shoulder.
"Stay away from me, woman," Ga-young whispered as they exited.
Ye-seul laughed, falling in step beside them. Together, they walked into the day, unstoppable, inseparable, and alive.