A Simple Memory
*Present Day*
Min-Ju after her argument the next day after putting Yong-Sun to bed. She went to the restaurant and went upstairs to her old bedroom
She looked under the bed to find the box of old photos. She cleared all the dust away from the box and sat down on the floor opening the rotting old box. She found photos of the happy times.
The photos had her real smile not the one for show. The photos that JinHai took of her secretly on the river's end, her smoking a drag, and her graduation
Then she found a picture of the two of them smiling happily unaware of their impending heartbreak
She got upset so she went downstairs to the restaurant to find that they had run out of Soju* So she went to a bar that was owned by a college friend of hers
"A bottle of Soju" she asked
"So you're finally gonna take advantage of that bet you won" her friend asked
"I guess it wasn't me that won the bet"
"But your back so drinks are on the house"
Min-Ju responded by gulping down half the bottle of alcohol
"What's wrong boy trouble" she asked with Min-Ju responding with a nod
Then Min-Ju proceeded to tell her everything
"Wow! You know we should keep in touch more. What's your number?"
"I don't have one. My phone got thrown into the river"
"What!?" She questioned shocked at Min-Ju's unfazed answer
"JinHai..." her friend interrupted "Well speaking of the devil"
JinHai enters the bar and goes up to Min-Ju and slides her a new phone
"What is this" she questioned picking up the phone trying to inspect it
"It's a new phone to replace the old one I threw into the river" he said with a somewhat embarrassed voice
"Why did you get me one?"
"Isn't your phone under your husband's name so you can't get one until you go back to Korea. So I got you a new one under my name"
"It's fine. I don't need it" she said trying to hand it back to him
"Just take it as an apology" he said and it was true. He wanted her to forgive him for his impulsive decision
"Thanks" she said
JinHai then ordered a class of whiskey
"What are you doing?" She demanded
"You're not allowed to drink anymore," she said, sounding concerned for his action. She knew that he was turned into an alcoholic when she left. She wasn't proud of her actions that caused him to be like this
"How did you know?"
"You didn't think I would know. She wasn't that subtle about your problem" she said but she knew years ago. When BiYu called her to come back and help him when he hit rock bottom. But she couldn't she was already married and had a child
"Here's your drink" The bartender gave the drink to JinHai but before he could take it from the counter, Min-Ju snatched his drink away. She took the whiskey and drank all of it not letting him take a sip
She winced at the burning taste of the whiskey and left without saying a word to him. She didn't want to because it hurt her as much as it hurt him because she couldn't see him like this. She couldn't watch him in pain caused her to feel pain in her heart
As she walked through the door, JinHai caught up to her and asked her "Why did you do that?"
Min-Ju got tired of this same old question 'Why did you do that?' It seems like a broken record of the same phrase of replay and reliving a different version
"I couldn't watch you slowly killing yourself" She answered truthfully
"I wasn't gonna drinking that much" But he was going to drink a lot because he needed the courage to continue talking to her without feeling the emotions he felt for her years ago
"Why? Because you needed the courage to talk to me after yesterday's argument" Min-Ju could see right through him. She knew when he wasn't telling the truth but he didn't have a tell. She just knew
"I don't need to get drunk to do this" But before Min-Ju could answer he pulled her into a kiss
But before they could go any farther JinHai's phone rings. It was LiQiu calling and he broke from the kiss
He answers and Min-Ju could hear a very worried LiQiu. Min-Ju instantly felt guilty and started to walk past him trying to compose herself by telling herself that she was fine
But before she could go any farther JinHai stopped her. He already hung up the phone
"I-I'm sorry" He said lowering his head and playing with the ground full of small rocks trying not to make eye contact with her
"Look at me" She said lifting his chin so he is looking at her. Min-Ju was relatively tall but not as tall as the average man
"I'm okay. Go to her. She seems more worried than your mother is" She said holding both of his hands as she knew she couldn't keep this relationship with him anymore or whatever you call this weird scenario
"Are you sure?" He questioned "I heard everything you told YanMei"
When Min-Ju heard that she couldn't make eye contact with him. She turned red knowing that he heard everything that she has ever thought of in these last three weeks
She let go of his hands that she was still holding "I'm Okay. I promise"
JinHai hesitated before walking to his car looking back to Min-Ju who was still watching. She gave him, her best fake smile and waved goodbye to him
When she saw him drive off and turn a corner. She didn't know why she felt pain when she let him go
She turned around and contemplated if she should go back into the bar
But she got a text from Yong-Sun asking where she was
She was about to text him back when it struck her. How did she get her contacts back if all her information was at the bottom of the river?
'Did JinHai know my password?' she wondered but it's not important now. What is important at this moment is that she needed to video call her son