Chapter 67.1
Chapter 67.1
Miran turned to look at Seunghyuk.
She had forgotten for a while, but the reason she had admired him for so long had nothing to do with conditions—he was simply a rare, kind, and considerate senior. That was also why most of the girls who joined the intercollegiate club ended up going through a phase of crushing on him. Of course, his good looks certainly played a part as well.
She smiled bashfully and answered, “Yes. I’m fine.”
Seunghyuk chuckled and ruffled her hair.
“Yeah. Still as strong as ever, Kang Miran.”
Other than his hair being slightly longer, his relaxed and easygoing demeanor hadn’t changed at all.
The night they had run into each other at Julia’s, when they had talked about Hyun-ah and Jung Byung-jin, he had seemed more cynical and sharp than usual. But now, he looked much more at ease. After experiencing everything firsthand, she could fully understand why he had said those things back then. It hadn’t even been a full year ago, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed.
“Are you here for language studies too?”
“Yeah. Through the same program as Hyun-jung.”
“Ahh, so that’s why you two came together. It’s even nicer running into you in New York.”
She knew Seunghyuk was studying film at NYU, but with everything about André taking up space in her mind, she had completely forgotten about him. Still, seeing a familiar face on the other side of the world was both comforting and reassuring.
“Same here! By the way, now that your hair is longer, you kind of look like Takeshi Kaneshiro. You look great!”
At Miran’s flattery, Seunghyuk burst out laughing and held up a finger in mock warning.
“Kang Miran, you can’t say things like that in public. People will get mad if they hear you.”
“But it’s true, hehe.”
As they stepped inside the room together, Hyunjung, who had been sitting on the bed with a terrified expression, suddenly burst into tears like a child at the sight of Seunghyuk.
“Oppa, I wanna get out of here! Huweeeeh!”
“Ah, why did a cockroach have to show up on the first day of all days? Poor Hyunjung must’ve been so scared.”
Seunghyuk coaxed Hyunjung like an adult comforting a stubborn child.
“Where’s the cockroach? I’ll catch it for you.”
“Miran unnie already killed it with a shoe. Over there, next to the desk. But of all things, she used my shoe… Oppa, please throw that away for me.”
“Yes, yes. I shall dispose of it for you, princess.”
Picking up the shoe, Seunghyuk checked the cockroach’s remains on the sole before turning to Miran as he passed by her.
“Nice shot, Kang Miran!”
Miran grinned and clapped her palm against his in a high-five. Hyunjung, watching them with wide eyes, looked between the two in shock.
“…Wait, you two know each other?”
“Oh, she was in my college club.”
As Seunghyuk went to throw the shoe away, Hyunjung turned back to Miran with disbelief.
“Whoa, that’s crazy! What are the odds of a connection like this?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“Oppa said he’d show me around Manhattan tomorrow. Do you want to come too, unnie?”
Seunghyuk returned just in time to hear that and laughed in exasperation.
“Nam Hyunjung, stop scamming people. I said I’d teach you how to get around the city and take the subway, not give you a full-on tour.”
“Ugh, same thing!”
“If you’re leaving, hurry up and pack your stuff.”
Finally getting off the bed, Hyunjung rushed to shove all her unpacked belongings back into her suitcase.
With a playful smirk, Seunghyuk turned to Miran and said teasingly,
“Kang Miran, if you don’t have any other plans tomorrow, I’ll pick you up at 9 a.m. Be ready and waiting outside. I will give you a real Manhattan tour.”
“Really? You don’t mind if I tag along?”
“Of course not. Honestly, I can’t handle this one alone.”
Seunghyuk chuckled, nodding toward Hyunjung. Miran covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. Finally finished packing, Hyunjung yanked her suitcase upright and shot a glare at Seunghyuk before yelling,
“Ugh, Seunghyuk oppa!”
“Hyunjung, lower your decibels a bit. Your oppa nearly went deaf just now.”
Seunghyuk exaggerated his reaction as he playfully took the suitcase handle from Hyunjung’s grip.
“Give it to me. I’ll book a hotel for you near Koreatown first. Then, we’ll call Uncle right away. He was really worried about you.”
At the mention of her dad, Hyunjung’s nose turned red, and she wiped away a tear with her hand. As Seunghyuk comforted her and led her out of the room, he turned back and flashed a bright smile.
“See you tomorrow. Welcome to New York!”
–
Miran jolted awake in surprise.
An unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar room. Even the air smelled unfamiliar.
The lights were still on, but outside the window, the sky was pitch black. She grabbed the wristwatch from the nightstand and rubbed her dry, heavy eyelids. It was 4:30 AM.
“Still the middle of the night.”
Last night, she had made herself some instant ramen, taken a shower, and thought she’d just rest her head for a moment—only to pass out without even turning off the lights. Now that she was awake, she figured she might as well sleep a little longer, so she turned off the light and closed her eyes.
But sleep wouldn’t come back.

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