Rejected by My Childhood Friend, Eunha
My childhood friend Eunha. Just like her name, she was the owner of looks that resembled an unreachable cluster of stars in the night sky.
Jet-black hair cascading down to her waist.
Deep black eyes that seemed to absorb all light.
Skin so pale it was almost ghostly, and a perpetually emotionless face.
Even back in elementary school, she had a hint of beauty, but starting in middle school, she really started to bloom.
Naturally, the moment she entered high school—no, even before that in middle school—she became famous.
Boys peeking through the back door during breaks.
Her desk drawer overflowing with crudely written love letters and snacks.
Even delinquents from other schools loitering in front of the school gate after classes.
And in the midst of that suffocating attention, the escape she chose was me, Dojin Lee.
"Dojin-ah."
Middle school first year, spring.
Eunha suddenly dragged me, who was changing out of my gym clothes, to a deserted staircase and said,
"Pretend to be my boyfriend for a bit."
"...What?"
"It's annoying as hell. Guys keep confessing to me every other day... Just act like a shield next to me, okay?"
"...Yeah, sure."
Of course, refusing wasn't even an option.
And from that day on, my middle school life became an endless grind of exhaustion.
The boys would shoot me jealous glares or straight-up hostility for no reason.
Seniors, same-year kids—hell, even some girls were jealous of me!
Of course, it was worth enduring that discomfort. Smooth.
"What're you looking at? He's my boyfriend."
Eunha, clutching my arm tightly, shooting a cold glare at the surrounding students.
The warmth of her body transmitting through my arm. The faint fragrance tickling my nose.
Even the hair brushing against my cheek. I loved all of it.
Time passed, we entered high school, and our relationship didn't change.
Or more precisely... it grew even stronger.
On the way to school, at the canteen, heading home.
Eunha would always link arms with me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The stares from around us had evolved from jealousy to something like resignation.
Even the teachers took our constant togetherness for granted.
...Aren't we basically a couple at this point?
No. Even real couples don't stick this close!
Weekends watching movies just the two of us, freely coming and going from each other's homes, falling asleep on late-night calls. That daily routine.
To reiterate, even dating couples don't cling to each other every single hour like this.
Definitely.
Time flew by relentlessly, and before we knew it, we had shed our uniforms and become adults.
But now, welcoming the spring of our twentieth year, I faced a very serious—and desperate—dilemma.
We're not progressing.
To be exact, we hadn't advanced a single step beyond "linking arms" from high school days.
I thought once we became adults, we'd naturally share a drink, the mood would set in, and we'd evolve into a real couple.
But no! We still talk on the phone every day and hop between our studio apartments... but we can't make progress!
We've held hands, but never kissed.
Never exchanged heartfelt "I like you"s aimed straight at each other.
This won't do! We need to move forward! If things stay like this, we'll be stuck forever!
Today. Today, I end this for sure.
For today, I'd shelled out over 100,000 won at the salon to style my hair.
For today, I'd dropped over 300,000 won at the store on trendy clothes.
For today, I'd bought and spritzed on Eunha's favorite perfume, and even reserved her favorite restaurant in advance.
And I'd practiced confession lines scouring the internet.
Good. Perfect spot. Familiar yet romantic.
The confession spot: the walking path in the park we frequented.
The time: 8 PM, when the soft streetlights flickered on.
Everything was perfect. For some reason, a surge of confidence welled up too.
Quiet and nice.
The park was sparsely populated and serene. A cool breeze pleasantly tousled my hair.
The timing was now or never.
I stopped walking and called out to Eunha, who was linked to my arm.
"Eunha-ya."
"Yeah? What's up, Dojin-ah."
Eunha looked up at me with her signature clear black eyes, oblivious to everything.
"...."
The moment I tried to speak, my heart pounded wildly, and my throat clenched up.
As I just stared without saying a word, Eunha tilted her head.
"What's with the sudden serious vibe?"
I swallowed hard. Alright. Straight ahead.
"Wanna make it real? Us, dating for real—not like this."
As soon as my words ended, a heavy silence descended. Only the sound of the wind brushed past my ears.
I could see Eunha's expression subtly harden.
Confusion and awkwardness began to surface on her face.
"Uh... so, you like me? Not as a friend, but as a woman...?"
Her stammering voice. Anxiety flooded me, but I nodded.
Denying it now would make me a total idiot. "Y-yeah."
"Ah. Um. Well...."
Eunha averted her gaze, her lips twitching.
The arm linked with mine slowly slipped away and fell to her side.
"Dojin-ah. I like you too, for real...."
I'm screwed.
"But, like I said... it was just to play the boyfriend role. We've known each other too long... you feel more like family than a guy, right?"
"...."
"Sorry."
Family-like. Yeah. Definitely... family-like.
"No, you don't need to apologize. I was the clueless one."
The voice I forced out with a strained smile was pathetically miserable.
Clinging desperately here would make me a crazy bastard.
"I'm sorry."
Eunha fidgeted, glancing at me nervously, then spoke.
"We're still friends, right? I... I don't have any other friends without you...."
I barely managed a nod. Then, forcing a casual act as if nothing was wrong, I said,
"Ah. Well... anyway, the mood's off for hanging out more today. I'll head out first."
"Ah...."
"Sorry. Forget what happened today."
"Yeah.... Don't abandon me, okay?"
Getting rejected and then hearing that... Of course, as the loser who liked her, I had no choice but to nod.
I fled the scene. I heard her calling after me from behind.
Pretending not to hear, I quickened my pace even more.
Ha... fuck. I got dumped.
How am I supposed to face Eunha starting tomorrow? It'll be so awkward I can't even look at her. Shouldn't have confessed. Fuck.
Should've just stayed her fake boyfriend forever, stuck to her side.
Ha. So my first love ends like this.
I don't even remember how I made it home. My head was spinning. For real.
Thud, thud.
Dragging my feet like a zombie, I arrived at my rundown studio apartment building.
Sighs leaked out deeply with every step up the stairs.
I flipped up the door lock cover and punched in the familiar four-digit code.
Beep—click.
The moment I pushed open the front door with a heavy hand and stepped inside.
Click.
The sensor light flicked on, illuminating the narrow entryway floor.
"...Huh?"
I froze mid-shoe removal.
There, next to my beat-up sneakers, was something that absolutely shouldn't be there.
A pair of women's shoes I'd never seen before.
Sleek, sophisticated black stiletto heels with an adult vibe.
What the hell.
Who? Burglar? Thief? Cult? Or... breaking and entering?
I held my breath, immediately grabbing the handle to bolt outside.
Right then. "You're back?"
A voice from inside. That voice... it made me freeze.
It was Eunha's voice. Though... slightly, just a tiny bit different.
How to describe it? Deeper than the Eunha I'd just heard minutes ago?
....
I stopped trying to leave and cautiously stepped further inside.
And there she was... really Eunha.
"Eunha-ya?"
It was definitely her.
Jet-black hair, cool eyes, pale skin. Identical to the Eunha I knew.
The difference was her hairstyle and vibe.
The waist-length black hair was gone; now it was a short bob.
She looked a bit older than the twenty-year-old I'd just seen... exuding the aura of a mature woman.
"What the... how...?"
At my flustered voice, Eunha(?) let out a soft chuckle and parted her lips.
"As expected of my husband. You recognize me even with a style change!"
"...."
"But, Dojin, this look on you doesn't scream 'adult' at all. Well... it's only been a bit since you turned twenty. Still, the effort shows—it's awkward but kinda cute, so I like it?"
Cute? Not a word that fit a rugged guy like me.
And husband...? Husband? What the hell does that mean?
As I gaped wordlessly, Eunha(?) kept talking.
And what she said next was even more shocking.
"Honey. If I said I came from the future... would you believe me?"
She straight-up claimed to be a regressor. Or a time traveler!