The Day We Met Again
Yoon Jihyeok possessed something he could confidently say set him apart from others: an extraordinary memory. Once he saw or heard something, he never forgot it. Unless he deliberately chose to erase it, the information remained locked in his mind, impossible to wipe away. Thanks to this gift, he never forgot a single lesson from school, which kept his grades at the very top of his class. As a high school freshman, he crushed every other student purely through his memory alone, without needing extra classes or academy help.
"…Nice weather."
Having easily claimed first place and the trophy at the memory competition his homeroom teacher had recommended, Yoon Jihyeok was on his way home. He cradled the trophy gently in his right arm. Warm sunlight wrapped around him, carrying the fresh scent of spring and the fragrant aroma of flowers planted along the roadside. It was March 10th, the very beginning of spring, and Yoon Jihyeok was heading home to add another trophy to his collection.
Since his homeroom teacher had recommended him, the news that he had taken first place was probably already flooding the class group chat.
It had already begun.
"…Sigh."
It would be a lie to say he had no friends in class, but Yoon Jihyeok had always been terrible at small talk. He had a handful of people he only spoke to occasionally. Because he was timid and afraid of making new friends, whenever he saw couples at school, he felt more curiosity about the courage it took to confess than envy. Naturally, Yoon Jihyeok had never had a girlfriend. If someone confessed to him, he would probably accept, but he didn't think it would last very long.
The reason was the large scar on his forehead. Even with his exceptional memory, Yoon Jihyeok couldn't recall exactly when, how, or where he had gotten it. It had happened before he turned ten, a period completely missing from his mind. The scar was so deep and prominent that he knew it would never fade, so he had given up trying to find out. He didn't allow himself even the faintest hope that someone might still approach him despite it.
With those thoughts weighing on him, he arrived home. As he lifted his empty left hand to open the apartment entrance—
"…Hey. You're Yoon Jihyeok, right?"
"…Huh?"
He turned his head at the sound of someone calling his name. The girl standing there was around 165 centimeters tall with a figure so stunning it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she could be a model. Her skin was flawless from careful maintenance, and her hair fell to her shoulders. Her warm pink eyes gazed at him gently. She wore a dress that suited her so perfectly it would be impossible to forget after just one glance.
"…Han Yuna?"
"You knew my name?"
She was Han Yuna, the girl rumored to sit at the absolute top tier of beauty among all the freshmen. She was known as the school's princess and happened to be in the same class as Yoon Jihyeok.
"Of course I know… even a loner like me knows that much. So, what's up?"
She had called out to him before he could go inside, so it was safe to assume she had something to say. If it was nothing important, he planned to ignore it and head in, but—
"I heard you took first place at that competition our homeroom teacher recommended?"
"Yeah. …It wasn't that hard since it's my strongest subject. Did you call me over just to congratulate me?"
"Hmm… that's part of it, but I have another reason too."
It didn't sound like something he could brush off, so Yoon Jihyeok gave up on going inside right away. Sensing the conversation might take a while, he gestured for Han Yuna to follow him and headed toward the nearby park. Only after they sat down on a bench did their talk truly begin.
"So. What's the other reason?"
"Um… I want you to listen without getting too surprised, and please don't refuse, okay?"
"What is it… I'll listen first and then decide."
What kind of favor required her to preface it like that? Yoon Jihyeok wondered. After a brief pause, Han Yuna looked straight at him and spoke.
"…Do you want to date me?"
The sudden confession left Yoon Jihyeok's brain momentarily frozen. He tried to spin his thoughts, to judge the situation properly and give an appropriate response, but aside from his memory, he was just an ordinary person.
"…This is a penalty game, right?"
That was the only dumbfounded reply he could manage. A girl who was not only beautiful but famously so would never confess to a guy with zero popularity whose only notable trait was his memory. If this really was a penalty game, he was ready to tell her to find someone else and walk straight home without looking back. But—
"I'm telling you my true feelings. I like you."
Han Yuna's words drove the point home like a nail, leaving Yoon Jihyeok so stunned his pupils actually shook. Seeing his reaction, she let out a small laugh.
"Is it really that shocking?"
"No… I just wonder if there's anyone in the world who could make a proper judgment after suddenly getting confessed to like this…"
"I guess so. Yeah… that makes sense."
Han Yuna stood up from the bench, stepped directly in front of him, and continued.
"You might not know this, but I've been watching you for a very long time."
"…Since when?"
"Longer than you could possibly imagine."
"…Really?"
"Yes."
She leaned forward, gently taking both of his hands in hers, and looked straight into his eyes.
"You have this incredible memory, yet you never act arrogant about it. Instead, you've used it to help the people around you. Among those with special abilities, someone like you is incredibly rare."
"…I think there are probably quite a few."
Han Yuna shook her head from side to side.
"You're different. I don't have the same ability as you, but my talent for observing people is better than anyone's. If I keep watching someone, I can figure out their true character. Does that make sense?"
"…That sounds even more amazing than my memory."
"You think so? Hehe."
She squeezed his hands a little tighter.
"While I've been watching you all this time, I came to understand your character completely. I fell for you after seeing how pure your heart is—completely untainted, without a single flaw."
"…"
"Even if this is one-sided for now, that's okay. I'll keep working hard until someday you like me too. So give me your answer right here."
Looking at the relaxed confidence in her eyes and the honest way she laid bare her feelings without a trace of arrogance, Yoon Jihyeok found himself saying the only thing he could.
"I like you too. So… do you want to date me?"
"…If you're really okay with me… then yes."
Having succeeded in her confession, Han Yuna looked incredibly happy. Her slender hands, still holding his, began to tremble slightly. Yoon Jihyeok gently pulled his hands free only to take hers again, this time more securely.
"…You're shaking a lot."
"…Am I?"
"…Yeah. This is my first time being someone's boyfriend. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."
"Shouldn't we just take our time and figure that out together?"
"I guess so?"
"Yeah. This is my first time being someone's girlfriend too."
So suddenly, Yoon Jihyeok and Han Yuna had become a couple on day one. They sat in silence, holding each other's hands and feeling each other's warmth. After about five minutes, Yoon Jihyeok was the one to break the quiet.
"Now that I think about it… I should probably head home soon."
"…Oh. Come to think of it, I stopped you right when you were about to go inside, didn't I?"
"Yeah."
When he stood up from the bench, Han Yuna finally let go of his hand.
"My boyfriend's hands are really warm, huh?"
"…Are they? I didn't know since I've never held anyone's hand before, but yours are really small."
"Women's hands are usually small."
"I see. Got it."
Yoon Jihyeok picked up the trophy again with his right arm and asked her,
"Um… I'm not sure if this is okay since we just started dating, but… should I walk you home?"
"You're going to escort me all the way?"
"Pretty much."
"Then I'd love that~"
"Okay."
Even though they had only started dating today, Yoon Jihyeok already wanted to do his best to fulfill his role as her boyfriend.
"…You live in the building right next door?"
"Looks like it, huh?"
From the moment he stepped out of his front door, it had taken less than five minutes to reach her place. They lived incredibly close. Yoon Jihyeok was on the second floor, while Han Yuna lived on the first floor of the neighboring building.
"…How did I never notice?"
"Because whenever you head home, you never look back."
"Ah…"
Before dating Han Yuna, Yoon Jihyeok had been the type who rarely went outside except when absolutely necessary.
"I don't think I've ever seen my boyfriend outside his house before~ From now on, his girlfriend will have to drag him out more often, right?"
"…Just not too far, please."
It was finally time for each of them to return to their own homes.
"Alright. See you at school tomorrow, boyfriend?"
"Yeah… see you tomorrow."
After walking Han Yuna home, Yoon Jihyeok returned to his apartment and greeted his parents who were waiting for him.
"Your son's home."
"Oh~ Jihyeok, you're back? …What's that in your hand? A trophy?"
"Yes… I entered the competition our homeroom teacher recommended and somehow ended up taking first place…"
"Do we even have space left to display another trophy? Anyway, congratulations, son."
"Thank you."
He was wondering whether he should mention that he had started dating someone when his little sister came running toward him.
"Yay~ Oppa’s home?"
"Yeah."
Yoon Jina was his twelve-year-old sister, a fifth-grader who was five years younger than him. Because he had taken care of her since she was little, she followed him even more closely than their parents. She was a wonderful little sister.
"Oppa won another trophy?"
"It wasn't hard since it's my strongest subject."
"Congratulations on first place, oppa!"
"Thanks, Jina."
While Yoon Jihyeok was happily patting her head, his mother spoke up.
"You must be tired after using your head so much. Go to your room and rest."
"Okay, I will."
After leaving Jina with his mother, Yoon Jihyeok went to his room, hung up his bag, and collapsed onto his bed.
"…Haa. What am I supposed to do now?"
No matter how much he tossed and turned on his soft mattress, he couldn't find an easy answer. This was his first time ever being someone's boyfriend. He kept wondering what he needed to do to make his girlfriend happy.
"…I should at least look some things up. There must be stuff I need to know."
Since he could remember everything after seeing it once, even difficult material wouldn't be a problem. Yoon Jihyeok began to study the role of a boyfriend—something completely new to him—with careful, step-by-step attention.