Can I Sleep at Your Place?
A long silence hung in the air. Neither of us made a move to break it. We simply let the atmosphere carry us along. Even if we didn't exactly welcome each other's presence, we had no desire to fight now that we were no longer a married couple. So where had everything gone wrong?
Was it the moment I looked at the woman? Or when I couldn't just brush off Shin Yujin's words? Or maybe… from that one sentence I uttered before the regression?
No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't pinpoint the exact starting point. While the silence lingered, Kim Yerim and Hojin arrived, restoring the usual lively mood.
“We're here.”
“You made it? Exactly ten minutes late.”
“Traffic was insane because it was rush hour. Hi, Yujin.”
“Hello, Oppa.”
Though we'd been awkward at first, we'd grown comfortable enough to act natural around each other. Everything was the same as it had been fourteen years ago—except for the relationship between Shin Yujin and me.
“Why were you two sitting so stiffly?”
“Did you guys fight?!”
“We didn't fight. It's just still a little awkward.”
“Come on, you should be close by now. Yujin, go sit next to Yuchan Oppa.”
“Ah, okay.”
Shin Yujin, who had been sitting across from me, stood up and took the seat beside me. Even though anyone could see she was keeping her distance, she still had to move closer because of those two. Was it really necessary to go this far just to fool them?
“I have a question. When are you and Yujin going to start dating?”
“…Huh?!”
“D-Dating?”
“You obviously like each other. That's why Yuchan Oppa went to Yujin's place today—to change a lightbulb.”
I'd forgotten one thing. Even fourteen years ago, Kim Yerim had been relentless about pushing us together whenever the four of us met. That had created a strange atmosphere, and we'd ended up growing closer faster than we should have. In short, Kim Yerim was a total menace—an absolute fiend determined to pair us up no matter what.
I couldn't think of a single way to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Your food is ready.”
The tteokgalbi arrived at the perfect moment, letting us naturally change the subject…
“So when are you two going to date?”
…or not. Of course that menace wouldn't back down so easily. I tried to steer the conversation the way I remembered it going, and Shin Yujin seemed to be thinking the same thing.
“A little later…”
“Hmm, so you don't want to date yet?”
“I do, but I want to get to know Oppa a bit more first.”
“Y-Yeah. I want to date after I know everything about Yujin, too.”
“Don't you already know everything?”
“Yerim, they have their own reasons. Let's stop asking.”
“Okay, Oppa!!”
Thanks to Hojin's intervention, we managed to move past it. He had always been quick to read the room, both then and now. Just as I was about to pour drinks, I noticed Kim Yerim reaching for the soju bottle. Yujin, Hojin, and I all lunged at once, grabbing the bottle in her hand.
“Whoa, whoa! Yerim, let's put the alcohol down.”
“Why? I want to drink too.”
“You can't handle alcohol.”
“I can still have one glass.”
There was a reason we were stopping an adult like this. Once Kim Yerim got drunk, no one could control her. In the original timeline, I wouldn't have known that, but since we'd regressed with our memories intact, we knew exactly what would happen.
“Fine… I'll drink while saying that!!”
“Y-Yerim!!”
It was too late. She downed the glass in one go. One glass might have been manageable, but Kim Yerim's face flushed red after just a single shot of soju. The real problem was her drinking habit—she'd keep going once she started. This was the beginning of the rampage.
***
“Hehe!! I feel great!!”
“Aigoo, she's completely wasted.”
“I told you not to let her drink.”
“What's done is done. I'll take Yerim outside for some fresh air.”
“Okay, Oppa.”
After downing half a bottle of soju, Kim Yerim was completely drunk and had to be led out by Hojin. Once they left, an awkward silence settled over the table. The moment they disappeared, Shin Yujin instantly put distance between us, as if she'd been waiting for the chance. I did the same, so it didn't feel strange.
“If I remember right, those two went straight to a motel last time.”
“Yeah, they did. And we…”
“We went somewhere too?”
“We went to your place.”
“Oh, right.”
“Don't you remember?”
“I'm surprised you remember all that.”
Even after fourteen years, Shin Yujin remembered so many details. I remembered some of it too, but not this clearly. I'd grown so used to her that I'd forgotten the little things.
“Let me ask you something. Did we start dating that night, or not?”
“Uh… I don't think we were dating yet.”
“Technically, we became a couple that very night.”
“Yeah, I definitely remember that. We sent them off first and then went too.”
“You went to my place, confessed, and I accepted.”
While we were reminiscing, Kim Yerim and Hojin returned. Just as we remembered—
“Yerim's too drunk. I think we should head out first.”
“Oppa!! I want to stay with you today!!”
“Really? If Yujin says it's okay, then sure.”
“I'm fine with it. You don't have to worry about me.”
“Hehe. Yujin said it's okay!!”
“Thanks, Yujin. I'll feed her lunch and send her home tomorrow.”
“Okay, do that.”
As expected, Kim Yerim was going off to spend some alone time with Hojin. After settling the bill, we parted ways with the couple. Since Shin Yujin's place was on the way to mine, we walked home together through the night. I remembered walking like this back then too—without saying much. But the atmosphere was completely different now. It wasn't that we were too careful to talk; it was that we didn't want to talk because of the resentment between us.
“…How's school going?”
“It's fine. What about you?”
“Same. The problem is that it's boring since I already know everything.”
“Me too. I already knew all the English, but the education courses were new back then.”
“You know all of that now too.”
“That's why it's not very fun.”
“I think my professor is eyeing me for grad school.”
“A grad student?”
“Yeah. Every time he looks at me, I get this weird chill.”
Walking in complete silence felt a bit empty, so we exchanged small talk. Thankfully, even though we'd raised our voices earlier, Shin Yujin responded well to my attempts at conversation. We'd never fought once in the early days of our marriage, yet here we were, already fighting just two weeks after meeting again.
“Why not just get kidnapped and become a grad student?”
“Don't say such terrifying things.”
“Why? Being a grad student might be better than rotting away at a company.”
“They're both slavery. What's the difference?”
“True. At least you could throw up on your professor's clothes during a company dinner.”
“…Hey, why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?”
“It's still funny when I think about it. How do you even throw up on your boss's clothes during a dinner? No wonder you got stuck doing overtime every day.”
She'd never been the type to enjoy teasing me this much, yet Shin Yujin kept showing sides of herself I didn't know. Maybe there was truth to the saying that you can't spit on a smiling face. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to that expression. The earlier argument had just been a moment of heightened emotions. Before I knew it, we'd arrived in front of my building. Shin Yujin stopped walking, and so did I.
“Haah, how did I end up paying for four servings of tteokgalbi and all the drinks?”
“That's why I offered to split it.”
“If you're treating, you might as well treat everyone. Go on in.”
“Yeah, I'll head in. Be careful on your way.”
“So you do worry about me that much?”
“We've built up both good and bad feelings. The least I can do is that much.”
“You're right. We've been through all kinds of things together. I'll get going.”
With that final goodbye, I went inside while Shin Yujin headed to her own place. I washed up right away and lay down on my bed. Throughout dinner, Shin Yujin's constant smile kept flashing through my mind. Had she ever smiled that brightly since we'd regressed together with our memories? This might have been the first time.
“Her smiling face really is pretty no matter when I see it.”
The thought slipped out on its own—her smile had burned itself into my brain that strongly. Just as I was about to turn off the lights and sleep—
Ring ring!!
A call from Shin Yujin. About thirty minutes had passed, so she must have gotten home. She was probably just letting me know she'd arrived safely. I answered without thinking.
[Ha… Han Yuchan… Can I… sleep at your place…?]
Her voice trembled.