Yoona's terrified cry froze So Hyung's hands on the wheel. He barely knew how to react when the cloaked man they had struck rose again, twisting his battered limbs back into place as if bones and joints were nothing more than puzzle pieces. Emerald eyes glowed beneath the hood, before he sprinted away without a single word.
"What about my car?!" So Hyung leapt out, inspecting the dented door. The impact had been far too strong for any normal human to survive. People gathered, murmuring, while Yoona sat trembling in the passenger seat.
"Did you see that?" she whispered to you. "He fixed his bones like it was nothing!"
When the crowd dispersed, So Hyung climbed back in, scowling. "What a day. A junkie nearly wrecked my car."
"Maybe… maybe you hit a ghost," Yoona muttered, still shaken.
"At least guy's alive. Thirty‑two bones intact, no hospital bill. Lucky me." He drove on, three black drones buzzing overhead like hunters searching for prey.
"Is North Korea doing it again?" he joked nervously.
"Just hurry. I've got chills," she urged.
"Why don't people use crosswalks? My dad's going to yell at me when he sees the car." He sighed, calming himself.
Soon they arrived at the colossal shopping plaza, its architecture a stack of gleaming spheres linked by curved elevators. After parking, So Hyung called a mechanic. "Hello, my car door's caved in. I'll send the location."
Yoona reapplied her lipstick, then stepped out. The mall bustled with Christmas shoppers, holographic Santa towering in the atrium. They walked arm‑in‑arm, drawing envious stares from passing teens.
"Your shirt's outdated. Let me buy you a new one," she teased, tugging his sleeve.
"This old thing? I thought it was fine." He let her drag him into a boutique.
"Two months straight in the same shirt. Time for an upgrade." She piled options into his arms until they settled on a gray vest patterned with black butterflies.
"Cute," she clapped, delighted.
"I'll pay," he insisted.
"No, I will. It's my Christmas gift."
They bickered until the clerk suggested splitting the cost. "Seventy‑thirty," Yoona bargained.
"Sixty‑forty," So Hyung countered.
"Deal." They pressed their wrists to the scanner together, laughing.
Afterward, Yoona browsed perfumes, though her smile faltered. Sorry I don't have much money. Maybe in five years… she thought, glancing at you.
Two hours later, they shared a giant tub of ice cream. Yoona devoured most of it, still craving more.
"Not full yet," she sighed.
"Eat too much and you'll puff up," he teased.
"My gut's fine. I even brewed diet coffee as a kid."
He lowered his gaze. "Do you ever think about… marriage?"
"All girls do. But reality sucked, dowries, expenses."
"What if I study abroad, come back with money, and ask you to be my bride?"
She laughed. "Too soon! But if your mom doesn't expect me to be just a housewife, maybe."
He nodded, satisfied. She checked her watch. "Almost two. Shall we head home?"
But his eyes lingered on a movie poster.
"Or… we could watch The Mischievous Girl and the Magic Cat."
"Perfect! I'll get extra popcorn."
They ascended the red‑carpeted escalator, entering the theater. Laughter and tears filled the screening, their hands entwined. When the credits rolled, it was already four o'clock.
"So," he asked softly, "want to go somewhere else?"
"It's been so long since we watched the sunset together," she whispered, squeezing his hand.
At the riverside park near the Han, red pines shed their needles in the winter chill. Snowflakes clung to the railings by the water, while tourists crowded in to capture the sunset. Yoona and So Hyung stood at the edge, his coat draped over her shoulders. She smiled, warmed more by his gesture than the fabric itself.
"I still remember this place," she whispered, eyes fixed on the sinking sun.
"Last year's Moon Festival. Who could forget?" he replied.
The moment was tender, fragile, until her phone rang. Her mother's voice reminded her of promises forgotten. Yoona's smile faltered, guilt pressing down. She sat on a marble bench, sighing. "Why do I always forget? I write everything down, but still…"
"Maybe that's why, you rely on paper instead of memory," So Hyung teased gently.
They laughed, reminiscing about their first kiss, about memories too precious to lose. Tears welled in Yoona's eyes as the city lights flickered on. She wiped them away, clumsy enough to jab herself with her glasses. "Ow!" she yelped, breaking the mood.
But before they could recover, something shifted. A gust of wind swept past. When Yoona turned to grab her bag, it was gone. Her glasses zoomed in, catching sight of a shadowed figure sprinting away, her bag in hand.
"Hey! My bag!" she shouted.
Without hesitation, So Hyung vaulted over the bench. "Get back here, you thief!" His voice thundered across the park.
Yoona scrambled after them, breathless, calling out to strangers. "Help! The guy stole my bag!"
The chase spilled into the crowded city streets, weaving between cars and neon lights. Horns blared, pedestrians gasped, and the thief darted through the chaos like smoke. Yoona's heart pounded. "What is this shit happening to me?!" she cried, pushing herself to keep up.