It has been a long time since someone called her Shorty. That tone...
That familiar voice...
Her impulsive action whenever those two called her Shorty in a public place should have disappeared, yet when she heard that familiar tone and voice, she couldn't help but snap back.
After realizing that she had just scolded someone, Sujin wished the ground could just swallow her whole. Her ears reddened from embarrassment.
Even though that voice was familiar, her first thought was she mistook that call for her. What if it was not for her? How shameful would it be?
As she was drowning in her self-regret, she failed to notice the steps were getting closer and faster behind her back. Before she could snap out of her embarrassment, a head peeked on her with a pair of beautiful crescent eyes twinkled with surprise and excitement.
"It's really you." He exclaimed.
Sujin was no less surprised than him, of course. Even with a mask on, how could she not recognize him? After all, that pair of smiling eyes was hard to forget.
"Hwang Jaejin..." She muttered under her breath. She even forgot that she could just deny it and walk away like she didn't know him.
Oh shit, why did she have to meet him? Didn't she want to avoid Lee Minho and him? Since he knew about her presence here, it would only be a matter of time before the annoying man knew about it too.
"It's really you!" Jaejin jumped and hugged her excitedly.
Sujin let out a muffled grunt as her petite body was squeezed by his strength. Compared to his previous body, obviously he had more muscles now. He looked sturdier and stronger than he was back then. To sum it up, he was more attractive now.
The dead butterflies in Sujin's stomach fluttered back alive when she consciously realized the close proximity between her and her old crush.
"Let. go!" She grunted as she pushed his body as hard as she could while scolding herself for blushing over old matter.
Probably sensing her rejection, Jaejin pulled away, leaving a gap between them both so that the shorter one could take a breath. He lowered his head so that he could meet her eyes to eyes. His eyes twinkled with delight as he scanned her carefully.
He wanted to make sure that the Shorty was not harmed in any way. Only after he found out that she was okay from head to toes, then he released his grip on her and breathed out a sigh of relief.
How could Sujin not know what he meant by doing that? Even after years, this man didn't change much at all. Other than his physical body, his way of thinking might not change much at all.
"Now tell me, where have you been all this time?" His voice was stern, his thick brows frowned in displeasure as he glared at the petite girl.
Sujin arched one of her beautiful eyebrows as she stared at the man calmly. He wanted to intimidate her? Hah! In his dream!
"Where I have been is not your business." She answered lightly.
Jaejin squinted his eyes dangerously. Obviously he didn't like the sound of her answer.
"What do you mean 'not my business'?" His voice came out as low growl, promising a dangerous punishment that would befall upon the girl in front of him.
Sujin took a step back, avoided his slow advance towards her. There was no fear in her eyes, as if it was pretty common for her to see Jaejin acted like that.
Ah well, to be honest, it was not the first time she saw it and seeing him like this made her realize that she has really returned to South Korea.
Instead of feeling fear, she had an indescribable feeling of happiness inside -which she wouldn't show him at all cost.
"Well, since when did it become your business, then?" Sujin raised her head a bit. Her eyes flashed with a rebellious glint, obviously refused to back down.
Jaejin's eyes flickered. He had many things to tell the Shorty, but he didn't know where to start or how it would affect him or her. In the end, after a very long staring competition, he sighed and broke the eye contact first.
"Forget it. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand." He waved his hand in a mix of silent frustration and desperation.
Sujin's beautiful eyebrows arched when she heard his murmur. "What? Other people who heard it would suspect that I broke your heart and stole your money, yet you loved me so much that you couldn't bear to be angry at me. Instead, you would still look for me and see me in some people." She teased him with her usual ridiculous logic.
She was a writer, after all. She was pretty good at making up story like this.
Jaejin: "...!!"
However, seeing the horror look in Jaejin's handsome face made her feel like she had hit some jackpot.
Her eyes widened on the spot, her mouth went open and close like a goldfish. She went on for about ten seconds before she closed her mouth tightly and took a deep breath. Her firm gaze met Jaejin's.
"Don't tell me..." She left her words hanging. She really couldn't bring herself to say it out loud in fear that she would burst into laughter.
"Shut up!" Jaejin's handsome face went beet red. He avoided her gaze. "It's not just me! Even Minho acted the same!" Flustered, he even mentioned his best friend.
I wouldn't be the only one to experience this shameful moment! Let's drag you down with me!
Sujin's eyes went wider. What exactly had happened to these men?
Coughing into her hand for a bit, she tried to control her own voice lest she exposed her inner devil. "Tell me, what exactly did you do while I wasn't here?"
She tried to ask nicely, but Jaejin had sensed her intention and been eyeing her nastily.
"Let me change the question then." Sujin said as soon as she saw he wouldn't say anything. "Minho and you approached the people that you thought similar to me. No, you guys thought it was me, right?"
Jaejin tried hard to not embarrass himself further so he had been trying to hide his expression. However, there was no way Sujin would not notice the slight flickering in his eyes. He was still maintaining his stubborn attitude, acting like he wasn't going to tell her anything no matter what she said.
Obviously he forgot. He could fool other people, but he couldn't do so in front of this Shorty.
"You even went so far as to scold that person for leaving you behind, only to find out that you had been scolding the wrong person. Since you are famous actors, people must recognize you easily. And so, that was what happened. That person recognized you and you escaped while denying your identity to that person. Also, it didn't happen once but also several times. I must have guessed it right! Hah!" Sujin grew bolder and more excited as she went on and on rumbling about her speculation.
The redder Jaejin's face was, the more confident she became. Her voice grew louder until she practically couldn't hide her grin and laughter in her eyes.
In the end, she couldn't hold it and burst out laughing so hard that she needed to clutch her stomach.
Jaejin squated down, hiding his face in his arms as she easily exposed his shameful secret. What she said was the truth. That was what really happened during the years she left them. It was so embarassing yet they didn't give up and mistook more short girls as her afterwards.
"Hahaha, I'm surprised no one posted about it in the internet yet. I can only imagine it but it must be hilarious. Serve you right for always mocking me!" She childishly teased him.
They were still in the parking lot where people come and go at will. Of course, they got some people who were eyeing them curiously but because of Jaejin's ability in hiding his identity, noone would connect him to the most famous musical actor in South Korea.
"Ugh, fine, fine. What about you then? Didn't you find any tall men similar to us and end up mistaking them?" Jaejin raised his blushing face and glared at her.
Sujin smugly crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Of course no. I was perfectly fine and I had never mistaken other people as you guys." She didn't hide the smugness and proud in her voice at all.
"No way! There was no way you didn't mistake someone else as us!" Jaejin retorted quickly.
"Do you think I'm as stupid as you guys?" She stared at him as if she was looking at a dummy. Who would ever think that this man was once her crush? However, she watched as he changed from Ice Prince to a dummy right before her eyes and she still foolishly liked him back then.
Jaejin looked at her in disbelief. He wanted to protest about how she called him stupid. However, he knew that he couldn't refute it.
He was really stupid, indeed.
Therefore, he thought of one way to let him feel not too embarrassed. He immediately video called the other victims.
It didn't take long for the other party to accept his video call. As soon as a familiar grumpy face appeared in his screen, Jaejin switched to his back camera, ignoring his "what?" and capturing the smug face of the shorty in front of him.
As expected, the face on the screen froze with his eyes wide opened.
"I told her." Jaejin said lightly. His evil plan worked with the teasing and smug smirk appeared on Sujin's face, agreeing to what he was saying.
He even went as far to let Sujin see Minho's expression. An evil smirk even appeared on his own face.
"Long time no see, Lee Minho-ssi." She greeted lightly.
That was all it took for the other man on screen to let out stream of curses towards Jaejin.