AECHA P.O.V

Hello!

I am Son Aecha, 

And today is bursting with excitement like a firecracker on New Year's Eve. Why? Because today is our school reunion! I've been practically vibrating with anticipation all week, eager to reconnect with my friends and relive the memories we shared in the hallowed halls of our old school.

After a thrilling ride filled with both nerves and eagerness, I finally arrived at the venue. As I stepped inside, my eyes immediately caught sight of two familiar figures waving excitedly in my direction. My heart skipped a beat as I realized who they were. It was Ms. Sora and Ms. Mirae—our beloved teachers from back in the day!

With a burst of energy, I rushed over to them.

"Hello!!" I greeted, almost out of breath with excitement.

"Oh my god. Ms. Sora, right?" I asked, my eyes wide with recognition.

She nodded, a warm smile lighting up her face. "Yes, that's me!"

Before I could say another word, Ms. Mirae chimed in, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "And you can tell who I am, right?"

"Ms. Mirae!!" I exclaimed, practically launching myself into their arms for a hug.

Ms. Mirae laughed, squeezing me tightly. "We're so happy to see you!"

I returned the embrace, feeling a rush of happiness. "Me too! This is amazing!"

Ms. Sora's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You must be dying to see Taehee, right?"

"Of course!" I responded with a grin that I couldn't contain.

Ms. Sora chuckled. "How could we forget this dynamic duo?"

Ms. Mirae added with a nostalgic tone, "I still remember you two chattering and laughing like maniacs at the last bench."

I laughed, remembering those carefree days.

Ms. Mirae gestured towards the hall. "Everyone's in there, enjoying themselves. Why don't you join them? We'll handle getting your luggage to your room."

With a nod, I headed towards the bustling hall. As I pushed through the crowd, I was overwhelmed by the noise and the joy of familiar faces. My eyes darted around, searching for Taehee, my best friend and partner in crime from those unforgettable school days.

Suddenly, I heard a voice that was like music to my ears. "AECHA!!!!"

I turned, and there she was—Taehee!

"TAEHEE!!!" I shouted, my heart leaping as I sprinted towards her.

In my excitement, I didn't notice a guy walking directly in my path. I collided with him—hard. I stumbled, almost falling, but his strong hands grasped my shoulders, steadying me.

Our eyes locked, and for a moment, everything else melted away. The noise of the party, the laughter, the music—it all faded into a hushed backdrop. Even though he wore a mask, his eyes were strikingly familiar, stirring a rush of nostalgic feelings within me.

Just as I was lost in that moment, Taehee's excited voice pulled me back to reality.

"Aecha, is that you?" Taehee's cheerful voice broke the spell.

I quickly mumbled, "S-sorry," feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"It-it's okay," the guy said, his voice gentle, but I could sense the awkwardness hanging between us.

Before things could get even more uncomfortable, I bolted towards Taehee. We hugged each other tightly, jumping up and down with glee, relishing the joy of reuniting.

As we finally calmed down, I glanced over to where the guy stood. He turned around, and once again, our eyes met. My heart fluttered wildly at the sight of him.

Taehee snapped me out of my daze. "We're finally meeting!"

"Oh, yes!" I stammered, shaking off the daze.

Taehee's eyes sparkled. "Minho and Hyunjae are here as well!"

"Wait, what? Really?!" I could hardly contain my excitement.

Taehee laughed, grabbing my hand. "Yes, come on!"

We made our way to the bar, the reunion already shaping up to be one of the most unforgettable nights of our lives.

I spotted Minho and Hyunjae from across the room, their familiar faces bringing a smile to mine. Hyunjae's enthusiastic wave made me chuckle.

"Hi!!" Hyunjae called out, his voice as cheerful as ever.

"Hey!!!" Taehee responded, her excitement matching his.

I turned my attention to Minho, who was adjusting his mask with an exasperated sigh. "Oh, c'mon Minho. Remove your mask at least today."

He groaned but complied, revealing his face with a resigned chuckle. Just as he did, a new voice cut through our little reunion.

"He has gotten such a glow-up, hasn't he?" The voice belonged to Minseo, Minho's twin sister. She appeared, her eyes sparkling as she approached us.

Minseo and I shared a warm hug, our friendship picking up right where it left off. Taehee's voice broke through the reunion.

"I am so happy to see us together once again!!" she exclaimed, her joy palpable.

Minho grinned, clearly pleased. "Well, yes. But Hyunjae and we meet a lot."

I leaned in playfully. "Oh, right. So, how is your relationship going on?"

Hyunjae gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's going as it is supposed to be."

Taehee's curiosity was insatiable. "Speaking of relationships, has anyone else found someone there or still single?"

Minho's smirk was all too familiar. "What does it look like?"

I joined in on the laughter. "You shouldn't answer. Everyone knows you are going to be single forever."

The group burst into laughter, and Hyunjae, with a teasing glint in his eyes, asked, "What about you two?"

Taehee and I exchanged a knowing look.

"Still single," we chimed together.

Minseo's gaze lingered on me, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Well, Aecha. I don't think you will be single for too long."

Confused, I followed her gaze and spotted a guy across the room. My heart skipped a beat.

"Him?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Minseo confirmed. "He's been looking at you for a long time now."

Taehee and Minseo started teasing me, while Hyunjae and Minho exchanged glances as if they knew something I didn't. My pulse quickened with a mix of excitement and nerves.

"Do you know who that guy is?" Hyunjae asked.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. Their laughter only heightened my curiosity.

Taehee looked puzzled. "What?"

Minho decided to take matters into his own hands. "Wait, let me call him."

"Ni-Ki!! Come here!!" Minho's voice carried through the crowd.

The name echoed in my mind, causing me to freeze. My heart raced as I looked at Taehee and Minseo, their faces reflecting the same shock I felt.

"Ni-Ki?!?!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my surprise.

They nodded in unison, and I could hardly believe it. Ni-Ki, the guy I had harbored a crush on during high school, was standing right in front of me after all these years.

As he walked toward us, my heart fluttered uncontrollably. Hyunjae leaned in with a smirk. "What happened, Aecha? Are the old feelings coming back?"

They all laughed, but I could barely focus on their words. My eyes were locked on Ni-Ki as he approached.

He greeted us with a casual, "Hi! I never really thought I would meet you all again."

Minho chuckled. "Well, even if we did, I don't think we would recognize you."

Ni-Ki's puzzled look was genuine. "What do you mean?"

Minseo teased, "Take our Aecha for example."

"Huh?" I said, feeling a blush creep onto my cheeks.

Taehee chimed in, "Yeah. She wasn't able to recognize you."

Ni-Ki raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "Oh, really?"

He looked directly at me, making me avert my gaze.

"But I recognized her the second I saw her," he whispered, though I heard him perfectly.

Minseo, with a knowing grin, suggested, "Ni-Ki, you should remove your mask. Maybe then our Aecha would recognize you."

I stammered, "Wh-what? I-I don't think that's necessary."

Taehee insisted, "No, it is necessary."

Ni-Ki's laughter was warm and genuine as he complied. He removed his mask, and my breath caught in my throat.

OH.MY.GOD.

My face was probably a picture of shock. Hyunjae's voice cut through my daze. "Wow, Ni-Ki! You became handsome, didn't you?"

Ni-Ki merely smiled, his gaze lingering on me.

As we continued to talk, I couldn't help but stare. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and I leaned closer to Taehee.

"That's Ni-Ki?" I whispered in disbelief.

She nodded, a playful grin on her face.

"He is not the guy from high school," I muttered, still in awe.

Taehee just laughed, and I could only smile, feeling the flutter of old butterflies and the thrill of an unexpected reunion.

The evening was a burst of laughter and friendly chatter. Just as I was about to dive into another round of jokes with my friends, a girl burst into our circle with a wide, eager grin. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden interruption.

"Hi!! Remember me?" she said with a sparkle in her eyes.

Minho, always the joker, tilted his head and smirked. "No. We don't remember crappy things."

The group erupted into a light laugh, the atmosphere warm and easygoing.

"Not funny. Whatever," the girl shot back, rolling her eyes in a way that made her seem both annoyed and endearing. "Ni-Ki, you remember me, right?"

Ni-Ki's face scrunched up in concentration. "I... umm..."

"Oh, c'mon!" she persisted, her frustration mingling with a hint of amusement.

Taehee, who always had a sharp tongue, chimed in with a playful edge, "It's not his fault that he doesn't remember ugly faces."

The girl, Haeun, glared at Taehee but seemed more amused than offended. "It's me! Haeun!"

Ni-Ki's face lit up with a flicker of recognition. "Haeun? The name sounds familiar."

I couldn't help but burst into laughter, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably. Haeun pouted at me, but her eyes sparkled with a mix of irritation and humor. "Yah. Stop laughing. It's okay. We haven't met for so long. It's alright to not remember me."

"Sure," I said, rolling my eyes but smiling.

Haeun turned her attention to the group, her gaze sweeping over us. "I bet nobody except your 'friends' remembers you."

Minseo, always quick to correct misconceptions, spoke up. "Umm, I think you got it wrong. If we are talking about Ni-Ki, then he recognized Aecha the second he saw her. Didn't you?"

Ni-Ki, a bit flustered, nodded. "Well... yes."

"Whatever," Haeun muttered, clearly miffed.

More friends joined our group, and soon we were all engaged in a lively exchange of stories. Haeun, with a proud puff of her chest, declared, "Now it's my turn. Well, I am a famous model."

Hyunjae raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I haven't seen you once... anywhere."

Laughter rippled through the group, and Haeun's cheeks reddened just a touch. "Well, at least I'm better than you."

Ni-Ki, ever the gentleman, shifted his gaze to Haeun. "What about you, Ni-Ki?"

"Well... umm... I am an idol," Ni-Ki admitted, his cheeks tinged with a pink hue of embarrassment.

Minseo's eyes widened. "Idol?!?!"

Ni-Ki nodded with a shy smile. "Yes. It's called Enhypen."

Without missing a beat, I whipped out my phone and began to search for him. "Oh! Here he is," I said, pointing at him in a group shot.

Minho, always ready for some fun, grabbed my phone. "Let's watch a video of him."

Ni-Ki's eyes widened in horror. "No."

Hyunjae, curious as ever, asked, "Why?"

"It's embarrassing," Ni-Ki protested.

Minho, ignoring him entirely, found a video and pressed play. The group gathered around the phone, watching intently.

The video showed Ni-Ki, looking effortlessly cool, removing his necktie with a smooth, casual grace. My heart fluttered in my chest as I watched.

The room fell into a stunned silence as we all turned to look at Ni-Ki.

Hyunjae, eyes wide, asked, "That's you?"

Ni-Ki nodded, looking like he wished he could disappear.

I quickly snatched my phone back, my cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and giddiness. "We should continue, right?" I said, trying to steer the conversation away from the video.

As the discussion carried on, I leaned back, my heart still racing. I lowered the volume and replayed the video, trying hard to stifle my giggles and keep my excitement under control.

Minho's voice cut through my concentration. "Yah, Aecha. What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" I said, quickly liking the video and switching it off. My face felt like it was on fire.

Haeun, with a smirk, asked, "Why don't you tell us what you are doing?"

Before I could respond, she added, "Or are you unemployed?"

I shot her a smile, my nerves calmed by the thought of sharing my own news. "I should speak now, right? I am a doctor and I have my own hospital in Seoul."

Ni-Ki's eyes widened. "You are a doctor?"

I nodded, a bit shy but proud.

Haeun, ever the critic, sneered. "So boring—"

Ni-Ki cut in with genuine admiration. "So cool."

Everyone looked at each other, stunned by Ni-Ki's unexpected compliment.

Haeun's eyebrows shot up. "You find that cool?"

Ni-Ki nodded, looking earnest. "Yes. It's cooler saving lives than wasting your life waiting to be accepted for a photoshoot."

The room buzzed with surprise and admiration.

Minseo clapped Ni-Ki on the back. "Woah!"

Minho beamed with pride. "That's my guy."

Haeun, clearly fed up, huffed and declared, "You know what? I have had enough. I am leaving."

She stormed off, and we watched her go, the tension from the earlier exchange dissipating.

As the night wound down, we all headed to our rooms. I was relieved to find that Taehee was my roommate for the night. We flopped onto our beds, and I couldn't help but replay the evening in my mind. My heart was still fluttering from Ni-Ki's unexpected charm and the way he'd defended me.