“What did Suji say?”

As soon as Hee-young hung up the phone, Min-woo, sitting across from her, quickly asked.

“Ah. She said she’s nearby now. She thinks she can join us for the second round?”

“Oh, really?”

When Min-woo asked with sparkling eyes, the eyes of the rest of the male classmates lit up.

“Yeah. She said she’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”

At those words, Min-woo couldn’t hide his joy and smiled broadly, showing his gums.

“Wow. How long has it been since we’ve seen Suji? It feels like it’s been years, right?”

“Yeah. She hasn’t come to any gatherings for 3 years.”

Unable to hide their excitement, the male classmates wore very animated expressions.

Only Ho-joon had a sour expression as he kept glancing at Lee Juwon in the seat next to him.

Noticing that gaze, Lee Juwon, who had been silently bringing his glass to his mouth, looked at Ho-joon and said,

“Stop staring. A man’s gaze is no thank you.”

At Lee Juwon’s words, Ho-joon twitched his lips and brought his glass to his mouth.

Ho-joon, who had been closest to Lee Juwon during college, knew better than anyone about the relationship between Suji and Lee Juwon.

It’s no exaggeration to say he knew almost everything – how the two started dating, how they broke up, and how Lee Juwon felt when they broke up. So he couldn’t help but be concerned about Suji’s impending arrival.

“Hey. We’re almost done eating, so let’s go for round two. Get up quickly. Pay the group fee to me.”

At Mi-ran’s words, everyone got up and handed her the group fee.

As Lee Juwon was taking out his wallet, Ho-joon nudged him.

“Hey, Lee Juwon. You’re coming for round two, right?”

Lee Juwon glanced at Ho-joon as he was taking out money.

“Why wouldn’t I go?”

“No? Of course you should go! You jerk!”

“Then why are you asking?”

“I was just asking. You jerk!”

Ho-joon, feeling embarrassed, lightly tapped Lee Juwon’s arm again as he spoke.

Suji would be coming for round two, but Lee Juwon didn’t seem to care at all.

While thinking that attitude was impressive, Ho-joon also thought it was very much like Lee Juwon.

“Guys. How about we go to that beer place we went to before for round two and have a beer?”

There were signs of approval from here and there.

The classmates who left the Japanese restaurant moved to a nearby beer place.

After barely securing seats and pushing three tables together, Hee-young and Mi-ran placed a simple order.

Soon after, as 500cc beers came out one after another, the classmates all raised their glasses and clinked them together.

While chatting about this and that, the eyes of the male classmates kept turning towards the door.

Though no one showed it, everyone was hoping Suji would open that door and come in soon.

Throughout her time at school, Suji was a renowned beauty who even served as a university promotional model.

Not only was her face pretty, but her figure was fantastic, so she was popular throughout her school years, known as the goddess of the Business Department.

Especially when she smiled, her enchanting eye-smile that curved like a crescent moon made countless men fall for her.

But everyone could only imagine her as a fantasy girlfriend and watch her from afar.

For all four years, there was always a successful senior two years above her by Suji’s side.

The senior was devoted to Suji, and the two continued their relationship amidst everyone’s envy.

But for some reason, as soon as they graduated, Suji broke up with that senior, and the male classmates started getting excited with false hope.

So they actively attended class reunions to see Suji…

But soon after, the news that Lee Juwon and Suji had become a couple made them despair once again.

Why do all the great people in this world only date other great people…

That day, the male classmates shared bitter soju and tasted defeat.

But in the fall three years ago, the two broke up, and since then, Suji hadn’t been coming to alumni gatherings.

Though they couldn’t know exactly why they broke up or who suggested the breakup, the men and women alike harbored a budding expectation in their hearts.

And today, the fact that they would see the Business Department goddess again after 3 years was making the hearts of the male classmates flutter alike.

Except for one – Lee Juwon’s heart.

Everyone had eaten until they were bursting at the Japanese restaurant, but it was amazing how quickly the snacks disappeared as they chatted. Just as Mi-ran was about to order more snacks,

The bell on the beer hall door rang and the door opened.

The male classmates, as if on cue, turned their gaze towards the door.

And at the sight of Suji appearing at the end of that gaze, everyone’s faces brightened.

Wearing a tight-fitting ivory knit dress with brown tall boots, and a cream-colored long coat over it, Suji was a goddess incarnate.

As Suji, who spotted them, approached with a bright smile, hearts began to pour uncontrollably from the eyes of the male classmates.

Waving to everyone as she approached, Suji hesitated for a moment when she saw Lee Juwon sitting next to Ho-joon.

In the instant their eyes met, Suji’s gaze wavered briefly, but soon she waved to Lee Juwon as well with an unaffected face.

Lee Juwon looked at Suji like that for a few seconds, then briefly nodded his head and turned away, causing a fleeting look of disappointment to cross Suji’s face.

“Suji, sit here. Here.”

Min-woo patted the seat next to him, gesturing, but Suji went to sit next to Hee-young.

At this, Min-woo’s expression turned gloomy.

“Hey, Min Suji. How did you get even prettier while we haven’t seen you? Are you working at a modeling agency instead of a company?”

“Come on. Does just anyone become a model? Don’t flatter me. It’s dizzying.”

As Suji laughed brightly, Min-woo, sitting across from her, wore a dazzled expression.

“What have you been so busy with for 3 years that we haven’t seen even the tip of your nose?”

“I was just busy with this and that. Recently, I even changed companies, so I’ve been preoccupied with adjusting there.”

“I see. Which company did you move to?”

“Ah. I moved to the finance team of an H Group subsidiary.”

“Wow. You’re really not just pretty but also so capable – aren’t you an overpowered character? Really?”

“What overpowered character? Should the most successful person here be saying that? No way.”

“Yes way. Your face is overpowered.”

“What are you saying?”

As Suji smiled brightly with her eye-smile, the male classmates also smiled broadly in response.

Ho-joon handed Suji a new 500cc glass and casually asked.

“Suji, if you live so busily, can you even date properly?”

At the seemingly careless question, everyone’s attention suddenly focused on Suji.

It was a year ago that someone from their alumni said they saw Suji dining with a handsome man at an upscale restaurant.

For a moment, the smile seemed to disappear from Suji’s face, but soon she smiled again and answered.

“Do I date alone? You need a partner to date.”

At those words, an undisguisable joy began to smolder in the eyes of the male classmates.

“Ah, really? So you’re single now?”

“Yes. I’m single.”

Answering like that, Suji glanced slightly at Lee Juwon, but Lee Juwon was drinking his beer with an unaffected gaze.

“Alright, alright. Since both Suji and Lee Juwon came after a long time, let’s have a grand toast. Come on.”

As Ho-joon raised his glass and shouted, everyone raised their glasses and clinked them excitedly.

As it neared 11 PM, the classmates began to get drunk one by one.

Three people who had been drinking quickly since the first round were already drunk, and a few who had drunk a lot of beer in the second round were becoming less talkative as their intoxication gradually increased.

“Hey. We need to go for round three. Round three.”

Min-woo, who was the most drunk, said with unclear eyes and slurred speech.

“Hey, hey. He’s drunk. Send him home.”

“Who’s drunk? I’m fine, man!”

Min-woo waved his hands vigorously, answering while looking who knows where.

“Hey. I should head home too. My husband keeps calling.”

Mi-ran gathered the remaining group fee and handed it to Ho-joon.

“Those three need to be sent home, and these three shouldn’t drink anymore, right?”

“Then let’s just all get up together. We’ll put the drunk ones in taxis and send them home.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that. That would be better.”

After Ho-joon paid the bill, everyone got up.

Taking the drunk ones outside, a chilly wind blew, causing goosebumps on their arms.

They managed to coax Min-woo, who was stubbornly refusing to go home, and the other drunk ones into taxis and sent them off.

After sending everyone off, only four people remained: Ho-joon, Lee Juwon, Hee-young, and Suji.

“How about it, should we go for round three just us?”

“No, I should go home now.”

At Lee Juwon’s words, Hee-young immediately wore a disappointed expression.

“Man, you show up after 2 years and you’re already going home?”

“I’m tired.”

“Look at this guy? The one with the best body is already tired?”

“I’ve aged in those 2 years.”

As Lee Juwon spoke with an expressionless face, Ho-joon looked at him with an incredulous expression, and he noticed Suji staring at Lee Juwon with complicated eyes.

It seemed like Suji had a lot to say, so he should probably make room for them…

Since Lee Juwon said he wasn’t going for round three, it was obvious Hee-young wouldn’t go either, and Suji wouldn’t drink alone with him, so Ho-joon judged it was time to go home.

“Then let’s call it a night here, and you, make sure to come to the next gathering too. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“We’re going all the way to round four next time. Understood?”

“I’ll be even older by then, though?”

“Aish! Really, this guy! If you can’t talk properly!”

As Ho-joon made a motion of swinging his fists at Lee Juwon’s stomach, Lee Juwon smirked.

“Alright. Round four. Okay.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah. Go on home.”

Ho-joon glanced at Suji briefly, then tapped Hee-young’s arm.

“Hey. You’re going in the same direction as me, so let’s share a taxi.”

“Ugh, why should I?”

When Hee-young spoke with displeased eyes, Ho-joon pulled her arm.

“In these difficult times, shouldn’t we save on taxi fares so we can live well?”

“What kind of sophistry is that?”

Hee-young glared with narrowed eyes, but Ho-joon ignored her and pulled Hee-young along as he started walking.

“Then we’re off. You two get home safely too!”

Ho-joon waved his hand, and Hee-young, being dragged along with an irritated face, gradually disappeared into the distance. After that, only Suji and Lee Juwon remained.

Lee Juwon looked at Suji with an unaffected expression at the unintended pairing.

“Well then, get home safely.”

As Lee Juwon nodded his head and was about to turn around, Suji suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

At the sudden action, Lee Juwon looked down at Suji’s hand holding his arm.

Then slowly turning his head to look at Suji, he saw her nervously moving her lips as if about to say something.

“What is it?”

When Lee Juwon asked in a calm voice, Suji swallowed dryly and carefully opened her mouth.

“Um, Lee Juwon. Do you want to… have a cup of coffee?”