Just to pass the time

The next morning, Bo Ah rubbed her eyes as sunlight peeked through her window blinds. She sat up slowly, groggy from sleep and the heaviness that always clung to her chest like a second skin.

When she opened her bedroom door, a warm, unexpected scent greeted hersomething savory and familiar.

Did Mom… cook?

She blinked in disbelief as she stepped into the kitchen. The table was set with warm food stew, side dishes, even freshly cooked rice. It had been so long since the house felt like this.

That’s when she heard laughter soft, polite, and unfamiliar. She glanced toward the living room and stopped in her tracks.

There, sitting comfortably across from her mother, was Hye So.

Perfect hair, flawless makeup, designer handbag slung over the chair. Her old childhood friend looked like someone from a glossy magazine.

Bo Ah stood frozen for a moment before forcing herself to smile.

“Hi… Hye So.”

Hye So turned, her expression lighting up. “Bo Ah! It’s been so long.”

“Yeah,” Bo Ah said softly. It felt strange. This wasn’t the girl who used to trade snacks with her at recess. This was someone else shiny, polished, untouchable.

“Bo Ah,” her mother called, “go ahead and serve Hye So some food, will you? Don’t just stand there.”

“I’m okay, really,” Hye So said politely, waving her hand. “I just came to see Bo Ah. I won’t stay long.”

Bo Ah gave her mother a tight smile and stepped aside.

“Can we… talk outside?” Hye So asked.

Bo Ah nodded, slipping on her sandals and following her out.

The sunlight outside was sharp, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. Hye So’s sleek black car gleamed by the curb, an obvious symbol of how far she’d come or maybe how far Bo Ah had fallen behind.

Bo Ah glanced at it.

“That your car?”

“One of them,” Hye So said casually, unlocking it with a beep.

“Lucky you,” Bo Ah replied, not unkindly. Then her voice dropped. “Are you still with Kang Gi Oh?”

“Of course,” Hye So said, beaming. “He actually bought me this one.” She patted the car affectionately.

Bo Ah looked away. “Oh.”

There was a pause, awkward and heavy.

Hye So spoke again, gentler this time. “It must be hard… living here still. I mean, I remember when we used to play around here as kids.”

Bo Ah nodded. “I remember.”

“Here,” Hye So said, digging into her purse and handing her a small card with a handwritten address. “Come visit sometime. My apartment's not far. We should catch up properly.”

“Okay,” Bo Ah said, though she didn’t know if she meant it.

“Take care, Bo Ah. Really.”

And with that, Hye So slipped into her car, waved once through the window, and drove off, her taillights disappearing down the street.

Bo Ah stood on the sidewalk, staring at the card in her hand.

It didn’t hurt that Hye So had done well. It hurt that she hadn’t.

Bo Ah stared at the address card in her hand long after Hye So’s car had disappeared down the road. She didn’t feel jealous not really. It wasn’t envy that gnawed at her. It was something else.

Curiosity, maybe. Or boredom. A craving for anything that could kill the endless daylight.

She sighed and turned around, walking slowly back to the apartment. The door creaked open, and the stale air welcomed her like it always did.

Her mother’s voice rang out from the kitchen, sharp and casual at the same time. “Your friend gone already?”

“Yeah,” Bo Ah replied, slipping off her shoes and heading to her room.

But her mother wasn’t finished. “Tch. Can you believe how well she’s doing? A nice car, rich boyfriend, beautiful clothes. And look at you. Still dragging your feet around like you’ve got nowhere to go.”

Bo Ah didn’t respond. She was used to it.

“Don’t you feel embarrassed?” her mother continued, not even waiting for a reply. “I mean, she’s your age, and she’s out there living. Meanwhile what are you doing? Working at a restaurant and watching silly dramas all day?”

Still, Bo Ah said nothing. She just went into her room, shut the door quietly, and changed into her work clothes.

The silence was heavier in her room, but at least it was hers.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds. Her face looked tired, pale under the flickering light.

She tied her hair up, grabbed her bag, and stepped out.

“I’m going to work,” she said flatly.

Her mother didn’t reply. Or maybe she did but Bo Ah had already tuned her out.

She didn’t care what her mother thought. Not really.

She just needed the hours to pass.

And maybe… tonight, she’d start a new drama.

The one that stranger at the restaurant had recommended.

Our Happy Hour.

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