Defective Banana - Chapter 50

May 1st, 10:00 a.m.

After finishing her shower, Baek Ara sat down in front of her vanity, applying toner and lotion before putting on some makeup. It wasn’t much, just a thin layer of BB cream and a few dabs of lip tint.

She blow-dried her hair and worked loose, soft waves into it, then pulled out the clothes she’d bought a few days ago in the city, a bright white dress and a beige jacket.

Ara had no idea that she still hadn’t seen Kang Seohyuk’s latest post on social media. She’d never been the type to check her phone often, and months ago, tired of the constant buzzing from comment notifications, she had switched all of them off. So she had no clue he’d posted that he’d be late, and she was simply getting ready with a fluttering heart.

The cable car station was barely ten minutes from her place, but she left early, wanting to get there ahead of him and wait.

It had been almost a year and a half since she’d last come here. The moment she arrived, the place was exactly as she remembered, like a breath of fresh air rushing into lungs that had been blocked for too long.

Ara reached the cable car entrance a full hour before their meeting time and bought her ticket right away. She rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain, got off, and slowly walked the trail along the ridge, gazing at the ocean the way she used to.

It almost felt like that tall man was right behind her again.

With a faint smile, she completed the loop and then sat on a wooden bench facing the sea, waiting for Kang Seohyuk to arrive.

When she checked her phone, it was already 12:45 p.m.  Her eyes kept flicking toward the gondola station.

He wasn’t the type to be late, so Ara got up and moved closer to the entrance to watch for him. But even though it was about time for him to arrive, there was still no sign of that tall figure.

She checked the time again. It was past 1:00. Then 1:15.

Maybe he was stuck in traffic? Or what if something happened on the way?

Her worry grew until she found herself walking toward the gondola station, step by step. She stopped right at the entrance, scanning the crowd for him.

An hour and forty minutes passed. Her heart was starting to sink. Could it be… he’d forgotten about her? After all, they hadn’t spoken for over a year.

When she’d left back then, all she’d sent was a short text to break things off. Looking back now, it was a cruel way to go, abrupt, final. He must’ve resented her for disappearing without a word. Maybe he’d been too exhausted to wait any longer. Maybe he’d moved on. Maybe… there was someone else now.

Was this it? Was this really the end of them?

***

Meanwhile, at Incheon Airport, Seohyuk was caught up in trying to shake off the paparazzi.

Thanks to his social media post, a huge crowd had gathered to catch a glimpse of him returning to Korea.

How they’d even found out his arrival time was a mystery, but even with a cap and a mask on, people recognized him instantly. They waved signs and shouted his name as he came out.

Luckily, his manager, Na Seungbok, had shown up to pick him up, and under his protection, Seohyuk managed to slip into the car. They sped off toward Ganghwa Island.

But then, traffic started building up… and before long, it came to a complete standstill.

“Hyung, can’t we get there faster?”

“Hold on, Seohyuk. I’m trying…”

Seungbok signaled out the window, carefully weaving between lanes to inch the car forward.

“This road usually isn’t this bad…” he muttered. His watch read 1:58 p.m.

She must’ve seen my post about meeting at 3, right? He’d even strained his eyes on the plane, scrolling endlessly to find her comment.

It had taken him forever to locate her reply so he could respond, but after that, she hadn’t written anything else. Even the DM he sent stayed unanswered.

She wouldn’t have shown up at 1 and left already, right? She saw the 3 p.m. time… right?

Anxious, Seohyuk sat in the passenger seat, fidgeting non-stop.

A moment later, a minor accident came into view. Several cars had collided, all crumpled together. Once they cleared the area, Seungbok was finally able to pick up speed again.

***

They reached the cable car parking lot at last. Seohyuk jumped out of the car.

“Seohyuk! I’ll wait here!” Seungbok called after him, but Seohyuk just raised a hand in acknowledgment and sprinted toward the entrance.

It was already 3:14 p.m.

He bought his ticket as quickly as possible and boarded the next gondola. His heart was pounding so hard it hurt. He couldn’t calm down enough to sit, he gripped the handrail overhead and stood for the whole ride up.

The moment the doors opened at the summit, he bolted toward the hill they’d once promised to visit together again. Please, let Ara still be there.

When he reached the spot, he was out of breath, his jaw clenched tight.

“Haa… haa…”

He had come running all the way from the other side of the world, only to find the place empty.

His fingers trembled. He forced himself to look around, scanning every corner. Nothing.

His vision blurred with tears, but he kept looking desperately. Until his knees gave out and he collapsed where he stood. Tears completely clouded his sight now.

“Ha…”

He couldn’t see anymore.

Dragging his hands down his wet face, Seohyuk took deep breaths. He didn’t care if anyone recognized him like this. None of it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was that she wasn’t here.

Even if someone saw and mocked him, he wouldn’t care. He just wanted her to appear, just one more time.

And then, he felt two arms wrap around his shoulders from behind, holding him tight. A faint floral scent. So familiar.

He turned to see Ara, her pale face partially hidden behind a black mask, her eyes damp as she looked straight at him.

“Why are you sitting here like a lost child?”

“Ha… Ara…” God, how long had it been?

Seohyuk turned fully and pulled her into his arms. He had missed her so much, prayed to see her even in dreams.

“I came as fast as I could… I thought you’d left, I panicked…”

He couldn’t say anything more, he just held her tighter.

Ara patted his back to calm him.

“I saw your post saying you’d be late. Didn’t you see my comment saying I’d wait?”

“You did? I… I didn’t even realize. Everything was such a blur, Ara.”

It didn’t matter anymore. Holding her now felt too precious to waste on explanations. He buried his face into her shoulder, tightening his embrace.

For the first time in so long, Ara felt the warmth of his chest, and with it, a sudden wave of calm, like the relief of coming home after a long trip.

“Seohyuk… did you lose weight?”

She tilted her head up, startled by how lean he felt. His sharper eyes and jawline made him look like he had stepped straight back into his modeling days, slim enough to pass for an active runway model.

“Why did you lose so much weight? No, this won’t do. First thing we’re doing is getting you something to eat. Come on, up you get.”

“Wait… just a little longer…”

He hugged her again, unable to let go. It still felt unreal, like he might wake up at any moment.

A while later, after calming down, he looked into her face and smiled faintly.

“Where were you? I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“The café in the rest area. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”

“I’m really sorry. I came as fast as I could…” he said, running a hand gently through her hair, his voice soft with emotion.

“You wrote that you were flying in. Where were you coming from?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

He smiled, rubbing her hand lightly.

“From France.”

“…What? France?”

Ara’s eyes went wide, staring at him in disbelief, her lips parted and frozen in place.