The Best of Tomorrow-Chapter 6Vol 2. .1: Epilogue: The Record of Eternity

[#PotatoPancakeMatjip]

[Just come here.]

[Sol, are you on your way? Let me know when you’re close. I’ll come out and get you.]

That was Seon-jae’s last message.

At that point, he still seemed to have the presence of mind to come out and meet me.

When exactly did the alcohol take over?

The small room had linoleum flooring, and someone had stuffed layers of tissue under the rickety table whose leg looked worn down. Baek In-hyeok sat with his back against the wall, repeatedly trying to call Seo Yun-jae, who wasn’t answering. Woo Hyeon-seong was watching us indifferently as he nibbled on pieces of torn-up potato pancake.

Us—me and Seon-jae.

The first words out of my mouth when I saw him were:

“You’re drunk.”

When Seon-jae drank, instead of turning red, he would go pale. And when the alcohol kicked in, he’d look a little drowsy—blinking slowly, resting his chin on his hand often. That was exactly how he looked now. One hand supported his chin while the other kept slipping beneath the table, fidgeting with my fingers.

“Ugh, seriously. Why does a guy who never shows anything in front of us act like this the moment he drinks?”

Woo Hyeon-seong clicked his tongue as he stared at Seon-jae, who was boring holes into my face. Then, just as he raised his glass, I quickly picked up mine.

It was meant as a gesture—cheers, let’s drink together—but since Seon-jae was holding my right hand, I clumsily lifted my glass with my left.

“You don’t have to drink with me.”

“Still, cheers.”

Hyeon-seong gave in with a sigh and clinked glasses.

“Yun-jae, why aren’t you answering your hyung’s calls? Huh? I did it out of love, you know. You’re seriously gonna make me feel hurt here.”

Baek In-hyeok crouched on the floor, whining, clearly having reached Yun-jae’s voicemail. He’d said earlier that they had a small fight before coming here—though it seemed not so small now.

I set down my glass and furrowed my brow. Immediately, Seon-jae reached up and wiped the alcohol from the corner of my lips.

The feel of his fingers brushing past my lips was soft, but what bothered me more was the way Woo Hyeon-seong’s expression hardened, slowly turning stiff.

“Seon-jae... cut it out already...”

I whispered, tilting my head slightly. Seon-jae just stared at me, chin still in hand. He blinked those big eyes, then put on an innocent face as if he had no idea what I meant.

“What?”

I was speechless at that expression. What do you mean, what? You’re playing with your girlfriend’s hands in front of other people.

I squeezed his hand tighter. He winced dramatically, letting out a soft, “Ow.”

“It’s fine. Don’t mind me.”

Woo Hyeon-seong waved his hand.

“It’s not like he does that all the time.”

“It’s just... he only acts like this when he drinks, which makes it more embarrassing for me...”

Seon-jae didn’t care what anyone said. His eyes were still locked onto me.

Hey, what is up with you tonight...

“You’re drunk.”

I muttered, and Seon-jae murmured back, “Am I?”

Then he pulled our clasped hands toward himself, laying my hand across his lap and stroking my fingers one by one.

It was the first time tonight his gaze had shifted from my face.

His touch was gentle. His downcast eyes looked oddly tender.

His fingertips slid from my thumb to my ring finger, carefully inspecting each one. I turned my eyes away.

“Did you really fight with Yun-jae?”

I asked, watching Baek In-hyeok as he put his phone down on the table and scooted closer, scowling.

“There was an important call I was waiting for, and he hid my phone and told me to find it. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his games today, so I just said a few things—but he went all serious on me. Made me look like the bad guy. But if you really think about it, I’m the one who should be upset, right? Hyung, you saw it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. But you were a bit blunt earlier. Yun-jae’s always been the sensitive type.”

Hyeon-seong nodded, though his words seemed to be leaning elsewhere.

Baek In-hyeok let out a loud “Huh” and looked a little betrayed that Hyeon-seong wasn’t taking his side.

As their conversation continued, Seon-jae suddenly lifted our joined hands. I turned to see where it was going—he was trying to bring it to his face.

He looked like he was about to kiss the back of my hand. Startled, I yanked it away.

Thankfully, he wasn’t gripping tightly, so it slipped out easily.

He looked at me, puzzled.

There were a few things Seon-jae and I agreed on.

Neither of us liked it when someone else carried our bags—especially since mine was light—and Seon-jae never tried to act like the “I’ll carry it for you!” type.

We also didn’t like public displays of affection, especially not around friends.

Seon-jae used to be like that too. But not tonight.

I wanted to tell him to get a grip—but before I could, a corn puff flew through the air and hit Seon-jae’s shoulder.

Woo Hyeon-seong blinked in surprise.

“Ah, sorry. My hand slipped.”

A forced chuckle escaped him.

“You totally did that on purpose.”

Seon-jae picked up the fallen corn puff and placed it on the table.

“I know he only acts like this when he drinks, but it still feels weird every time I see it.”

“Exactly. That guy's got no warmth in him normally—so where does he get those eyes from?”

Baek In-hyeok, eyes half-lidded and drowsy, shook his head.

Seon-jae used to have no drinking habits at all. But after we got together, he developed one—looking for me.

He had no habits when he was tipsy or totally blacked out.

But when he was in that strange in-between state—buzzed but not gone—he’d start looking for me.

Eventually, it became his official drinking quirk.

To stop him from grabbing my hand again, I crossed my arms.

Seon-jae’s lips curved downward a little.

I avoided his gaze.

It’s not that I disliked him—just that showing affection in front of others still felt awkward.

Seon-jae reached for a side dish.

At that moment, Baek In-hyeok said, “Oh, that bastard Seo Yun-jae replied,” and began reading the message aloud.

A moment ago, he was fuming—but now his face had softened.

As I quietly watched him, Seon-jae brought a piece of food toward my lips with his chopsticks.

I stayed still, not opening my mouth.

Then—

“Here.”

He gently placed it right against my °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° lips.

Just as I said, “Hey—,” he popped it into my mouth and pulled the chopsticks away.

What the...?

Staring at him, mouth still closed in disbelief, I heard him whisper.

“Sol eating well is the cutest thing in the world.”

The moment he set down his chopsticks, a short silence filled the room.

He had whispered it, but his voice wasn’t exactly quiet.

Woo Hyeon-seong looked completely lost on how to respond.

I couldn’t bring myself to smile naturally, so I just gave an awkward one.

Baek In-hyeok, meanwhile, was immersed in his own voice, reading aloud the rest of Yun-jae’s message nonstop.

“Ah, forget this. Let’s go.”

Hyeon-seong shook his head, grabbing his wallet.

It was past midnight.

Originally, Seon-jae would’ve walked me home while Hyeon-seong and In-hyeok went their own way.

But with Seon-jae too drunk to be trusted alone, Hyeon-seong opted to cram all four of us into one taxi.

While we were riding, a message came in on my phone.

Thinking it might be work, I opened it—only to see Woo Hyeon-seong’s name.

“Huh? What is it?”

I asked and opened the message—

It was someone’s birthdate and time of birth.

“Hey, we’re close, right? Yeah?”

“...What?”

“That’s my birthday and birth time.”

“......”

“Things have been going terribly for me lately. Do you think I’d send that if I wasn’t desperate? Huh? What do you think my fortune’s like this year?”

My eyebrows furrowed.

“I told you, I don’t know how to read fortunes.”

“Why not? Where’s the general spirit you used to hang around with, huh?”

“I told you I never had one...”

“You still mad because I didn’t pay the fortune fee last time?”

Hyeon-seong turned his body fully toward me in the passenger seat.

Seon-jae, who had been slouched in his seat, pulled me into his arms.

“Why are you yelling?”

One of his hands gently wrapped around my head, pulling me into his chest.

“If Sol says no, then it’s no.”

“Oh, come on...”

“Eyes on the road.”

At that, Hyeon-seong turned back around.

Staring out the window, he muttered to himself, “Long live the single life.”

He’d recently gone through a pretty rough breakup.

He said tonight’s drinking session was supposed to be for him—but in the end, the ones who got drunk were the wrong people.

“Here, please stop here.”

I pointed to my stop, and the taxi pulled over.

Baek In-hyeok had fallen asleep the moment we got in and didn’t even notice I was getting off.

I shoved Seon-jae back into the car and shut the door.

Hyeon-seong rolled down the window.

“Sol, hey... you should really collect those kinds of records. You never know when they might come in handy again.”

“Don’t start. Just go already.”

“If he comes back, promise you’ll let me know, okay?”

“Ah, seriously...”

I narrowed my eyes. Woo Hyeon-seong gave a small wave and rolled up the window. When I looked toward the back seat, I saw Seon-jae resting his chin on the window frame, gazing up at me. I reached over and gently tousled his hair.

“Get home safe, Seon-jae.”

He didn’t fix his messy hair. He just kept staring at me.

“Text me when you’re home. Promise.”

“Yeah. You too.”

I waved and stepped back. The taxi pulled away. I watched it go for a bit, then turned around.

Last year, I ran all over the place visiting neighborhoods, looking for a new place to move into. I had narrowed it down to two options: one near my company, and one near Seon-jae’s dorm.

Seon-jae had recommended an officetel near my workplace, saying it would be more convenient. But then Baek In-hyeok jumped into the conversation, insisting I’d regret it if I wanted to see my boyfriend often and lived too far from his dorm.

With solo activities added to his schedule, last year had been especially hectic for Seon-jae. We’d hardly had time to be alone together.

Just the thought of being able to see him more often was enough to tip the scale—I decided to move closer to his dorm.

But then, Seon-jae went and got a car. He said he didn’t want me commuting farther just because of him.

In the end, with some help from the bank, I ended up moving into an officetel near my workplace.

It took a lot of effort to stop Seon-jae from contributing to the deposit.

Ding.

The elevator arrived with a clear, melodic chime. I stepped inside and reached for the button—

When suddenly, someone shoved themselves into the elevator.

Startled, I almost cursed out loud—

It was Seon-jae.

“What? You didn’t leave?”

I stared at him in shock. Seon-jae held the elevator door open, panting slightly. He must’ve run.

“I forgot something.”

“What? Did you leave something with me?”

I didn’t think so. I lowered my head and rummaged through my bag, feeling anxious at the thought of the taxi waiting outside for him. I was frantically digging when Seon-jae lifted my chin.

Before I could even meet his gaze, his lips touched mine.

It happened so quickly I didn’t even get the chance to close my eyes.

Right in front of me, Seon-jae’s eyes were closed.

His lips softly brushed mine, making a faint “smack” as they parted.

“I’ll go now, Sol.”

Wide-eyed, I watched him leave as abruptly as he had come in.

The elevator doors, which had remained open because of his hand, slowly shut.

I stood there blankly, only regaining my senses after a moment to press the floor button.

My fingers trembled slightly.

The elevator began its slow ascent.

I leaned my head against the wall and brought a hand to my lips.

It had been a while since my heart beat this fast.

□ ■ □

Wearing heels for the first time in a while made me feel like a robot.

Even though I was trying to walk carefully and maintain good posture, my body moved stiffly—like creaking metal going up and down the stairs.

I spotted Kim Myeong-hyeok greeting guests in front of a sea of congratulatory wreaths.

“PD-nim, I gave a lot for the gift money, just so you know.”

That was the first thing I blurted out.

Myeong-hyeok laughed in disbelief—but maybe it was just the nice weather. He gave me a bright smile and thanked me.

Kim Myeong-hyeok was getting married after two years of dating a woman introduced by Shim Won-jun.

There had been times when he chain-smoked, and from what I heard through Won-jun, those moments often meant he was either about to break up or already had.

Then one day, a message popped up in the group chat of our directing team:

“Do you think I can go on a honeymoon?”

I replied, “PD-nim? Don’t tell me—”

To which he answered, “Yeah, it just worked out like that,” followed by a crying emoji, and then, “Oops, sent it to the wrong chat,” with a laughing emoji.

Even after that, there were still a few chain-smoking incidents—but that was all because of real estate issues.

Whenever he stood alone, puffing away while staring off into the distance, Won-jun and I would whisper from afar,

“Man, housing prices really are insane,”

quietly cheering him on.

Inside the ceremony hall, there were a few well-known faces—probably thanks to his long career in broadcasting.

A singer who had once appeared as a guest on our program performed the wedding song.

The lyrics went, “I’ll love only you, forever, oh-oh-oh,”

and Myeong-hyeok’s shoulders began to tremble.

Standing in the back, Shim Won-jun and I exchanged glances, eyes wide.

“Is PD-nim... crying?”

“I think so?”

A quiet “Oh my god” slipped out.

At the same time, the guests began whispering and then chuckling.

A little girl in a white dress walked up with a tissue and handed it to Myeong-hyeok.

He bent down to receive it and gently patted her head.

And so, Kim Myeong-hyeok’s wedding ended in tears.

After the ceremony, I headed to the buffet with Shim Won-jun.

The place had a great reputation for its food.

We handed over our meal tickets, took a lap around the buffet, and returned to find some familiar faces already seated.

“Wow, PD Im! You look totally different dressed like this.”

“I’m just in a dress, that’s all.”

I gave an awkward smile and pulled out a chair.

The conversation moved on to the groom who cried during the song, the celebrities who attended, and other wedding-related chatter.

Then, just as Won-jun emptied his plate and stood to fill another, someone turned the topic to me.

“PD-nim, didn’t you say you have a boyfriend?”

I nodded as I picked up a piece of salmon with my chopsticks.

“It’s not Won-jun, is it?”

For a second, I nearly choked.

The piece of salmon almost flew out of my mouth.

I quickly took a swig of cola and swallowed it down. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

My reaction must’ve been all the answer they needed.

“Ohh, so it’s not,” the person said, losing interest.

Lately, I’d been getting this kind of question a lot.

If I said I was seeing someone, the follow-up would be, “How long have you been dating?”

And when I answered, “About three years,” the next comment was always, “Then you should be thinking about marriage.”

That always made me a little gloomy.

My Seon-jae... he hasn’t even enlisted yet. Marriage, seriously...?

Instead of joining the others who left the venue to find a nearby café, I made an excuse about having plans and left early.

I considered taking the bus, but my feet hurt too much, so I hailed a taxi.

The destination was home.

It’s strange—I wasn’t the one getting married, but going to a wedding always left me feeling completely drained.

“Hey, do your coworkers pressure you to get married too?”

Just then, Hyeon-joo called, and I began venting.

The moment I mentioned marriage, she groaned and clicked her tongue.

She said that not a single person—from her department head to her team leader—left her alone about it.

Even the lady who delivered milk every morning told her to hurry up and get married.

I pressed the code into my door lock with my phone wedged between my ear and shoulder.

“We’re not even thirty yet. Why is everyone so obsessed with getting us married off?”

As I stepped inside and took off my heels, I noticed a pair of Seon-jae’s shoes in the entryway.

Living alone, more and more of Seon-jae’s belongings had started to accumulate at my place.

But I wasn’t sure if those sneakers had been there when I left.

As I looked up, still on the phone with Hyeon-joo—

“You’re home?”

Seon-jae whispered, watching me quietly.

My eyes widened. My lips moved soundlessly: What are you doing here?

And Seon-jae replied,

“You look beautiful.”

—“Huh? What? Are you with someone?”

“Oh, uh, I just got home. Seon-jae’s here.”

—“Ugh, seriously? Okay, I’ll call you later.”

“Yeah, talk soon.”

I ended the call and looked at Seon-jae.

“Hyeon-joo?”

“Yeah. When did you get here? Weren’t you filming today?”

I took off my shoes and sat down on the sofa.

Seon-jae followed and sat beside me.

“It got pushed back. So I came to see you...”

He bent one leg and twisted his body slightly as he continued, slowly adding,

“...and my family told me to get married.”

“What?”

He went quiet.

There was something heavy in the way he looked at me.

I blinked.

Your family told you to get married?

I replayed the phrase in my head and realized—he must’ve overheard my conversation with Hyeon-joo and misunderstood.

I opened my mouth to correct him—No, not my family, my coworkers,—but Seon-jae suddenly took my hand.

His eyes, which had been quietly studying me, filled with a newfound clarity—like he had made a firm decision.

“Should I go say hi to your parents, then?”

“...Huh?”

I must’ve looked stunned.

Seon-jae’s parents knew about our relationship, but mine didn’t.

The reason?

My dad’s mouth was lighter than a feather.

If he found out, it wouldn’t just be family—it’d be the entire country. No, the world would know we were dating.

“It’s a secret, okay? A secret. Dad, if you go around telling people, it’ll become a scandal. I’ll end up with my face pixelated on TV and newspapers, okay?”

Dad would probably say, “Of course! What do you take your father for?” while pretending to lock his lips.

And then, a few days later, I’d hear:

“Mr. Kim, I’m only telling you this because we’re close... That guy on TV? That’s my son-in-law.”

“...Ah...”

Seon-jae, who had been gently fiddling with my hand, flopped down onto the couch and leaned his head back.

“Now I’m nervous.”

Ugh... Seon-jae, why are you making a big deal out of nothing all by yourself?

“Seon-jae, I think you misunderstood... I haven’t even told my parents I’m dating you.”

His head slowly lowered to meet my gaze.

“Then who’s trying to get you married off?”

“My coworkers. They’re just nosy—saying I should get married already.”

“...Ah.”

With one cheek pressed to the sofa, Seon-jae looked up at me and tugged my ring finger.

Then he gently stroked along the joints.

“I see... I was already thinking about what kind of ring to buy.”

I burst into laughter.

But it didn’t last long—

Because Seon-jae, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, bit my finger.