Hancheng: There is a door between me and the future

Chapter 173 Ham Eun-jung and Sweet Eun-jung (Please subscribe and vote)

Inside a small tavern late at night.

As the wind chimes rang again not long ago, Ham Eun-jung's relaxed expression in 2025 froze.

Her gaze was fixed on the girl standing behind the door. The girl was the same height and had a similar build. The only difference was that the girl had a more vibrant and youthful face, and the expression in her eyes was both familiar and strange.

"This is impossible..."

In 2025, Ham Eun-jung stood there, stunned, her lips slightly parted, barely able to utter a sound.

Her blood surged through her body, and her heart pounded like a drum. She tried to say something, but had no idea what to say.

Only one thought crossed her mind: the person in front of her was herself, but... it couldn't possibly be her.

This absurd reality and the tearing apart of perception made it almost unbearable for Ham Eun-jung in 2025.

At the same moment, another "she" also seemed to feel this intense impact.

When Ham Eun-jung from 2013 met the gaze of the Ham Eun-jung opposite her, her eyes widened instantly, and her breath caught in her throat.

Although Ham Eun-jung in 2013 knew the situation earlier than in 2025 and was somewhat mentally prepared, she still couldn't easily accept it when she actually faced and met the other person.

However, besides being shocked, there was also some confusion: Is this my future self? Still short hair, still the same appearance, even... a little fatter.

Then, in 2013, Ham Eun-jung couldn't help but gently touch her face with her fingers, wanting to confirm once again that this was not a hallucination given to her by Lin Xiuyuan.

The moment she touched her cheek, she subconsciously looked down, staring blankly at the goosebumps on her arm for a few seconds, before locking her gaze once more on the futuristic figure sitting at the bar, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Finally, she bit her lip and muttered in a trembling voice, "What is this?"

After speaking, Ham Eun-jung in 2013 looked back at the bar, her eyes meeting the other person's in the air, both seemingly seeking the other's answer.

Shock, confusion, and a hint of barely concealed fear were evident on both of their faces.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment as their eyes met.

A moment later, the two of them turned their heads almost at the same time and focused their gazes on Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing to the side.

The same emotion flashed in their eyes: inquiry and doubt.

"Xiuyuan, is this what you meant by having a late-night snack?"

"Xiuyuan, is this the big gift package you were telling me about?"

Faced with their simultaneous questioning, Lin Xiuyuan clicked his tongue and smiled with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Then he walked between the two of them, took a deep breath, and looked at Ham Eun-jung, who was 25 years old, first, "How about it, are you satisfied with this big gift package?"

Then she looked at Ham Eun-jung from 13 and said, "We're eating here, but we haven't ordered yet."

After saying that, she took out her phone, opened the food delivery app, and handed it to the other person, "Here, take a look and see what you want to eat. Order whatever you want, I'll pay, and then Eun-jung, you can reimburse me, okay?"

"Huh, I need to get reimbursed for ordering food?" Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 13 years, was taken aback, her eyes showing a hint of confusion.

"Xiuyuan means I'll reimburse you, right?" Ham Eun-jung, 25, quickly interjected, smiling as she tried to break the ice.

Then, 25-year-old Ham Eun-jung, seeing the scene before her, gradually recovered from her shock. She knew that although the scene was absurd, it was also real.

So she gently slowed her breathing, allowing her body to gradually adjust her mindset, and then smiled at Ham Eun-jung from 13, "Come on, sit down first, let's sit down and talk."

After saying that, he patted the chair next to the bar, gesturing for the other person to come and sit down.

Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 13 years, hesitated for a moment, then nodded, walked to the bar, and sat down in the empty seat.

However, her eyes were still somewhat lost, as if she was thinking about many things, her mind filled with a jumble of questions, as if she was trying to piece together the past and the future.

At the same time, Lin Xiuyuan walked into the bar and asked the two of them, "Would you like something to drink? I'm sure you'd like something to drink right now."

"Give me a strong drink, my head is a bit throbbing." Ham Eun-jung, 13 years old, looked up and smiled wryly.

"Just bring me whatever you want. Xiuyuan, this gift package of yours has really blown me away." 25-year-old Ham Eun-jung looked at herself next to her while trying her best to compose herself.

Then he took the initiative to ask his own question, "How did you get here? No, I should be asking Xiu Yuan."

Suddenly remembering something, 25-year-old Ham Eun-jung turned to Lin Xiuyuan and asked, "How did you bring this person here from another time? A ghost? Or something else?"

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan, who was mixing drinks, smiled and snapped his fingers at the other person, "Bingo, it's about the ghost story. I found a door, and the plot inside is similar. If you open the door in 2013, you can get to 2025."

This answer made 25-year-old Ham Eun-jung's eyes widen immediately, and then she looked at 13-year-old Ham Eun-jung next to her, "Is that really true?"

"It did come from a door, but I don't know what you mean by ghosts."

Thirteen-year-old Ham Eun-jung nodded, glanced down at her still slightly trembling hands, and then glanced at the phone in front of her that was displaying a dazzling array of menus. Her tone was somewhat bewildered.

"Wow, this...this is amazing!" 25-year-old Ham Eun-jung exclaimed, her eyes suddenly sweeping around as if she'd just realized something. Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute, Soo-won, your pub membership isn't......"

"so smart."

Lin Xiuyuan responded with a smile, accompanied by the crisp sound of ice cubes falling into the cocktail shaker, "It's those who know the secret."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Ham Eun-jung from 13, "You saw it too, there is a bar in each of the two timelines, and the members of the bar are the people who know the whole truth."

Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 13 years, was shocked and asked, "So Jessica, Yoona, Jiyeon, and Sulli all knew?"

"Ah."

Lin Xiuyuan nodded and began skillfully shaking the cocktail shaker.

At this moment, Ham Eun-jung, who was 25 years old, narrowed her eyes and suddenly thought of something, "Wait, you said that Yoona over there is also a member, then Yoona over here is also a member... so they've met?"

"Yes, just like you guys, right now, the only ones in both timelines who know about themselves are you and Yoona."

After fiddling with the cocktail shaker for a while, Lin Xiuyuan quickly prepared a Summer Momo Tea for Ham Eun-jung (born in 13) and poured it into the glass in front of her. He then filled the glass in front of Ham Eun-jung (born in 25) with the remaining half, since both glasses were the same.

He then opened a can of Coke for himself, raised it and laughed, "Come on, let's have a toast. It's rare to meet like this after 12 years, you could say it's fate."

"Are you trying to put me down, Xiu Yuan? I just said this afternoon that it's up to the willing to take the bait."

Ham Eun-jung, who had been raising her glass for 25 years, gave a wry smile and then looked at herself next to her.

Although Ham Eun-jung, who was 13 years old, didn't know what had happened between the two people next to her, this fate really frightened her. Right now, she desperately needed a drink to numb the shock she had just experienced.

And so, after clinking glasses, both Ham Eun-jungs downed large gulps of alcohol, while Lin Xiu-yuan sipped his cola, finding it rather amusing.

As drinks and casual conversation flowed, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed, and the distance between the two "Ham Eun-jung" no longer seemed so far.

After drinking, the two looked at each other. Although the shock in their eyes had not completely dissipated, there was also a sense of understanding and tacit agreement.

Their feelings gradually shifted from confusion to a new way of thinking.

"do you know?"

At this moment, Ham Eun-jung, who is 25 years old, suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence between the two, "For a moment just now, I really thought I saw a ghost."

She chuckled softly, her tone tinged with self-deprecation, yet revealing an indescribable emotion.

Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 13 years, looked at her and suddenly chuckled, "I'm a little better off than you, because I used up most of my shock when I went through that door. It was really too weird back then."

She paused, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice lowered, "So when I saw you just now, I wasn't as shocked as before."

The two Ham Eunjungs exchanged a glance, smiled at each other, raised their glasses, and clinked them together again in perfect unison, "Cheers." *2
With a light touch of the rim, the wine surged down, resulting in another clean and satisfying sip.

Lin Xiuyuan gasped in shock. "My God, take it easy. I can't possibly drive two people back and forth later. Drink slowly."

Upon hearing this, Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 13 years, couldn't help but chuckle and gave him a quick glance. "Scared now? When you put the two of us together, didn't you think about whether we were terrified?"

“That’s right, that’s right.” Ham Eun-jung, who has been married for 25 years, nodded in agreement.

Then Lin Xiuyuan quickly looked at Ham Eun-jung, who was 25 years old, and explained, "You can't be so shameless. Didn't I tell you before? You just didn't take it seriously."

"Who could have guessed this would happen?"

When answering, Ham Eun-jung, who is 25 years old, secretly looked at herself who is 13 years old. There was a thought that was stirring in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it.

After another ten minutes or so, Ham Eun-jung, who had been married for 13 years, finally spoke up, her tone filled with undisguised curiosity and unease.

"By the way, so you all know what the future holds, then what about me... or our group's future?"

Upon hearing this, Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 25 years, shifted her gaze slightly before turning to Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan shook his head slightly, looking completely relaxed. "I won't explain anymore. I've explained everything to so many members all by myself. This time, let Eun-jung explain. As someone who has experienced it firsthand, you definitely know better than I do."

Thirteen-year-old Ham Eun-jung blinked, looking at him with a smile in her eyes: "Are you calling me? Or her?"

Ham Eun-jung, who has been married for 25 years, suddenly said, "Then you can call me Sweet Eun-jung, Xiu Yuan. You should know this title. I'm a celebrity on your social media platforms."

Lin Xiuyuan chuckled: "Yeah, it's just... I haven't updated for a while."

The two chatted back and forth, their familiar interaction making Ham Eun-jung, who had been with him for 13 years, suddenly feel a little uneasy.

So she knocked on the bar and asked anxiously, "So, what happened? Stop playing games."

After a moment of silence, Ham Eun-jung, who had been in the industry for 25 years, finally sighed softly and began to recount everything that had happened over the past ten years.

The lights were soft and warm, and the tavern was quiet.

In the blink of an eye, they had moved from the bar stools in front of the bar to the sofa against the wall, one telling a story while the other listened quietly.

Lin Xiuyuan sat in the opposite corner, looking down at his phone, not disturbing anyone, but keeping them company throughout this night where time and space intersected.

The whole scene is quiet and gentle, as if it is shrouded in a soft filter of time.

However, it would have been better if what happened next hadn't happened.

As Ham Eun-jung, 25 years old, continued her slow narration, Lin Xiuyuan felt the atmosphere was somewhat somber, so he got up and walked towards the old gramophone in the corner.

I'm planning to pick a record to listen to, hoping to add some background atmosphere to this conversation and make it a little more relaxed.

But just as he finished adjusting the volume and was about to turn around and go back...

A figure appeared behind him without warning, and the moment he turned around, grabbed his collar. "So why didn't you open the door two years earlier, Xiu Yuan?"

The familiar voice carried an undisguised sense of grievance and despair.

Lin Xiuyuan was startled and stunned. His mouth was half open, and he couldn't say a word.

Two years earlier? He wasn't even in Seoul back then!

Fortunately, Ham Eun-jung's loss of control in 13 was just a momentary emotional breakdown. After saying those words, it was as if all her strength had been drained away, and she collapsed into his arms, burying her face in his chest and breathing heavily.

Lin Xiuyuan froze for a few seconds, then slowly looked up at Ham Eun-jung, who had been with him for 25 years, on the sofa, only to be met with a pair of moist and deep eyes.

The look in his eyes conveyed not only heartache, but also a hint of... resentment.

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(End of this chapter)