chapter thirty two

wonwoo barely slept the night before.

he kept staring at the sketch he'd finished—his favorite one of her yet. it wasn't perfect. but it felt right. her smile, the one she made when she was trying not to laugh. the soft curve of her lashes. the way her head tilted when she was curious.

he had memorized it all by now.

he tucked the drawing carefully into a folder, folded a small note behind it, and clipped a single white daisy to the top with a paperclip.

by morning, his stomach was in knots.

he was quiet during book club.

quieter than usual—which didn't go unnoticed.

aeri leaned over at one point and whispered, "you good?"

wonwoo just nodded.

aeri sat beside him, flipping pages, chewing on her pen cap like always. she looked peaceful. like she had no idea his heart was threatening to explode every time she moved.

he didn't say a word the entire meeting. not because he didn't want to. but because he was scared he'd blurt it out too early.

lunch wasn't any better.

he could barely eat. every time he picked up his spoon, his hand shook just a little. he kept adjusting his backpack strap, like something was poking at him.

aeri poked her straw into her juice box and tilted her head at him. "are you okay?"

he nodded too quickly. "yeah. just tired."

"you didn't even touch your lunch."

"wasn't that hungry."

she watched him for a second longer but didn't push. instead, she opened her sketchbook and started doodling quietly beside him.

he watched her fingers move.

he realized his breathing was too fast.

by the time the final bell rang, he knew he couldn't put it off any longer.

he texted her as she was walking toward the gates.

wonwoo: can you come to the library for a sec?

she responded immediately.

aeri: sure. be there in a minute.

the library was mostly empty by then. only one student was asleep at a back table, headphones in. the late sun filtered through the windows, casting golden light across the shelves.

wonwoo stood near the corner by the fiction section, clutching the folder in his hand like it weighed more than it should.

then he saw her walk in.

she spotted him instantly and smiled. "what's up?"

he swallowed. "um. come here."

she walked over, eyebrows slightly raised. "you okay?"

"i—yeah. just. here."

he held out the folder.

she blinked. "what's this?"

"just... open it."

aeri looked at him once, then pulled the folder open.

first, she saw the flower—a small white daisy, fresh and simple. she touched it gently, as if afraid it would crumble.

then the note:

"i don't know how to say things out loud sometimes.but i know i mean them.you're the only person i want to go with."

and finally, the sketch.

her.

drawn in soft pencil lines—shy smile, tilted head, hair tucked behind one ear. it wasn't perfect, but it was unmistakably her.

she stared at it for a moment too long.

he was starting to panic.

then, suddenly—

she dropped the folder and threw her arms around him.

tight.

so tight it knocked the air out of him.

his arms hung at his sides for a second before he slowly wrapped them around her, hands trembling.

"is that a yes?" he whispered into her hair.

she pulled back just enough to look at him—her eyes bright and wide, her smile unstoppable.

"of course," she said. "of course i'll go with you."

his chest finally loosened.

she still hadn't let go.

and honestly, he didn't want her to.