chapter twenty eight

lunch ended, and the hallway filled with noise again. aeri walked beside wonwoo, their hands brushing occasionally but never quite holding. he didn't say much, but she noticed the way his shoulders relaxed now when she was near. he wasn't flinching anymore. it wasn't like before—not yet—but it was enough to make her heart ache with quiet hope.

they passed by the art room. he paused for a second, eyes flicking toward the door before he kept walking.

"do you have class there?" she asked softly.

he nodded. "sometimes... i go there during breaks."

she smiled a little. "i'd love to see your sketchbook again."

he didn't answer, but she saw the corner of his mouth twitch—almost a smile.

he had tried to move on. after hearing about the bet, after hearing her say she didn't want to go through with it, but still... it had hurt too much. he deleted her number. stopped sketching. stopped going to the library at the usual time. tried to erase her from the routines she had become a part of.

but nothing worked.

every time he opened his sketchbook, her face stared back at him—half-drawn, unfinished, waiting.

he remembered the way she had cried in front of him. how her voice trembled when she told him the truth. and then again today, how she stood up to her friend, how she listened. she could've stayed angry, but she didn't. she let someone apologize. and she apologized too.

aeri wasn't pretending anymore. he could see it in her eyes now—there was no game left in them. only guilt. and something else that scared him more than anything.

genuine affection.

and maybe that's why his guard was slipping.

after school, she waited outside the gates like she used to.

"walk me home?" she asked, tilting her head.

he hesitated, then gave a small nod.

they walked quietly for a while. birds chirped overhead. a breeze rustled the trees.

"i missed this," she said after a while.

wonwoo glanced at her. "me too."

she looked over, eyes wide. "really?"

"yeah," he said, voice low. "it... felt weird. not talking to you."

she smiled, then reached out, brushing her pinky against his. this time, he didn't pull away.

they didn't say much after that. but the silence wasn't heavy anymore.

their pinkies stayed touching. not quite holding hands, but not apart either.

aeri looked over at him, her voice quiet. "are you hungry?"

wonwoo blinked, as if he hadn't even thought about it. then he gave a small nod. "a little."

"there's a ramen place near here," she said, her pinky still brushing his. "i used to go there all the time."

he didn't answer right away, but when she turned toward the street, he followed.

the ramen shop was tucked between a flower store and a convenience store, its faded red sign swaying gently in the wind. a bell rang when they stepped inside, and the warm smell of broth and garlic wrapped around them like a blanket.

they slid into a corner booth. it was a little cramped, the table small enough that their knees kept bumping underneath. aeri didn't mind. neither did he.

"get whatever you want," she said, flipping open the menu.

wonwoo glanced at her. "you sure?"

she nodded. "yeah. my treat."

he didn't argue this time. he just looked at the menu quietly and pointed at the tonkotsu ramen.

"good choice," she said, ordering the same.

they ate in silence for the first few minutes. not the awkward kind—just the kind where food was too good to waste time talking. steam curled around their faces, and every now and then, she caught him sneaking glances at her over his bowl.

"you still eat like a kid," she teased, wiping a bit of broth from the corner of his mouth with her napkin.

he froze for a second—completely still—then swallowed and looked down at his bowl.

"sorry," he mumbled.

"no," she said quickly, hand still holding the napkin. "it's cute."

he blinked at her, then looked away again—but not before she saw the faint blush rising in his cheeks.

after they paid and stepped back out into the afternoon sun, wonwoo adjusted the straps on his backpack. the breeze ruffled his hair a little, and for once, he didn't try to fix it.

"do you want me to walk you home?" he asked, voice soft.

aeri looked up at him, surprised. "you don't have to."

"i want to," he said, almost too quietly.

she nodded, heart skipping just a little.

the walk back was slower this time. not because of hesitation, but because neither of them wanted it to end too soon.

when they reached her front gate, she turned to him. "thanks. for coming with me."

he gave a small nod. "thanks for... inviting me."

she opened the gate halfway, then paused. "you know... you don't have to forgive me all at once."

he looked at her then—really looked—and said, "i know. but i think... i'm already starting to."

and then, before she could say anything else, he turned and started walking away.

she stood there for a moment, her hand still on the gate, her heart warm and aching in the best way.