1.4

Areum's breath caught in her throat. She blinked, once, twice, her mind struggling to process what she'd just heard. Her best friend has been in love with her ever since they were kids.

"Wonwoo..." her voice came out as a whisper. "What are you—"

"I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember," he said, his words coming out in a rush. "I never told you because... I didn't want to ruin things between us. I didn't want to lose you. But I'm tired of keeping this to myself. I'm tired of pretending."

Her head was spinning. She couldn't process what was happening. This was something she never saw coming.

Her stomach churned. "Wonwoo, I—I don't—"

"Please, Areum," his voice was softer now, almost pleading. "I didn't want to say it like this, and I didn't want to make things weird. I just... I needed you to know."

She stared at him, as he looked at her, his expression soft, so real, it made her feel like she was seeing him for the first time. She had always thought of him as her best friend—the person who always understood her, who stood by her side without question. But now, he sat there, right in front of her, exposed and vulnerable in a way she had never seen before.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice trembling. Her heart raced as she tried to form the right words, but they felt wrong no matter what she said. "I never... I never knew..."

She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, like he was waiting for her to say something, anything. But how could she?

"Areum," he said quietly. "You don't have to say anything right now. I just needed you to know."

"I... I need time..." she answered. "I need time to think."

Wonwoo didn't say anything for a long moment. His eyes softened, and for the first time, she saw the vulnerability in his gaze.

"Take all the time you need," he said softly. "I'll be here. No matter what."

They sat together for a few minutes in silence, and then Wonwoo dropped her back home. She spent hours on her bed thinking. His words were still echoing in her head. It didn't seem real. All the little moments between them, all the times she'd leaned on him, never once had she suspected. Never once had she imagined that his feelings for her went beyond the friendship they'd built together.

The worst part? She didn't know how to feel about it.

Her mind raced back to Hajoon. She had trusted him, believed that he could be something more, but Hajoon turned out to be nothing more than a disappointment. And now, Wonwoo. He'd laid his heart bare.

She needed time to think. But how much time? How much time would Wonwoo give her before he gave up on her entirely?

"Why is this so hard?" She muttered to herself. "Do I feel the same way? Or do I not?"

She knew that whatever decision she made, whether to accept or reject him, it would change everything. She would either break his heart, or let him in. And she wasn't sure if she was ready for either.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo was also on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to calm down his beating heart. Part of him wanted to jump out of his bed, run to Areum's house, beg her to understand, to tell her that he'd been waiting for this moment for what felt like forever. But he also knew that he needed to give her space.

It was a risk, confessing like that. He knew that. He didn't know how this would end, and he couldn't help but feel worried. What if she didn't feel the same way?

What if I lose her?

Wonwoo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He didn't want to think like that. He had already been patient for so long, and now he needed to be patient again.

If she didn't feel the same way, he wasn't sure if he could go back to pretending like everything was normal. But what if she did feel the same way? If she could ever look at him the way he had always looked at her.

Soon, Wonwoo heard a knock on his door, but he didn't bother to look up to see who it was. The door opened slowly, and he heard his best friend's voice.

"Hey, you okay?" Mingyu asked, taking a seat beside him on the bed.

"I'm not sure." Wonwoo sighed. "I'm scared."

Wonwoo had texted Mingyu right after taking Areum home, and he told him everything, which was why Mingyu showed up.

"Don't worry," Mingyu tried to reassure him. "I'm sure she likes you back."

"Why are you sure?" Wonwoo asked, sitting up and turning towards Mingyu.

"I mean, she's always with you," he answered. "She wants to be with you all the time, she trusts you, she tells you everything. She loves hanging out with you, she doesn't even text us to hang out. There's no way she doesn't feel anything, even if it's just tiny little feelings."

"I don't know." Wonwoo ran his hand through his hair. "I just don't want to lose her."

"You won't." Mingyu patted his back. "Just give her time. Trust me, she's going to talk to you."