It is finally the end of her first semester, and Dahee can't be any more happy to have a couple weeks off from the stress university gives her. She gladly bids goodbye to her Cinematography professor and heads out in a hurry, bumping into Mingxia on her way out. They aren't necessarily friends again, but they are on good terms. Going back to what they used to be doesn't seem possible. They both know they can never return to what once was and rebuild everything again from scratch.
Dahee sees that she is with some girl she hasn't seen before who Mingxia introduces as her girlfriend. Before she even has the chance to inquire about their relationship, she receives a text from Jisung that cuts their conversation short.
"Going on a date with Jisung?" Mingxia asks, a ghost of a teasing smirk on her lips.
"Something like that," Dahee smiles shyly. "Let's catch up some other day, and nice to meet you again, Iseul."
She spots his black BMW the moment she steps out of the building and is greeted with a kiss as soon as she enters the car. It is brief but sweet enough to to make her melt into his touch. His one hand maneuvers the wheel as his other is holding hers, occasionally caressing the back of her hand with his thumb (he recently discovered how it makes her feel whenever he did that and made sure to do it everytime he would hold her hand since then).
"Where are we going?" She asks him as the car halts in the middle of traffic.
"Han River," he says and averts his attention to her. "Remember the first time we were there?"
"Don't even mention my crybaby moment." She says, physically cringing.
"Crying isn't a bad thing," he tells her. "And I'm glad you called me. I was like your knight in shining armor."
"I didn't need saving," she says. "I just needed a shoulder to cry on."
"And I'll always be that shoulder to cry on." He promises with a warm smile before turning his attention back to the road, the cars at the front finally moving.
It is already dark by the time they arrive at the bridge overlooking the river. She takes a seat on the grass and brings her knees up to her chest, wrapping both her arms around them. She doesn't last long in that position though. He lies down and pulls her down beside him, suggesting they stargaze instead since their first plan to watch the sunset was hindered by the traffic they were caught up in on the way here.
He takes her hand in his again and she sighs contentedly, looking up at the stars that are prickling the dark heavens above. She points out how the moon is shaped like a banana and constellations that she remembers from the times she used to stargaze with Donghyuck in her first few months in Seoul. The waves of the water rippling below sounds like a lullaby to her ears as the gentle breeze makes her eyes feel more and more heavy.
A yawn forcefully escapes her lips despite her attempt to stop it, which prompts him to turn his head to look at her. She stares back at him and he grins, bringing their intertwined hands up to his lips to place a kiss on the back of her hand without tearing his eyes away from her. The sweet, unexpected action surprises her, but it makes her heart flutter nonetheless.
"You really know how to make me flustered, huh?" She murmurs and he only smiles wider in response. "Oh! By the way, can you tell me now what happened before you went to the diner on my birthday?"
His smile slowly fades, "I honestly expected it."
She listens assiduously as he tells her how it all went down. His father just said it bluntly, and even though his mom tried to change his mind about disowning their son, he was set on taking him Jisung of the will and severing all ties with him. He admits that it hurt, of course it did, but then again, what did he expect from his asshole of a father?
"Mom and Minsung promised they would still keep in touch though, so I'm not entirely sad," he finishes with a sigh. "Well, that's that. Anyway. How did the talk with Donghyuck hyung go? I forgot to ask you 'bout it."
"He told me he still wants to be friends and asked me to forget and pretend his confession ever happened," she tells him as she fidgets with his fingers. "I didn't want to do that, but it's what he wants. I'm just really glad I didn't lose him."
"That's good," he hums. "I'm glad you two are okay now."
"Me, too." She says and turns to lay on her side, reaching her free hand out to card her fingers through his fluffy hair. He looks at her with a fond look in his eyes, a gaze that makes her melt every damn time. "You look really... pretty for a boy, much prettier than most girls I've seen."
"Ugh, stop liking me." He says jokingly, but there is a slight redness in his ears.
She retorts, "You liked me first."
"No, I didn't," he smiles cheekily. "I loved you first."
"You really need to stop doing that," she huffs out a sigh and he asks her what she means by that. "Making me, y'know, feel things everytime you say stuff like that."
"Hm... no," he says teasingly. "I like making you fall for me even more each time I say or do cheesy shit."
"How do you know I've fallen for you?" She asks jokingly and her smile almost drops when the words she uttered registers in her mind. That very question has been circulating in her head for a week now.
"You told me you love me, too, on your birthday," he says with a grin so wide it makes his eyes disappear. "And who wouldn't fall for me? No one."
"Getting confident now, are we?" She giggles and their playful banter continues on until she suddenly feels a few drops of water fall onto her arm. She looks up at the night sky and concludes that it is about to rain when she feels another drop of water fall on her nose. "We should go home before we get soaking wet from the rain again."
"That was fun though." He says and stands up at the same time she does.
"Yeah, it was," she admits. "Good thing we didn't get sick. I hate getting fevers."
The rain is pouring harshly on their drive back home. It patters against the windows loudly and makes the windshield wiper's job harder than usual. She is in the same position she was in when she sat on the grass earlier as she watches the raindrops slide down the windowpane. The sound of the pattering rain almost lulls her to sleep, but they arrive at the apartment building before she can doze off.
"Let's hang out again tomorrow?" He suggests as the doors close on the sixth floor after the middle-aged man they were in the elevator with exits. "Would've wanted tonight be longer, but it suddenly rained."
"Sure," she smiles. "Where do you wanna go?"
"Anywhere, as long as it's with you." He says just as the elevator doors open once again on the seventh floor. Before they go inside their separate units, he pulls her in for a goodbye kiss, but he decides one isn't enough so he pulls her back in for another.
She giggles against his lips, "You're kissing me as if it's the last time you can."
"I love you," he murmurs as he pulls away and leans in again to kiss her forehead. "See you tomorrow, Bǎobèi."
Her grin doesn't falter as she turns around and walks to her flat with a beating heart faster than a horse in a race. She is still grinning from ear to ear when she earns a look from her brother whom she greets with a hug before taking her jacket off.
"I've never seen you this happy." Renjun voices out his observation.
"I've never felt this happy, too." She says.
He seems to notice the conflicted look in her eyes and prods, "But?"
"But," her grin fades as she pauses and swallows thickly, "I don't know if I'm actually in love him."
"Oh," he presses his lips into a thin line. "When are you gonna tell him?"
She looks away, "I... I can't."
"Tell him, Dai, be honest with him and yourself," he says sternly. "Forcing yourself to believe you're in love with him for his sake would only make you miserable. You always say you don't want to end up like mom and your dad, didn't you? If you continue this, your biggest fear will be right where you're headed."
"I don't want to break his heart."
But that is inevitable from the very start.
