Chances Are [IU & KimSoohyun Fanfic]

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After eating, Kei then led him to Lion City.

They rode a bike for 30 minutes to somehow burn all the calories they've eaten. Besides, they've rested enough before biking.

Then, they've walked along Merlion Park, Sands SkyPark, Singapore Starflyer, and Marina Bay complex, and their last stop is the Gardens by the Bay.

It was already 3 pm so they'll be staying here for a good 30 minutes only. Jiro's flight is at 7:30 pm while Kei's is at 8:30 pm.

They are now walking at the Supertree Groove. Jiro was just following Kei's lead, as she admired the surroundings even if she's been here several times already. She continued to admire them as if she forgot about him.

Now that everything is calm and serene, everything has been clearer to him now - she never said something to him after they had lunch.

He was already certain that something was off. The energetic and "tour guide" mode seemed to be switching off. She's now unusually quiet. No, is she ignoring him?

"Did I do something wrong?" Jiro started to think deeply and recalled everything that happened since this morning and he could not recall any incident worth ignoring him for.

Kei moved forward as if she really had no companion with her.

As he could no longer take it, he then made a deep sigh and then finally called her voice in a slightly louder tone behind her.

"Elise, are you tired? We can call it a day if you want." Jiro called in an anxious voice this time. He thought that maybe he demanded too much from her.

She immediately stopped her steps and faced him. He instantly closed the distance between them and led her to the sides.

Unbeknownst to Jiro, Kei was having a battle in her head and she was so immersed in it that she forgot that she totally forgot about him. Only after hearing his voice did she come back to her reality. Seeing the apologetic look, she instantly felt guilty and bit her lips in embarrassment.

After a moment of silence, she replied.

"Jiro, about earlier..." Kei mumbled nervously.

"What about it?" Jiro looked at her with anxious eyes. He never felt this anxious before and he doesn't like it. But he continued to stay glued to the ground while looking at her.

After a sharp breath, Kei continued.

"I know that what I'm about to say might ruin this moment but it is still bugging me off. I might as well, say it now. I don't want to have an 'excess baggage' later." She made a deep sigh and then finally spoke her mind.

"I appreciate the gesture of you standing up for me. I have already become so used to Mr. Jang's provocation but this was the first time someone stood up for me." She looked at his eyes to check for any reaction from him but all she could see was Jiro's expectant eyes that her statement will not just end there, so she continued. After much hesitation, she finally wanted to be honest with him.

"I know you did all those things earlier out of concern, and maybe out of necessity to make him stop pestering me... but I hope.." She hesitated once more but this time she tightly closed her eyes as if not wanting to see his reaction to what she was about to say next.

"...but I hope this will be the last time you do those kinds of things for me. I don't want you to do those things just because you find me pitiful when you are fully aware of my feelings for you." She then opened her eyes and looked down, embarrassed about what she said to him.

Jiro remained silent but she could not dare to look at his face. With the deafening silence, she added, "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for all your efforts. I really am. But I just don't want to misinterpret all your kind gestures as something more than friendship. I may have not taken it to heart for now. But I'm just not sure next time..."

"Because with what you've been doing, no matter how strong I am, at any moment, I might fall for you deeper if you keep being this friendly..."  She then heaved a deep sigh releasing all the pent-up emotions that have bothered her since this morning.

"That's all from my end. I just want to be honest with you." She said sincerely. "And since we are all cleared now, we can say then that whatever happens in Singapore, stays in Singapore. Okay? Let's go." Then Kei turned her back on him, to proceed walking...

"Hold it right there!" Jiro finally interrupted her. Kei started cursing herself internally as she wanted the earth to swallow her whole. She wanted to run in embarrassment but her feet stayed glued to the ground. She could not even lift her face until she heard him call her name. "Keira Elise..."

"All cleared? What happens in Singapore stays in Singapore? I did not seem to recall agreeing to these, right?" Jiro uttered calmly and then decided to move a step closer to Kei and now he's finally not going to allow this little girl to keep putting words in his mouth.