A week later, just as the sun began its slow descent into golden hour, Jiwon found herself walking along the riverbank, her hand comfortably tucked in Jungwon’s.
“Is this what you meant by a ‘nice view’?” she asked, glancing at the row of paper lanterns that lined the path, gently swaying in the breeze.
Jungwon nodded, his smile small but proud. “It’s even better at night. The lights reflect on the water.”
“You always surprise me,” she murmured.
He glanced at her. “In a good way?”
Jiwon pretended to think. “Mmm. Eight out of ten.”
Jungwon gasped. “Eight?! I gave you daisies!”
“That gets you three points. The other five? That’s from your hoodie.”
He chuckled, gently bumping her shoulder with his. “Tough crowd.”
They walked in easy silence for a while, the sound of the river flowing beside them. Small groups of people passed by—couples, families, friends—but in their own little world, it felt quiet.
“I like being with you,” Jungwon said suddenly.
Jiwon blinked, surprised by the simplicity and honesty of the statement.
“I like being with you too,” she replied, her voice softer.
They found a quiet bench and sat down, facing the water. The lanterns overhead had started to glow a warm yellow as twilight deepened.
“You know,” Jungwon began, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve, “I was nervous about today.”
“Why?”
“Because the more I like you, the more I don’t want to mess this up.”
Jiwon turned to him. “You’re not messing up anything.”
“I hid something from you before,” he said, voice lower now. “Even if it started as a dare… I should’ve told you sooner that I was the one texting you.”
“I did feel a little betrayed,” Jiwon admitted quietly. “But… I also remember how kind that stranger was. How he listened to me talk about you. How he never laughed when I ranted. That was still you, Jungwon. You’ve always been kind.”
He looked at her like he didn’t know what to say.
Then she added, teasing gently, “Even if you were kind of a coward.”
“I was!” he agreed instantly. “Terrified. You were this cool, funny, pretty girl who made me forget how to speak.”
“You still kind of do.”
They shared a soft laugh, leaning into each other.
Jiwon tilted her head. “Tell me something about you I don’t know yet.”
Jungwon thought for a moment. “I talk to my cat when no one’s home.”
She grinned. “What do you say?”
“I ask her if I’m doing okay.”
Jiwon smiled at that. “She probably says yes.”
“She probably just wants food.”
They sat in comfortable silence again, watching the river lights shimmer and dance across the surface of the water.
Then Jungwon looked at her, expression unreadable.
“I want this to be something real,” he said. “Not just messages, not just a dare. I want to keep getting to know you. And I want you to keep getting to know me—even the embarrassing parts.”
Jiwon reached out and laced their fingers again.
“It already is real,” she whispered.
And right then, with the city lights behind them, the water calm and glowing, and her hand in his—Jungwon felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
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✓ 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥. yang jungwon
Fanfiction( 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥 ) "One dare, one text, and a whole lot of feelings." --- It all began with a simple dare-one that led to an unexpected connection. Jiwon Park, a quiet transfer student, received a random text that read, "I'm cute." Thinking it was...
