After that first day, there wasn't much contact between Yeo-ju and Ji-hoon. Yeo-ju avoided Ji-hoon, and Ji-hoon didn't bother to approach him.
It was a moment of relief for the heroine, who had been relieved thanks to him. Ji-hoon, who had been reluctant to approach her, was the first to approach her.
“…Why are you sitting here?”
"Wherever I sit, it's my heart."
"That's not it-"
"Why in front of me?" Yeo-ju sighed, swallowing her last words. She couldn't understand the change in Ji-hoon's behavior, who had always sat separately for lunch, now coming to her with a lunch tray.
After that first day, despite sitting next to each other, they hadn't looked at each other or spoken. And why he suddenly wanted to approach her? The heroine had no way of knowing.
So, as she had always done, Yeo-ju first thought about avoiding Ji-hoon. Even when he stared intently at her from the side, even when he tried to speak to her first, Yeo-ju stubbornly ignored him. And this daily repetition was entering its fourth day. Ji-hoon, who had been talking about everyday things, suddenly brought up something unexpected.
"Can't you hear me?"
"what?"
"If I'm in the same space as you, you can't hear it very well, and if you're close, you can't hear it at all, right?"
“…What do you know?”
Although it was a nonsensical statement, the female protagonist reacted sensitively. The tone of voice seemed to indicate a deep understanding of her. Because the words uttered in that tone were accurate, the female protagonist was even more sensitive.
The voice of the female protagonist, her brow furrowed just like the first day, seemed to tremble. Ji-hoon, who sensed it but pretended not to notice, shrugged and spoke again.
"You can say you know, or you can say you don't know."
"Don't try to gloss over it, just get to the point."
"Actually, I wasn't sure. So I just watched the situation for two weeks."
"I told you to get to the point. Don't drag your feet."
"Don't be so sensitive. I don't mean to do anything just because I know. I just wanted to confirm what I saw."
Even though he knew, he didn't really intend to do anything about it. By saying that, Yeo-ju was certain that Ji-hoon knew her well.
I couldn't understand what she meant by "just wanting to confirm what I saw," so I couldn't easily open my mouth. I couldn't figure out what Ji-hoon had seen, I couldn't figure out what he saw to know about me, and I didn't know what to say. Ji-hoon continued, seemingly unfamiliar with the female protagonist.
"As I watched, the same thing happened again. So I felt I had to take action."
"…."
"Do you have a lot of questions for me?"
Yeo-ju's eyes narrowed, trying to gauge Ji-hoon's motives behind asking such a question. But Ji-hoon's inexplicable thoughts made Yeo-ju open her mouth in irritation.
"If you ask out of curiosity, there's no guarantee that you'll get an honest answer."
"It's natural that you don't trust me since I don't know you well, but I don't really intend to deceive you."
"How can I believe that?"
"It can't be helped if you don't trust me. At least I need your presence."
"what?"
"So, I want you to make me one promise. If you keep that promise, I'll answer all your questions honestly."
“…What is that?”
I couldn't trust everything Ji-hoon said, but my curiosity was just as unbearable. If he knew about me anyway, there was no point in avoiding him. Ji-hoon smiled at my question, thinking that.
Looking at the corners of the lips that were curled up nicely,
The female protagonist swallowed hard, nervous, not knowing what would be said. Then, hearing Ji-hoon's words, she narrowed her eyes and doubted her ears.
"You have to stay with me forever."
"…what?"
"Stay with me. Always."
"What are you trying to do now?"
I couldn't understand what he wanted or what he was saying. I couldn't see the benefits or harms of staying together, yet he suddenly demanded we stay together. And even more so, how long?
Ji-hoon's furrowed brow deepened as he stared at the female protagonist's face, his mind racing with questions. He took a deep breath.
"I know this may sound out of the blue, but please promise me something first."
"…."
"Then at least it won't be a burden to you."
"How can I believe that?"
"I can't help that part. It's up to you to decide whether to trust me or not."
"I can't force you to trust me unconditionally," Ji-hoon said, shrugging his shoulders. Yeo-ju frowned and sighed.
Even though he seemed to act as if he didn't care whether I believed him or not, something felt strange. I didn't know how he knew me, how much he knew, why he was approaching me, why he wanted me to be with him. I didn't know anything.
“…Tell me your story first.”
Nevertheless, in the unfamiliar silence she experienced for the first time, the heroine wanted to trust him.
"Believe it or not, that's what comes next."
Jihoon's words right in front of my eyes.