“I like you, Jungkook.”
Jungkook stared at the heroine's face, her dimples prominent, for a long time. It was a confession he'd received countless times, but for the first time, his heart pounded. It was the first time he'd felt something like that, and he couldn't quite place what it was. So, he simply passed her and continued on his way. Jungkook frowned, feeling awkward.
After that, Yeoju never appeared before Jeongguk's eyes. But Jeongguk desperately searched for her. He didn't search with his whole body. He couldn't tell whether he liked her or not.
Yeo-ju cried every day. How could someone she'd spent years with pass her by so coldly? She was deeply shocked and hurt. And the tears began to increase. Yeo-ju had always pretended to be cheerful, energetic, and successful, but ever since Jung-guk coldly passed her by, she couldn't pretend. She couldn't even pretend to be okay.
Jimin, seeing Yeoju like that, asked Jungkook, "Why aren't you hanging out with Kim Yeoju these days?" He was just curious, he asked. But Jungkook couldn't believe it. It's already frustrating, why are you picking a fight? Jungkook didn't like Jimin. He didn't like the way he kept clinging to Yeoju. But did he like Yeoju? He didn't know that.
"Hey, why are you looking like that again? Didn't you like Kim Yeo-ju? Why are you leaving me like that?"
Jimin, undeterred, continued to ask. Jungkook simply stared at him, his expression still as if he'd eaten shit, without answering. Seeing Jungkook in that state, even Jimin's expression soured. Jimin couldn't hold out for more than a few minutes, then stood up and patted Jungkook on the shoulder. It was meant as a way to encourage him, but it also meant he wanted him to treat him like a friend. Jungkook didn't realize it.
“…”
Yeoju and Jeongguk met. Yeoju's eyes were puffy from crying all night, and Jeongguk's cheeks were slightly sagging from staying up all night with inexplicable emotions. Neither of them knew it. That it was because of them that he was suffering like this.
"jungkook…”
When Jimin, forgetting what he was about to tell Jungkook, turned back to him, he spotted Yeoju. Jungkook and Yeoju locked eyes for a long time. "Are they having some kind of power struggle?" Jimin thought to himself. "If I get involved at this point, Jungkook's going to screw me over." Quick-witted Jimin quickly withdrew. "They must have been fighting," Jimin could tell.
“Kim Yeo-ju.”
The first one to grab hold of him was Jungkook. Yeoju nearly burst into tears. "You were the one who turned away first. Why, with your face so wounded?" Yeoju wanted to ask Jungkook. Jungkook was unnecessarily innocent, yet dark.
“Smile.”
The wrist Jungkook was holding turned red, and there was no way he would let go. Jungkook simply adored her dimples. If he didn't see them even for a day, his heart would feel uneasy and ominous. That's why he wanted her dimples. It wasn't that he wanted them because he was uneasy and ominous, but because he didn't want them that his heart felt uneasy and ominous. Of course, there wasn't a single day that went by that he didn't want her dimples.
“…Why should I do that?”
The heroine's tear ducts burst. And even her innermost feelings burst forth. She spoke, rapping at a rapid pace, words she'd never been able to express before. Was she deliberately feigning insensitivity, or was she simply feigning ignorance despite knowing? She couldn't tell.
“You were the one who ignored me and turned away from me first. Do you hate me? If you don’t, just say so. And now you’re asking me to smile? Do you like my dimples more than me? Or are you just playing with me?”…”
It was then. The moment when Jeongguk's lips met Yeoju's. The moment when Yeoju's words were cut off. And the moment when Jeongguk's reason was also cut off.
.