One step to you

Like a problem without an answer

이서연

“Ah… ah, I’m sorry, I made you uncomfortable again…”

정한

"Seoyeon. Please..."

Jeonghan's low voice called her name honestly.

At that moment, Seoyeon couldn't say anything.

Just, why is he talking so seriously? Why is his voice shaking like this?

I kept my mouth shut because I could feel it without him saying anything.

What is Jeonghan thinking right now? Where does his emotional line reach?

I really don't know how to continue speaking or what expression to make.

Like a problem without an answer

정한

"..."

Jeonghan called Seoyeon's name, but couldn't finish his sentence properly.

His lips opened and closed slightly, and his eyes were deeply immersed in Seoyeon's eyes and the complex emotions contained within them.

The warm aroma of coffee gently spreading across the table,

And even the late evening air flowing outside the café window embraced the suffocating silence between them.

Eyes that touch each other.

The silence that hung in the air was so quiet that it almost resonated.

It was a silence that seemed as if it would shatter if someone just breathed.

정한

"...Oh, I'm sorry."

Jeonghan finally turned his head and muttered softly, then lowered his gaze as if avoiding eye contact.

He stood up from his seat and quietly picked up the jacket he had left hanging on the chair.

정한

"I'll go first."

At those words, Seoyeon's shoulders flinched slightly.

She couldn't say anything, just staring at Jeonghan's back.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

정한

"....ha.."

Jeonghan took a few steps toward the door, took a deep breath, and then slowly stopped.

His fingertips repeatedly tightened and loosened his jacket sleeve. His breath was laced with countless hesitations and regrets.

And then, he turned around and returned to her.

He sighed and continued.

정한

"Would you like to go eat something spicy? I'm craving something like jjambbong."

His tone was neither playful nor too light. A bewildered expression crossed Seoyeon's face.

이서연

"...yes?"

Seoyeon, taken aback by Jeonghan's unexpected suggestion, blinked and nodded reflexively.

So the two of them left the cafe together and started walking down a quiet alley with their hats pulled down low.

The darkness deepened, and the breeze was moderately cool. Seoyeon cautiously opened her mouth as she walked.

이서연

"Senior, do you like spicy food?"

Jeonghan shrugged and answered.

정한

"Adequately. What about you, junior?"

Seoyeon said with the corners of her lips slightly raised.

이서연

"Me too. I tend to eat a lot when I'm stressed."

Even in their short conversation, the two people's footsteps became more parallel, and the laughter that flowed between them became lighter than before.

Only then did Seoyeon reveal her true feelings with a slightly relieved smile.

이서연

“…Actually, I felt like my senior was a bit distant on set that day. I wondered if I was… acting too friendly…”

Jeonghan stopped walking at those words.

It was the moment when he realized how much his attitude that day had caused her so much trouble.

He pressed his lips together and then released them, turning his head slightly, then looked at her again.

Seoyeon forced a smile and continued speaking.

이서연

“But, thank you so much for speaking to me again today.”

Jeonghan lowered his eyes and exhaled quietly. He spoke, gently covering his reddened ear with his fingertips.

정한

“I never thought Seungcheol would give me advice like that. Really.”

Seoyeon also chuckled.

이서연

"That's right. I guess I really am not that kind to you, oppa."

At those words, Jeonghan looked at her, then looked up at the sky without saying a word. Not a single star could be seen under the already dark sky.

Still, Seoyeon looked up and smiled slightly.

이서연

“I can’t see any stars today, Senior… I tried to pretend to know a little bit… Uh, I… I tried…”

Seoyeon couldn't finish her sentence, and raised her head even further. Her gaze, raised toward the sky, trembled, afraid of tears falling.

Jeonghan, who saw that sight, hugged her carefully without hesitation for a moment.

One arm wrapped around her shoulder, the other lightly around her head.

정한

“I’ll cover it up. Cry. Cry as much as you want.”

At those words, the tears she had been holding back burst out. Seoyeon buried her face in his chest and sobbed quietly.

Jeonghan slowly patted her back and stood there for a moment.

A time when we didn't have to say a word. It was a night where our body heat exchanged with each other instead of words.