Chapter 05: Sweet

As the rustling sounds of clothes being put on subsided, Na Eun emerged from beneath the covers, fully dressed and ready to face the situation.

  To her surprise, she found Jin Ho still in the room.

Na Eun looked at him quizzically and asked, "Why are you still here?"

Jin Ho pondered for a moment before replying, "I was trying to think of a way to make this as less awkward as possible."

"And?" Na Eun inquired.

'And, I don't think I could do that. Maybe if you give me enough time to think of it, there might be a way. But for now, I don't think that there is a way of making this less awkward.'

Na Eun responded, her annoyance evident in her tone, "Maybe if you waited outside, it would be less awkward."

Jin Ho shook his head and replied, "No, I don't think so. I think it would amplify the awkwardness."

She pressed further, "Oh, really? And standing here in the room would not?"

Jin Ho considered for a moment before conceding, "I guess it is the same level of awkwardness."

With a sigh, Na Eun got up from the bed, clearly exasperated by the unusual predicament.

In the world of stories , especially romance stories, the morning after such an unexpected rendezvous often unfolds in a delightfully chaotic manner. 

As the sun's rays sneak into the room, gently nudging our slumbering protagonists awake, a sense of bewilderment would sweeps over them.

He stirs, his eyes blinking in confusion, and then his gaze falls upon her. 

She, too, slowly awakens, and their eyes lock in a moment of pure, unadulterated panic.

No screams, at least not yet. 

Instead, an odd silence lingers—a silence teeming with comedic moment. 

They would exchange bewildered glances as they both try to mentally retrace the hazy steps of the previous night. 

How did they end up here? 

What exactly transpired?

Untangling themselves from the sheets becomes a slapstick affair, akin to a pair of befuddled acrobats in an obstacle course. 

Clothing is hastily donned, often inside-out or mismatched, adding to the absurdity of the situation.

Their quest to escape this rather awkward predicament leads to an unintentional dance, an intricate choreography of near-miss collisions. 

Perhaps she trips over a discarded shoe, and he fumbles with a stubborn sock. 

All the while, they tiptoe around the elephant in the room—the undeniable fact that something happened last night.

As they finally make their way to the door, the tension crescendos. 

Will they flee in opposite directions? 

Will they engage in a hilarious yet heartfelt exchange that sets the tone for their unusual journey together?

In the world of romantic comedy, this moment serves as the prologue, the starting point for a tale filled with laughter, missteps, and, quite possibly, true love. 

So, with a sense of trepidation and curiosity, our characters exit the room, leaving the audience eager to discover what lies ahead in their quirky, unexpected love story.

Then the ending credit would fall down. 

The next episode would show them rushing out from the room and then would meet again later in some other places.

That is the start of many rom com story. 

But these two seems to want to subvert it. They are both probably thinking the same thing

As they exchange quizzical glances, a singular question dominates their thoughts: "What happened last night?" 

Jin Ho's abysmal tolerance for alcohol is well-known, and Na Eun, the complete opposite, must have imbibed quite a bit if even she cannot recall the events.

However, their reactions deviate from the expected shock and confusion. 

Instead, they share a knowing look that suggests a desire to piece together the puzzle hand-in-hand. 

The air in the room is heavy with curiosity, the awkwardness fading away.

Breaking the silence, Jin Ho proposes, "Wanna talk about it while having breakfast?" Na Eun takes a moment to ponder, then nods in agreement.

"Let's go take a shower," Jin Ho suggests. 

But instead of panicking over it, other than the initial shock, these two appear completely composed.

Jin Ho went to the bathroom on the first floor and Na Eun go to the bathroom on the second floor. 

As Jin Ho enters the bathroom on the first floor, his face flushes with embarrassment, and he instinctively pats his cheeks. He can't help but wonder, 

"What the hell happened last night?" 

Standing in the bathroom, he closes his eyes and attempts to piece together the fragments of memories that slowly start to resurface. 

Maybe it is because he is now a bit calmed down, he began remembering bit and pieces of what happened. 

Jin Ho's memories begin to connect the dots, revealing a pivotal moment from the previous night. 

He recalls being beneath the sofa, his eyes locked onto Na Eun 

And Jin Ho remember what he thinks at that moment. 

He fears something would happen. 

Was it because of the alcohol? 

Or was it because she was so beautiful last night? For some reason, he was worked up.

And he saw Na Eun cries.

Why did she cry?

He vividly remembers the moment when Na Eun tears welled up, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. 

The sight of her crying sent his heart racing, and in that charged moment, he couldn't contain his emotions. 

He leaned in, sealing their connection with a kiss. 

Beyond that, however, the details remain shrouded in a hazy uncertainty, as Jin Ho recollection fades into a perplexing abyss.

As he stands in the bathroom, these fragmented memories continue to whirl around in his mind, leaving him more bewildered than ever about what transpired during their mysterious night together.

'What did she say? Why did she cry?' he thought to himself

No matter how he thinks about it, he could not remember more so he just decided to take a shower and decided to pretend like he is not awkward.

Meanwhile on the first-floor bathroom, Na Eun who is now showering could not help but touch her lips.

She did not remember everything but she does remember some of the things that happens last night

'I…thought I would end it with him last night' Of course the way, she wanted to end it was in a silent way.

The advantage of loving a person one sidedly is that you could end it anytime you want. 

It might be weird that she loves Jin Ho one sidedly when they both once love each other passionately in their teens and they even met when they were in their twenties 

But something happened when she was in high school. And when they met in the twenties, they both could not take that step.

Because the past is there. 

Because it is heavier. 

And because there are secrets. 

So, they have been friends ever since. 

It hurts at first. She never thought that she could be friend with Jin Ho. But Jin Ho could be friends with her.

She didn't want to be the friend. 

She wanted them to be together again. But she also could not imagine a life where he is not in her life.

'No' she mutters 

She did imagine a life without him. 

And she did experience a life without him. 

Those years where she suddenly disappeared all of a sudden.

Those years that has become a wall between him and her…...those are the years that she lived without him

And that kind of life is like a world without colors. So…even though it hurts, at least by staying beside him as friend, even that is enough

And she fears that if she crosses that line, that line between friends and lovers…. if anything goes wrong…then she could not bear the thought that he would no longer be in his life

It was not always like this in the beginning. But as years pass, both of them is accustomed to each other.

They know each other likes and dislikes. 

They know each other quirks and temperament. Jin Ho is now no longer just the person she loves. He is also her best friend. 

And sometimes, even she does not know who she could not bear to lose. It is hard when the person you love is also your best friend.

This is why Seung Ah and Hyun Seung always said that their relationship is not normal

She sighed.

  But, all of her effort…. last night it seems that a line had been crossed. And she did not know how to feel about it.

'It's sweet' she thought as she touches her lips again and there is a smile on her face

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