SWEET SECRET. seo jeongwoo
022 : The Big Question
The walk back to Chaeun's house felt super long, but also like it was happening in slow motion.
Jeongwoo was walking next to her, holding the small plastic bag with Steven's coffee and her empty ice cream cup. The streetlights made long shadows, and the night air was cool, but Chaeun's face felt like it was on fire.
It was so quiet between them, but it felt really loud because of what Jeongwoo had just said:
"I… I think I'm in love with you."
She couldn't believe he actually said it. Her mind was totally blank. She hadn't said anything back.
They walked for a few minutes, just the sound of their feet on the ground. Chaeun kept looking at him from the side, but he was just looking straight ahead. What was she supposed to say? Was he regretting it?
Then, at the exact same time, they both started to talk.
"Jeongwoo, about—" Chaeun blurted out.
"Chaeun, I'm—" Jeongwoo said at the same time.
They both stopped, looked at each other, then quickly looked away, blushing even more. Jeongwoo let out a small, awkward chuckle.
"You go first," Jeongwoo mumbled, his voice a bit shaky.
Chaeun took a deep breath, trying to calm her super fast heart. Her hands felt a bit sweaty. "Um… about what you said earlier…" she started, her voice super quiet, looking down at the ground.
Jeongwoo immediately looked down at his feet, his shoulders dropping a little. He sounded really sorry. "Oh. Yeah. I'm really sorry, Chaeun. I shouldn't have just said that. I'm sorry if it made you feel weird. I just… I don't know what happened." He sounded like he really meant it, like he was worried he messed everything up.
Chaeun's head snapped up. Her eyes flew to his. "No! No, it's not that!" she said quickly, maybe a little too loud. She saw him look at her, a confused frown on his face. Her cheeks were burning, and her brain felt totally broken.
"I mean, it's not… not weird! It's just… I… uh… the thing is… you see… my… my brain is… it's just… you know…" She started rambling, totally messing up her words. She just waved her hands around, a red, stammering mess.
Jeongwoo watched her. His confused look slowly turned into something else. A small, soft, super sweet smile slowly, gently, appeared on his face. He saw how flustered she was, how she couldn't talk, how red she got. And in that moment, something clicked for him. He looked more confident, warm and steady. Her reaction wasn't a 'no.' It was… hope. He took a deep breath.
He stopped walking.
Chaeun also stopped, her rambling dying out. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her heart pounding super hard. The streetlights made his face look soft, making him look even more handsome. The air felt thick, like something big was about to happen.
Jeongwoo took another deep breath, his eyes steady on hers, looking really determined. He slowly, super slowly, reached out his hand. His fingers gently linked with hers, his thumb softly rubbing her hand. It felt warm and comforting. His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but super clear and steady.
"Chaeun," he began, his thumb still gently stroking her hand. "Can I… can I court you?"
Chaeun's mouth fell open. Court me?
It was such an old-school, sweet, serious word. It wasn't just "do you like me?" or "wanna date?" It was… more. So much more. It was like a promise, a real question about something serious. It was everything she hadn't even dared to dream about.
She just stared at him, totally unable to speak. Her mind was spinning. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst. She looked at his hopeful, slightly nervous eyes, then down at their hands, his warmth making her feel safe. She couldn't find words, but she knew her answer.
Slowly, super slowly, Chaeun let out a small, shaky breath. And then, her head dipped. She nodded. A tiny, shy nod, but it was a firm yes.
Jeongwoo's face immediately broke into the most beautiful, sweet, bright smile Chaeun had ever seen. It reached his eyes, making them crinkle at the corners, and it was so real, so full of warmth and pure happiness, that it was almost too much for Chaeun's heart. It made her stomach do a crazy, happy flip. He squeezed her hand gently."
Okay," Jeongwoo said softly, his voice full of quiet happiness.
He was still smiling, his eyes shining. He looked at her, then his eyes quickly darted towards her house, which was now just a block away. His smile got a tiny bit smaller, a hint of reality, and Steven, coming back.
"We should probably hurry up, though," he mumbled, a playful look returning to his eyes. "Steven's probably wondering where I am. And he's definitely waiting for that coffee."
Chaeun just nodded, still blushing like crazy, but a huge, happy smile was now spreading across her own face, just like his. The awkwardness was still there, but now it was mixed with a huge amount of joy, disbelief, and a thrilling new secret.
They started walking again, a little faster this time, their hands still subtly linked, a new, exciting chapter just beginning.
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( 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧 ) "Falling for him was easy. Hiding it from her brother? That's the hard part." --- So, imagine this: you're Chaeun, and your