Jo’s heart was beating erratically as they found a bench to sit on, but she tried to keep a cheerful demeanor.

“Seriously Hanbin,” she whined playfully, sitting down and cupping her latte to keep her hands warm, “What’s this about?”

Hanbin didn’t sit down with her and just looked at her solemnly.

She squirmed under his gaze and then cleared .

“An-ja?” she asked. Sit?

He nodded quietly, perching on the seat when he immediately stood up again.

“No, mian, I can’t,” he explained, “I have to say this standing up.” Sorry.

“Hanbin…” she started, shifting her eyes.

“Let me go first,” he demanded, and she shut up.

“I like you,” he began, effectively shutting her up with those three words, “I’ve liked you since Shannon.”

“Holy,” she choked, “Hanbin, that’s a long time ago.”

He gave her a chastising look, so she bowed her head, waiting for him to continue.

“I didn’t even like Shannon by the way,” he continued, “I just liked you so much that I thought I was being too obvious in our chats and I ended up using names of people we both knew…I kept asking you for relationship advice though, so I thought you would take the hint.

“But you didn’t. You answered me honestly and I couldn’t put what you said into action because you and I never met up in person, we just talked to each other online. So I kept everything bottled up inside me.

“On top of that,” he added, exasperated, “You started telling me about your crushes, like it was a two-way street. Of course, you actually dated the guys you liked, but you had no idea how much my heart ached. You were happy and I was miserable. But then when you and the guy broke up, I was on cloud nine and you were depressed, like he was the moon and the stars.

“What about me?” he finally asked, slightly raising his voice, “I was there, all those years, for every single one of your supposed loves and your heartbreaks, but did you even consider liking me?”

Nothing.

Jo couldn’t lift her head up to meet his eyes, his eyes that were burning holes in the top of her head.

“Neh noh-rae deul-eot-da, right? From Bobby?” he asked in a calmer tone. You listened to my song.

She still didn’t answer, but he knew she did.

“He told me he was going to make you hear it before I came to the café,” he continued, “Every word is true. About you. I had to keep sending you to someone else, and I accepted it. I got over you.

“And then you appeared ri