Sehun's POV

I don't know what I was thinking.

I had seen Chihiro approaching and she looked sad and listless- wanderlust. She was walking towards the tree Haneul and I were hiding in and when our eyes made contact, I could have sworn I saw hers glimmer. I wanted to tear my gaze away from her. Isn't this wrong? Liking someone just on their appearance? Shouldn't I fall for someone's personality? I hated that I could be so shallow, liking someone after seeing them once more.

I was scared. Scared stiff of what would happen once she had reached Haneul and I. Would I have to jump down and walk with her? Or could I just hide out forever? I didn't like the way my heart would start to beat faster whenever she was near. I didn't like the way adrenaline would rush around my body whenever she was around me. Admiring her from afar was safer for me and my body. The sensations she gave me were enough to kill me and I hated that twisted, sick feeling when you want to do something and then you realise you can't. Because you're a coward. I was a coward.

My feelings were out, the hyungs and Haneul had all clocked on and I hated that feeling of being vulnerable. I wanted to make sure Chihiro wouldn't want someone like me- someone who only falls for looks. Someone shallow. Someone undeserving.

It was stupid but I'm young and I had nothing better to do. I grabbed Haneul and lied- confessing that I liked her. I was half grateful that she hit me back in response. It felt wrong doing it, even though I had harboured feelings for her briefly. It was like a wake up call for me to come back to my senses but when she pointed out Chihiro had started to run off, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. Was she really that upset? Did I really just make a girl cry? The girl I'd been secretly admiring from afar for so long? If I had wanted my feelings for Chihiro to stop then why did I feel guilty after doing what I did? Why could I not suppress my feelings? Haneul was scary as she glared at me, shoving me again and again and shouting at me to grow up and come to terms with my feelings. I'm old enough to not play games anymore so I jumped down from where we were sat and chased after her. Chanyeol-hyung bumped into me on the way and he pointed me in the direction Chihiro had gone in. It seemed like everyone I was close to had acknowledged my feelings. Everyone but me.

I ran to her or ran after her, rather. She was fast but I was faster- chasing her in hot pursuit. I wasn't going to let her go. Not now. Not ever. I grabbed her hand and she spun around in surprise, staring at me for a few seconds. I found my grip loosening and the split second I put my hand down, she took off again. I was already worn out but I knew I didn't want to lose her, especially if she couldn't speak Korean to the locals so I chased after her, sprinting until my glutes ached.

I eventually found her near the children's playground, crying whilst sitting next to a small boy who was also in tears. She held his hand and they cried together. The boy was shouting for his mother. Memories of the years I would sneak out of the house to head to the park came flooding back. At first, I'd cry for my parents to love me and stop fighting. I'd cry for them to fall back in love with each other again. I'd cry for my life to fall back into place and for someone to pick me back up. And when I thought there was no one there for me, a hand reached out and someone smiled at me. The feeling of being wanted and being special to someone wasn't foreign anymore and I began to heal. Looking at Chihiro who quietly sobbed and hiccuped beside the howling young boy made my heart sink. She was without her family and friends. She was in a different country. She couldn't speak to make new friends and the only person she was relatively close to was Jiyoung-noona. If anyone was lonely, it was her. My guilt levels rose up to skyscraper height. I felt ill.

The feeling of being unloved was all too clear and I picked up the boy, put him on my back and searched for his mother who I found by the water fountain, frantically searching for her child. I wanted to make sure the kid would find his mom before he became psychologically damaged and I watched enviously as he ran to a lady and she picked him up, hugging him joyfully. The good vibes from the happy reunion quickly died when I began heading back to the park bench I had left Chihiro on.

Her head was in her hands, her hair covering her face and her body shook as she cried uncontrollably. She was restless and flinched when I sat beside her despite being completely at ease when we danced together back at home. I gently brushed aside her hair and she stared at me, her cheeks flushed red and her bottom lip bleeding from being nervously bitten. Her eyes were pink, her eyelashes spiky from the wet tears and her un-made up face was beginning to swell. She was beautiful.

'Why are you crying?' I asked, watching as she wrung her hands, twisting her fingers until her knuckles went white. 'Is it because of me?'

She abruptly stood up, turning her head away and I wondered if this was her true personality. Was she an ice princess? With stunning looks and the worst personality imaginable? Indignant? Proud? I hoped these weren't her true colours. Her feet began to shuffle forwards when she heard Chanyeol call for me but I snatched her hand once more, this time holding on for all it's worth. Haneul's words echoed around my head. Luhan's words whirred around my brain. My heart took over my thoughts and all I could think about was remedying the disaster I had created.

'Chihiro! Please! Wait!' I pleaded, my voice softening 'please...'

I felt her tension go as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

'Stop'

I cupped her face and gently thumbed away the salty tears, fingers shaking as I did so. She was delicate and I was scared of breaking her. I didn't know what I was doing. How does one comfort a girl they're in love with but have never had a conversation with?

'Chihiro... I need to tell you something...' I started.

I was going to take the plunge and say it. Not because the hyung's had told me to. Not because Haneul had told me to. I was going to properly confess to Chihiro because I needed to confirm my feelings. If they were shallow then so be it. If they were the start of something amazing then the plunge would have been the greatest risk of my life so far. My hands were still holding her soft cheeks and defined chin and she blinked rapidly, more tears leaking out. She sniffed and hiccuped once more and I couldn't handle it any longer. I embraced her in a tight hug, resting her head against my chest. I could feel hot tears seeping into my thin black vest but my heart beat rapidly, unable to cope with being so close to someone so beautiful.

Be a man, Sehun. Tell her you ing love her.

'I think... I think I like you, Chihiro.' I stuttered, 'no... I know I like you. I was just scared about it. I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way but I get it now. I understand it now.'

I sighed as I bit my lip, looking at Chihiro who was standing, still in my arms, unmoving. If it wasn't for the slight shoulder jolts whenever she hiccuped, you could have mistaken her for being asleep.

'You're somone who can give me electric sensations whenever you're near and I can't ever catch my breath. I tried to ignore it all, telling myself I was shallow but there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? You're kind- staying with the boy despite not being able to help him physically. You're warm hearted, you have feelings and you feel pain.' I sighed, unsure where I was going with this confession, 'what I'm trying to say is that I know I'm not just in love with a pretty face. I'm in love with someone who's perfect for me. I don't care that you won't talk and I don't care that you might not even understand what I'm saying. I just know I'm in love with you.'

There was a silence and I was breathing heavily. I shut my eyes to try and calm myself down but when I felt Chihiro's arms slowly snake around my waist, my legs turned to jelly and I stumbled back, breaking the contact. She looked at me frank and cold faced, the way a child looks when they're being told off, and I waited to see her reaction.

'Nado.' She said, 'nado saranghaeyo'

I stared at her. The goddess before me was speaking fluent Korean, as if she had been learning for years. She blushed and smiled, seeing my reaction and I walked forwards.

'Your Korean... How?'

I could barely get the words out when she took hold of my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. She was bold, much more so than I was and I was glad that at least one of us was gutsy.

'The day after I met you, I began studying Korean.' She blushed turning an adorable sweet peony shade, 'Do I sound okay? I've never tried speaking out loud before. Is my voice weird? Does it sound ugly?'

I smiled, shaking my head and holding her close.

'It's perfect.'