‘Shinhye…’ Eli called for her. She was sat on the swings in the usual park with her head down. ‘…I thought you’d be here.’ He stood in front of her but her head stayed down. ‘Shinhye, talk to me.’

‘Why did you come after me?’

‘I won.’

She finally looked up confused. ‘You won?’

‘Yes…’ He took a seat on the swing next to her and smiled. ‘I spoke with Kevin.’

She looked away from him again. ‘I don’t want you two to argue.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Huh?’

‘That’s why I won.’

She stood up and stood in front of Eli. ‘You’re not making any sense…’

He stood up and looked into her eyes. ‘I think I’m making sense, why don’t you think I’m making sense?’ He moved towards her. ‘Let me say it again, I won… so I apologised.’ He smiled.

She looked up at him and became lost in his eyes.

‘Remember China?’ She nodded and waited for him to continue. ‘It hasn’t changed, my feelings that is.’

She finally tore her stare away and looked at the swings. ‘Kevin confessed to me here.’

‘I know.’

‘Told me in such a short space of time that he liked me.’

He touched her head and moved her fringe back into place. ‘Don’t change the subject…’

‘How long did it take you to confess to me the first time?’ She smiled to herself. ‘Did you love me?’

‘I still do?’

‘How long did it take for you to realise?’ She looked into his eyes wanting a sincere answer.

He chuckled slightly at her nervous expression, he took her hand and held it tight. ‘The moment I met you, I felt an ache in my heart… one that I’d never had before. When you first smiled at me and told me your name I realised I liked the feel of that ache, when we studied together and you first touched my arm as we joked, my heart beat increased and the ache decreased… slowly as you became more mine, that ache disappeared.’ He put her hand to his chest and breathed in and out letting her feel his steady heartbeat. ‘After I left, that ache came back… and it’s been here ever since.’ Her hand softened to him and she moved closer to him and leant her head against his chest.

‘Is the ache there now?’ She said closing her eyes. Then she looked up at him she moved to her tip-toes and touched her nose to his. ‘Now…’ Then she moved and kissed his cheek. ‘Or now…’ She smiled and kissed his lips slowly, he stood shocked. She pulled back and let him go stepping back and biting her lip.

‘If I say it still aches…’ He smirked. She smiled relieved and poked his stomach making him laugh and grab her around the shoulders pulling her back to the house. ‘Common lets go study.’

‘You do know the reason Jungeum invited you, it’s not to study right?’

He nodded and took her hand as they walked back her house smiling.