**Still from one week ago**

When Chaerin and Jiyong hopped off the bus, still holding hands, Jiyong immediately flagged down a taxi and told the driver his dorm address. The ride was short and silent. Both just quietly consumed in their own world but one was itching to ask a question.

They reached the dorm and as soon as they entered, Chaerin gently removed her hand from his which caused him to immediately turn his head and look at her, she blurted out the question she was itching to ask.

“Ji, what did you mean by what you said in the bus?”

Jiyong smiled sadly at her and pulled her to sit on the sofa then he sat next to her.

He was moving slowly trying to prolong the time but Chaerin wanted to know the answer.

“Ji…” she spoke again but he cut her off.

“I meant whatever those words should mean.” He said while looking directly at her eyes. “Once again, I’m asking for your forgiveness for all the I’ve done, for all the hurt I’ve caused you, for not being there, for our b-baby… I k-know, I know I shouldn’t even be asking you to stay with me right now because of the you went through because of me but please, p-please don’t leave m-me. Please… oh God, I love you so much.” he said as he held her hands and tears started leaving his eyes one by one.

The scene in front of her surprised her. She was touched with everything he said, she felt the sincerity in every word but what was he talking about? Why would she leave him? Isn’t it that they just had a silent promise with each other not too long ago?

He was already looking down at this point, tears still rushing out from his eyes. She removed one of her hands from his grip, she saw his shoulders slump down as she did this, but as soon as she placed that hand on his hair and started to gently massage his head, he looked up, teary eyes still visible.

“Oppa, why are you crying?” she asked with a soft smile but also with tears b her eyes since she was so moved with his words a while ago. “And why would I leave you?”

He stared at her as she just continued to move her hand on his head and finally rested it on his nape and started to massage again.

“B-but I… I heard you with Youngbae a while ago…” he said and immediately felt sad again as he remembered hearing her say I love you to his best friend.

“Ahh, so you were eavesdropping, oppa?” she said and stopped massaging his head.

He immediately looked at her “A-ani… I was just—“ he answered almost immediately.

She chuckled softly. She was just playing with him since she now knew why he was being like that. He misunderstood. Their relationship once again was being tested because of a misunderstanding.

“Oppa, I think you misunderstood whatever you heard and probably, you didn’t hear the whole conversation, right?” she said, not wanting to prolong Jiyong’s sadness anymore. She knew he probably heard her exchange of ‘I love yous’ with Youngbae and misunderstood it as something more than it really is.

“Y-yeah, but I clearly heard you say I-I love you to him”

“Because I do love him” his world just practically fell down twice today, she said it so surely and more so, she said it to him. He was just looking at her wondering how she could say that directly, especially to him when she clearly knows his feelings for her “…as a friend, as a brother, as family.” She finished her sentence with that but decided to continue seeing that Jiyong was still gawking at her.

“And I love you oppa, with all my heart, with my everything. As more than a friend, more than a brother, more than anyone else.”

And that was enough, more than enough for Jiyong to throw away any uncertainty and insecurity. She told him she loved him, with that, she was able to once again build his world that crashed just a few moments ago. He chuckled realizing that she was the one who could break him down and build him up again.

Without wasting another second, he leaned forward and wrapped her body with his arms tightly, absolutely not wanting to ever let go. She wrapped her hands around him as well, as the tears started to form in her eyes fell.

“And I love you too, so much. More than you’ll ever know.” He whispered to her and kissed the side of her head.

She moved away from him just enough to look at his face, his eyes, and slowly leaned in and kissed him full on the lips. It didn’t take long for him to close his eyes and respond to the slow kiss she initiated. He couldn’t be happier than he is now.

He carried her to his bedroom with their lips still locked together. She didn’t even notice they left the couch until she was laid on the bed with Jiyong on top of her. She didn’t complain though. Feeling his lips on hers felt so right.

He pulled her closer as their kiss intensified. He brushed his tongue on her lips, testing how she would respond and was happy when he felt her part her lips slightly, enough for him to push his tongue in.

She accidentally let out a moan which wasn’t lost in Jiyong’s ears. He got more than he should. He began to kiss her harder and started removing her jacket, his already long gone. She felt him starting to touch her more all over her body when he put his attention to her neck, placing gentle kisses and marks.

She felt right but she just wasn’t ready yet. “Oppa…” she said to stop him but it sounded more like a moan to him so he didn’t stop. He started to gently remove her top and midway there, he clearly heard her plea “Oppa s-stop…” he stopped immediately and looked up to her. He saw her flushed face and almost teary eyes, she was biting her lips. He immediately got off her and moved to her side, hugging her close to him.

“Okay, okay… I’m sorry, I’m sorry” he whispered to her and kissed the top of her head, her face was buried on his chest.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry. It’s just that… I’m not ready yet.” She said while continuously biting her lips. She felt bad. She was the one who initiated the kiss. She felt worse when she was sure she had turned him on because of the obvious, hard bump she feels on her stomach. She turned him all hot and left him cold. “I’m sorry.” She said again, feeling really bad.

“Babe, it’s okay. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I’m sorry I got all turned up. I completely understand if you’re not ready. Let’s take it slow, huh? One step at a time?” he whispered to her while hugging her closer to his body.

She smiled because what he said just assured that there was a relationship between them. “Okay, oppa. Thank you. I love you.” She looked up to him and smiled sweetly.

“No, thank you Chaerin-ah, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world. I love you too.” He kissed her lips lightly.

And they fell asleep like that, in each other’s arms, certain that once they wake up, there’s still something good between them.

......

Jiyong smiled at the memory. His mind always wanders to that time when they made each other officially feel that they have something. They have a relationship.

A smiling face of Youngbae suddenly appeared in front of his face. He was too close that’s why Jiyong was surprised and leaned back too strongly, causing him to fall from his chair.

“Thinking of me?” Youngbae teasingly asked with a chuckle as he reached his hand out to help his buddy up.

“Yah! You startled me!” Jiyong said as he took his hand and playfully pushed him.

“Well, that’s what friends are for.” Youngbae replied, comfortably placing himself on the couch in Jiyong’s studio.

“So, care to share with me what you were thinking about?” Youngbae asked as he played with one of the pillows.

“Nothing. Just some stuff.” Jiyong said, typing some things in his laptop.

“Chaerin?” Youngbae asked.

Jiyong turned his chair around and faced his friend. “Yeah” he sheepishly said, remembering that it has only been a week since the three of them sat together in the dining table of their dorm.

He sat back on his chair, remembering that time...