I try not to be too obvious about my concern for Wonwoo as he starts pulling away a little more. He’s shutting himself down, just when we’ve reached a point where he was totally opening up to me. This must come as a real blow to him and it is all my fault. I should’ve told him from the start that something like this was going to happen. He deserves better than me, way better.

“Yeon Ah… That is not set in stone yet… You know that as well as I do”, I complain to her and she pulls up her shoulders.

“You know this is going to happen. Our parents have arranged everything already”, she just says and smiles. I need to get Wonwoo away from her and get him alone to explain all of this. I can’t address this if we’re out in the open.

“We need to leave, I’m sorry”, I say and nod before taking Wonwoo’s arm and pulling him with me to my dorm. Everyone should be out by now since class is going to start in half an hour.

“Mingyu, stop”, he whines before I drag him inside. He actually sounds as if he’s in physical pain. It might be because I’m holding on to him so strongly. I examine his wrist and look for marks of my hand.

“Are you okay?” I ask about both his physical and mental state. He just looks at the ground, insecure. He always seems to be doing that whenever he doesn’t feel at ease.

“I don’t know…” Wonwoo is clearly avoiding the question right now.

“I can explain”, I counteract and his head snaps up. His eyes are watery and they are looking straight into my soul. My feet take me closer to him, involuntarily. Before I even know it, we’re engulfed in a hug. The kind that makes it clear how much you really like that person. I want to show him how much he really means to me.

“Explain”, he says when I finally pull back. I gently pull him with me towards the couch we have in the common room. We both sit down, me slouching, him sitting upright like he always does. Never forgetting his manners. It’s as if he is from a wealthy family and not me. Who knows?

“My parents are rich. Like really rich… They’ve been wanting me to marry Yeon Ah ever since we were kids. Her father owns a big company and if it were to merge with ours… You’ve probably seen enough dramas to know how that ends…” I sigh. “The thing is that I really don’t like her. She seems fine and all, but acts like a doll. The kind her parents use to get assets. Which is really sad if you think about it.” Wonwoo looks at me with that expressionless face I’ve seen countless times before. “I used to think it wasn’t that bad… She is kind of nice to me and we could grow into loving each other over time. But ever since I met you…”

Wonwoo’s eyes turn hopeful. I almost kiss him. It’s the micro-emotions that give him away. I’ve learned to look for them and recognise them.

“Why?” he is breathless as he asks this obvious question.

“Because I’m falling for you. At first it was slow, but now it’s going so fast. Every single time you’re not with me, you’re on my mind. ‘What is he doing?’ ‘Is he eating well?’ Those are the questions I ask myself.” This confession comes way too early, I know, but he deserves this kind of thing. He deserves to be courted and to feel good about himself. Personally I love him for the way he is.

“Do you mean that?” My fragile Wonwoo is back. He seems to be so distrusting about everything I say all the time. I guess he really got hurt in the past. I want to heal him.

“Of course I do”, I place him on my lap and put my arms around his skinny waist. My heart rests comfortably against his shoulder as he rests his chin on my head. It could not get any better than this if you ask me.

“Thank you”, he says in that low voice that always gets to me. I wonder how he sounds when he sings. Or maybe he is a rapper. Those are the things I want to know about him. The little things that make you fall in love even more.

“There is nothing to thank me for. If anything: thank you. For not getting mad at me”, I sigh and he kisses the top of my head. That endearing thing makes me feel a