Hi, I’ve been well, thank you. Congratulations on your new song. I’m sure it’ll be a hit :) I hope you sleep well. Seo Hyun.

After almost twenty minutes of struggling to write a reply, Seo Hyun finally sent the text message to Yong Hwa. She tried to make it sound casual and void of any emotions. She didn’t want to sound too eager and overly friendly as she wasn’t sure if their friendship and familiarity during WGM days could be brought forward to their real life. She wasn’t sure where they stood with each other at this point in time.

Yong Hwa’s heart skipped a beat. It was Seo Hyun! “Hyung, you’re smiling like a dork again. I’m sure it’s Hyungsoonim. I shall give you some privacy”, Jong Hyun teased as he got up to leave the room. Yong Hwa managed to tear his eyes away from his phone to give Jong Hyun a smile.

Seo Hyun was sitting up in her bed by now, too nervous and excited to toss and turn in bed. Her phone lit up in her hand, Yong Hwa had replied her.

Hyu~n-ah, why are you up at this hour? Did I wake you? I’m sorry, please go back to sleep. You have class in the morning, right? You can reply me when you wake up later, it’s ok. I won’t be mad at you :) Sleep well! Yo~ng

Seo Hyun decided to reply Yong Hwa even though he said she could reply him later. She didn’t want him to think that she was being unfriendly so that he would continue to contact her.

Don’t worry Oppa, you didn’t wake me. I was just going to sleep when your text came through. Yes, I have class at 10AM today. You better go to sleep Oppa. You must be tired from the song composition. Sleep well Oppa. Seo Hyun.

Yong Hwa was smiling as he set his phone down. He was happy she called him Oppa again. He felt like he could breathe again. It was suffocating, not being able to contact Seo Hyun. Take it slow Yong Hwa-ya. Give her time to settle down, and then you can start to win her heart slowly and legitimately, Yong Hwa pep talked himself.

Hyu~n-ah, you should have slept earlier! Turn off your phone now and go to sleep. I’ll see you in my dreams... Sleep well! Yo~ng.

Seo Hyun felt a smile creeping up on her face as she read Yong Hwa’s latest reply again. She felt the weight on her heart lift gradually. She smiled her first genuine smile in three days. All is right in the world again, Seo Hyun thought to herself as she crept under the covers again.