I was restless.
That wasn't even the right word for it.
I was more than restlessâI was a mess.
My mind had been all over the place ever since last night, and I hadn't been able to think straight, not with Yuri on my mind. Not after what almost happened, and then Hyejin showed up, and Yuri left like that.
I don't know what came over me last night. What I was thinking. But one thing was for sure, I did not like seeing her laughing with Soobin.
Call it possessive, territorial, or selfish, but I had to get her away from him.
A lot has happened between us and I didn't know when my feelings got so out of control, but last night I couldn't control myself.
But before I could actually say her what was on my mind, Hyejin showed up, and Yuri left saying it was a mistake.
That one sentence played on my mind like a broken cassette from the 90's through the whole night. Even the loud waves couldn't drown out that voice in my head.
And I haven't seen her since then. I haven't seen her all day.
And now, after hours of waiting, she texted me.
She wanted to meet.
The beach in front of her cottage.
I had stared at her message for a few minutes before I even moved, my heart pounding like it was trying to break free from my chest. I wasn't sure what she wanted to talk about, or if it was anything like what I had been hoping it would be, but I had to go. There was no way I wasn't going to show up, no matter what happened last night.
So I pulled on a jacket, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and headed down to the beach.
"Where are you going? And why did Hyejin leave early?" I am stopped my the only voice I do not want to hear right now. Or ever really.
"I don't want to talk to you right now Soobin" I hope my voice is threatening enough that he backs off but he just folds his hand and blocks my way. This was an open invitation for me to punch him.
I didn't want to be late to meet Yuri, otherwise I would have followed through with my instinct.
"You know father will not be happy about Hyejin. She told me you broke it off with her" he actually sounds concerned.
He definitely wasn't concerned about me. He was probably worried he might be forced to lend his hand in marriage if I didn't oblige.
"I don't care. He didn't care about what I wanted so there is no reason why I should care about what he wants" I counter and Soobin's brows crease together. He wants to say something to me but is holding back.
"Yeonjun, you are mistaken if you think you have a choice here" he warns.
"Soobin, I don't care. And I don't want any of it. I don't want to handle the textile business anymore than I want to handle any other front of the Choi group. It wasn't my decision to come here, it wasn't my choice to handle the business. One thing I will have a say in who I decide to be with. You and your father have to deal with that"
His jaw tightens and he holds my stare but doesn't say anything.
I don't have time for this.
I just tell him to deal with and leave. Thankfully he doesn't stop me.
The air was cool when I stepped onto the sand. The beach was mostly empty except for the distant flicker of bonfires where students were gathering for fireworks.
Laughter and music carried on the wind, but it all felt so far away from where I was headed.
I spotted Yuri before she saw me.
She was standing there, looking out at the horizon, her silhouette outlined by the soft glow of the moon and the distant stars. Her jacket was pulled tight around her, the wind tugging at her hair. She looked beautiful.
Even from a distance, I could feel the tension radiating off herâlike she was waiting for something. Or maybe someone.
That someone being me.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.
This wasn't like me. I wasn't used to feeling this wayâso uncertain, so unsure of what was going to happen next. But with Yuri, everything was different.
I approached slowly, stopping a few feet away from her. She must have sensed me, because she turned to face me, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.
We just stood there, the space between us heavy with the weight of everything that had been left unsaid.
"Hey," I said, my voice low. I didn't smile, but I couldn't help the way my gaze softened when I looked at her.
"Hi," she replied, her voice steady but quieter than usual.
There was a long silence. The only sound was the distant crash of waves and the muffled noise of the bonfire celebrations further down the beach. I could feel the tension between us, thick and palpable, but I wasn't sure how to break it.
"I wasn't sure if you'd come," she admitted, her voice barely audible over the wind.
I frowned, surprised. Of course I would come.
"Of course I'd come" why would she think that. On the contrary I was surprised she texted me first, given how she left last night.
Her eyes met mine, searching for something.
"What's going on, Yuri? Why did you want to meet here?" I asked.
She hesitated for a second.
I could guess the gist of what she would say. I wasn't sure if I was ready for it.
The truth was, I hadn't planned on any of this. Last night, when I dragged her away from Soobin, I acted on impulse. I hadn't even thought about it. But now, standing here with her, I knew we had to talk about it. I just didn't know how to start.
"I... I needed to talk to you. About last night," she said, her voice breaking the silence.
I felt my heart tighten in my chest. Of course, she wanted to talk about that. But I wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.
"Last night?" I echoed, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.
"I wasn't sure you wanted to talk to me anymore, given how you left."
"Yeah. I figured we might need to talk about that" Her eyes flickered, guilt flashing across her face.
I nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"I'm not sure what happened last night," she began, her words slow and careful.
"But I can't stop thinking about it. And I think... I think we were about to say something important. Or at least, it felt like we were."
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my frustration in check. Of course it had felt important.
I had been so close to telling her.
So damn close.
And then Hyejin had to show up.
"You mean before Hyejin showed up," I said, my voice a little harsher than I intended.
"Yeah, before that." her voice was small, unsure, very un-Yuri-like.
I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair. The memory of seeing her with Soobin still grated on me, even though I knew it shouldn't. It wasn't like she was mine. But it still burned.
"I didn't plan on dragging you away like that," I said, my voice tight.
"But when I saw you with Soobin... I don't know. I just reacted."
"Why? Why did you react like that?" she asked, her voice sharp, cutting through the tension like a knife.
I stared at her, the question hitting me harder than I expected.
Why had I reacted like that? The answer was so simple, but saying it out loud felt like admitting something I wasn't sure I was ready for.
"I don't know, Yuri. Maybe it's because every time I see you with him, I feel... I don't know. Like I'm losing you, even though I never really had you."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I regretted it the second they left my mouth. But it was the truth. And she deserved to know it.
She blinked, clearly taken aback by my confession.
I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she was processing what I'd just said.
Of course she would be conflicted.
I wasn't the star child. I wasn't the right guy for her. She deserved someone better. Someone with lesser baggage. Someone with less drama in their life.
"Yeonjun, what are you trying to say?" she questioned.
I hesitated, my gaze dropping to the sand. This was it. I could either keep pretending, keep ignoring the way I felt about her, or I could finally tell her the truth.
Even if I wasn't sure I was worthy of that truth.
When I looked back at her, I knew there was no going back.
"What I'm trying to say is that I don't like seeing you with Soobin because... because I care about you, Yuri. More than I probably should."
Her breath hitched, and I could see the surprise in her eyes, but I couldn't stop now. The words were pouring out, faster than I could control them.
"I don't know when it started, but it's there. Every time I see you, every time we talk... I can't shake it. And last night, I just... I wanted to say something. But Hyejin showed up, and... I lost my chance."
The frustration boiled up in me again, but this time, it wasn't just because of Hyejin.
It was because I had been too much of a coward to say anything sooner. I had waited too long, and now everything was so much more complicated.
But my life was complicated. And I was sure she wanted nothing to do with it. Who would actually want to be with a lose like me?
"And I lost my chance," I repeated, my voice quieter this time, filled with the weight of everything I hadn't said before.
It was harder to admit it to myself, but once I did, it became easier to tell it to her.
Yuri didn't say anything at first. The silence stretched between us, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, waiting for her to say somethingâanything.
When she finally spoke, her voice was so soft, I almost didn't hear it.
"Yeonjun... I think I feel the same way."
My heart stopped. For a second, I wasn't sure I had heard her right.
Maybe I didn't hear her clearly due to the sound of the waves, or the music or the noise of the chatter.
"You do?" I ask again, more for my sanity than confirmation from her.
She nodded, swallowing hard.
"Yeah. I think I do. But I'm scared. I'm scared because everything with you is so... intense. And I don't know if I'm ready for that."
Her words hit me hard, but I understood.
Everything with us was intense.
From the first moment we met, there had always been this underlying tension between usâthis pull that I couldn't explain only increased as we were forced together to witness our ugly sides again and again. But maybe seeing how she stuck around even after seeing so many of my flaws made me develop feelings for her.
And I had been terrified of it too at the start and maybe that is why it took me so long to admit it out loud.
"I get it," I said, my voice softer now.
"But if you're willing to try... I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes met mine, and I could see the conflict in her gazeâthe way she was torn between the fear of what could happen and the possibility of something real between us.
She finally gave me a small smile of hope. My heart, that was handing at the edge of a cliff finally relaxed.
Then, in the distance, fireworks exploded into the sky, lighting up the beach in bursts of color. Red, green, goldâeach one brighter than the last, painting the horizon with shimmering light.
But I didn't look away from her.
This was my moment. The moment I had been waiting for, even if I hadn't realized it.
I took a step closer to her, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Yuri," I whispered, reaching out slowly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. My fingers grazed her cheek, and I felt her shiver under my touch.
Her eyes were wide, searching mine, and for the first time, I saw something in her gazeâsomething soft, something vulnerable. Something I wanted to protect.
"Can I?" I asked, my voice low, barely audible over the crackle of the fireworks in the distance.
"Yes" She nodded, her voice a whisper.
That was all I needed.
I closed the distance between us, my lips finding hers in a kiss that was soft, tentative, like we were both afraid to rush it. But the second I felt her lips against mine, something inside me snapped.
It was like a spark igniting, and suddenly, all the tension, all the unspoken feelings between us came rushing to the surface. My hand cupped the side of her face, my other hand slipping to her waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss.
The world around us faded away. All I could feel was herâher warmth, her softness, the way her lips moved against mine, matching my urgency with her own.
had waited so long for this moment.
And now, it was finally here.
Tonight would be one I remember for a long long time.
A/n: hehehehehehe. Finally a chapter with another person's pov. What do you think of this chapter?
Although it is the same chapter as the one before, I wanted to add Yeonjun's pov.
Let me know if you would like to see more of his pov in the future.