The days that followed felt like a blur to Eunwoo. He couldn't stop replaying that moment with Minjae in his head—the soft brush of his lips, the heat between them, and the way his world seemed to shift just a little bit. For the first time in weeks, Eunwoo allowed himself to feel something other than confusion. It was almost like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but there was still a lingering sense of uncertainty.
They didn't talk about the kiss the next day. Or the day after. Minjae kept his distance at school, but whenever their paths crossed, Eunwoo could feel the tension, the unspoken words hanging between them. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't unbearable either. There was an understanding that had settled between them, one that neither of them knew how to navigate.
Minjae had kept his promise. He hadn't pushed Eunwoo to make any decisions. But the silence between them was louder than ever, and Eunwoo wasn't sure how much longer he could keep pretending like everything was fine.
One night, after school, Eunwoo was sitting in his room, staring at the ceiling, when he heard a soft knock on his door. He didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Come in," Eunwoo said quietly.
Minjae opened the door, stepping into the room with that same calm, quiet presence. He leaned against the doorframe, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. There was a quiet tension in the way he stood, and Eunwoo knew that whatever was coming next was inevitable.
"You okay?" Minjae asked, his voice gentle, but there was a hint of concern that Eunwoo couldn't ignore.
Eunwoo nodded, but it didn't feel like enough. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Minjae didn't seem convinced, and he took a few steps into the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. The room felt smaller with him there, the air heavier. Eunwoo could feel the pull between them, the tension that neither of them could escape.
"I don't want to make this harder for you," Minjae began, his eyes meeting Eunwoo's. "But I think we need to talk. About... everything."
Eunwoo sat up, running a hand through his hair, his thoughts swirling. He didn't want to talk. Not yet. He wasn't ready to confront what was growing between them. But he knew, deep down, that they couldn't keep avoiding it. Not forever.
"Minjae, I..." Eunwoo started, but his voice trailed off. He didn't know how to express what he was feeling. His emotions were a mess, tangled and confusing.
Minjae watched him with a soft, patient gaze. "Eunwoo, I don't want to rush you into anything. I'm not asking you to make a decision now. I just... I just need to know what you're feeling. Are you okay with this? With us?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge, a door opening into a new world, and Eunwoo felt his heart race. His mind screamed at him to say something, to explain how hard this was. How much he cared for Minjae, but how much he feared losing everything. He looked down at his hands, suddenly unsure of himself.
"I don't know," Eunwoo admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to feel about any of this."
Minjae didn't seem surprised by his answer. He just nodded as if he'd expected it. "It's okay to not know. But you have to know that I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Eunwoo felt a lump in his throat, and he swallowed hard. "I don't want to hurt you, Minjae. I don't want to ruin everything."
Minjae's eyes softened. "You won't ruin anything, Eunwoo. You can't ruin something that was never broken in the first place."
For a moment, the two of them sat in silence, the weight of their words hanging heavily between them. Eunwoo didn't know what to say next, or even what to do with the feelings that were bubbling up inside him. He had spent so long running from them, trying to push them down, but now they were impossible to ignore.
"I'm scared," Eunwoo finally admitted, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm scared of what this means. I'm scared of what it will do to us... and to Hyunwoo."
Minjae's expression softened even more, and he moved closer, resting a hand gently on Eunwoo's arm. "I know. I'm scared, too. But I don't want to live in fear anymore. I don't want to pretend that I don't want this, that I don't want you."
The words felt like a balm to Eunwoo's wounded heart. They were simple, but they carried so much weight. Minjae wasn't asking for everything, just the truth. And for the first time, Eunwoo felt like he could give that to him.
"I don't know how to make this right," Eunwoo said softly, his voice breaking. "But I... I want to try. I want to see where this can go."
Minjae smiled, a soft, reassuring smile that made something inside Eunwoo unclench. "That's all I'm asking for, Eunwoo. Just a chance. We don't have to figure everything out right now. We just have to start somewhere."
Eunwoo nodded slowly, his heart still heavy with the weight of the decision he was making. But he knew, deep down, that this was the only choice he could make. He couldn't keep running from what he wanted. He couldn't keep pretending like Minjae didn't mean everything to him.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Eunwoo allowed himself to take a deep breath, to let go of the fear, even if just for a moment.
"Okay," Eunwoo whispered, looking up at Minjae, his eyes full of something new—something hopeful. "Let's try."
Minjae's smile grew, and he reached out, pulling Eunwoo into a gentle hug. The embrace was warm and comforting, and for a moment, Eunwoo let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.
As Minjae pulled back, he looked into Eunwoo's eyes, his gaze steady and full of meaning. "I promise you, Eunwoo. I'm not going anywhere." At that moment, Eunwoo believed him.