The first signs of dawn were a soft, muted grey filtering through the heavy drapes of the bedroom, but for a long, beautiful moment, Hong Hae-in was completely unaware of them. She existed in a state of pure, quiet contentment, suspended between sleep and wakefulness. The world was a warm, secure place, and all that mattered was the steady, rhythmic beat of a heart beneath her cheek.
Slowly, her senses began to return. She registered the solid, comforting weight of an arm draped gently over her back, holding her close. She could feel the warmth of a long, firm body beside hers, her leg tangled comfortably with his. The pillow she had so meticulously placed as a barrier was a crumpled lump on the floor, a discarded monument to her failed defense.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she leaned into the warmth, her head nestling deeper into the firm chest beneath her. The scent of him—a clean, familiar scent that she had missed more than she had ever consciously admitted—was intoxicating. For a brief, blissful moment, there was no past, no future, no pretense. There was only this quiet closeness, a shared intimacy that felt both shocking and profoundly right.
Then, the last vestiges of sleep fled, and reality came crashing down. She was not alone. She was in a bed with Baek Hyun-woo. Her head was on his chest. Her arm was tucked beneath his. Her leg was draped over his hip. The pillow was on the floor. Her body, in the middle of the night, had completely betrayed her.
A hot, furious blush started at the tips of her toes and spread like wildfire to the roots of her hair. Panic, sharp and cold, shot through her veins. She felt a sudden, desperate urge to bolt upright, to scramble away from him, to re-establish the cold distance she had cultivated for years. But even as she mentally prepared for a frantic escape, a new, surprising sensation, a quiet thrill, shot through her.
The embarrassment was still there, but it was now laced with a sense of wonder. She had heard him last night, his confessions echoing in the dark. She had known he was here. And in her sleep, she had instinctively, willingly, gravitated toward him.
She listened to the steady, reassuring thump-thump of his heart, a sound she hadn't heard this closely in years. It was a beautiful, simple rhythm, a powerful, unspoken promise. She relaxed, allowing herself to melt back against him, admitting to herself, in a small, hidden corner of her heart, that she had missed this. She had missed his warmth, his presence, the simple comfort of just being. She had missed cuddling him, a realization so honest it felt like a betrayal of her own identity.
As she lay there, enjoying the moment, she felt a subtle shift. His body tensed just slightly, a sure sign that he was stirring. Panic, sudden and immediate, seized her. She couldn't let him know she was awake. Not now. Not when she was this exposed. With a perfect, practiced stillness, she shut her eyes, her breathing a controlled, even rhythm.
Hyun-woo slowly woke up. Hae-in could feel him go still, his breathing slowing as he registered their position. She felt a content sigh escape his lips, a soft puff of air that warmed the top of her head. He was quiet for a long moment, and she could feel his heart beat a little faster.
Then, his voice, so soft it was barely a whisper, a sound meant only for himself. "Still as beautiful and cute as the day we first met," he murmured, the words an unconscious, genuine affection. "And still almost makes me want to pinch her cheeks."
Hae-in, her body a statue of stillness, almost snorted. Her cheeks, beneath her feigned sleep, burned with a new, fresh blush, a mix of embarrassment and an overwhelming, ridiculous joy. He thought she was cute. The thought was so unbelievably silly and so profoundly wonderful that it made her heart swell with a feeling she had long forgotten.
He lay there for a few more moments, the quiet contentment of the moment seeming to settle over him. She felt him gently disentangle himself, his movements slow and deliberate, making sure not to disturb her. She was a silent, unmoving bundle of flustered emotions, but she managed to maintain her facade. She heard him stand, the quiet rustle of the sheets. She heard his soft footsteps as he began to walk away, toward his own room.
But then, he stopped. She felt a shift in the air, a warmth descending over her. He was leaning over her, his breath a soft wisp on her skin. A gentle, loving weight settled on her forehead—a chaste, perfect peck. A kiss.
Her heart leaped in her chest.
Then came the soft, almost imperceptible whisper. "I love you. You don't know how much I want to lay there cuddling you whole day long," he said, the words filled with a heartbreaking tenderness, "but... I don't know if you would like it or not."
Her mind, despite the perfect acting of her body, exploded in a storm of fond, furious affection. You idiot! she grumbled internally, a sound she would never, ever let him hear. Of course, I would like it! I almost squealed in joy! She had felt the urge to reach out and pull him back, to press his head back into her neck, to let him know without words that his confession had been heard and his love returned. But her pride, that final, stubborn wall, held her back. She managed to keep her stillness, her perfect facade, as she heard him sigh one more time, a sound of gentle defeat, before his footsteps faded away, and his bedroom door closed with a soft click.
A profound, quiet joy settled over her. Her heart melted a little, a feeling so pure and sweet it almost made her weep. His confession from the night before, his actions this morning—it all reaffirmed her thoughts. He loved her. He never blamed her. And he was here to stay.
With a newfound clarity and resolve, she sat up. The bed was cold where he had been. The pillow was a crumpled, lonely mess on the floor. But the room no longer felt empty. A fierce determination coursed through her veins. This wasn't a game to win anymore. This was a relationship to fight for. She would not let pride stand in her way, and she would not let him do this alone. With a silent, final resolve, she got up and began to prepare for the day, a new kind of light in her eyes.