Every moment with you
makes my heart skip a beat.
Y/N POV:
I woke up before my alarm for once—sunlight barely peeking through my curtains.Must be because of our plans today.
I padded to the kitchen, the house quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator. Mom had left early for the café.
After scarfing down breakfast (and savoring the rare silence without Mom nagging me), I curled up with my novel for a bit.Freedom tastes sweet.
The shower washed away my restless thoughts. I emerged to stare at my closet like it held life's great mysteries before settling on white tee, dungarees, and my trusty black suede sneakers—outfit chosen for maximum café-sprawl comfort.
My reflection in the mirror was decidedly eh. The morning humidity had already frizzed my hair, so I twisted it into a messy bun, letting a few rebellious strands frame my face. Good enough.
I bounded downstairs to find Dad lounging on the living room couch, his reading glasses perched on his nose as he flipped through a medical journal. Sunlight streamed through the windows, painting warm stripes across his worn-out slippers.
"Appa, aren't you going to the hospital today?"I asked,plopping down beside him.
He immediately set aside his papers, his tired eyes crinkling into a smile."Not until afternoon,. I wanted to see your bright face before you ran off with your friends."He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear."Did you sleep well?"
Seizing the opportunity, I switched to my sweetest voice, clasping my hands under my chin."Appaaa~ Seventeen released new album! Your most wonderful, amazing daughter—"
"Ugh, not this again," my brother groaned as he entered, still in his basketball shorts from morning practice "Stop acting like that—people might think you're a girl!" he teased.
I glared at him sharply."Shut up!" I threw a pillow at him.
"Appa, don't fall for it! She's been practicing that disgusting aegyo in the mirror!"
Before I could retort, Dad chuckled warmly."Yah, let your sister be cute." He turned back to me, pretending to consider deeply. "If I buy the album, will you stop—"
"Yes!" I cheered.
"Another album? Didn't you just buy their last one? "Oppa interjected. "You already have like twenty of their albums!"
"But this is a new comeback! It's totally different!"I whined, grabbing dad arm. "Please? I'll do extra chores!
Just then, Nari peeked through the door. "Y/N, are you ready?" she yelled before we could even see her face clearly. Once she reached us, she grinned at my dad."Oh, Uncle, you're not busy at the hospital today? That's not like you!" she said playfully.
"I'm not that busy today.But Nari-ya~ You've become a stranger in our house," Dad replied warmly. "Are your parents doing well?" he asked immediately.
Nari replied with a cheerful update about her family before my brother cut in.
"Yeww, Bae Nari, why are you so dressed up?" my brother said, looking her up and down with a judging face. "You look like you're going on a date." He teased her.
Nari looked down at herself. "Don't you dare destroy my confidence," she said sharply.
"Do you two have boyfriends? Ooh, I guess I know something. This one always takes forever to get ready for school, and now she's doing it on a weekend?" he said, pointing a thumb at me.
"Shut up, oppa! Let's go, Nari, before he embarrasses us any further!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door, ignoring our laughter from the living room.
We decided to walk to the café even though Dad offered to drive us; the weather was too nice to miss. We were chatting happily on our way when we came across Jake and Sunoo at the corner, who fell into step with us.
We walked into the café and were instantly greeted by Auntie Sooji familiar, cheerful voice. 'Over here!' Haerin called out—she and Juhee had already snagged the big table near the window.There were only a few customers inside, and since most people were getting takeaway, it felt quiet and cozy—perfect for us. My mom was busy finishing orders in the kitchen, so we were free to catch up without a single interruption.
"Wait, did you four plan to arrive together?" Juhee asked as we slid into the booth.
Jake shook his head, slumping into the seat beside me. "Nope. We just met on the street. Pure coincidence."
Haerin rolled her eyes, scrolling through her phone. "Why didn't you two just go to Niki's house and drag him here? You know he's probably still in bed."
Sunoo sighed, stirring his iced coffee. "We tried calling. He left us on read."
"Just call him again—" I started, but before I could finish, the café door chimed.
In walked Niki, looking like he'd just rolled out of bed—hair messy, hoodie on inside out, and moving with the energy of a sloth on a Sunday morning.
We all stared.
"What?" he grumbled, dropping next to Nari."Why did you choose this huge table?" he mumbled, "Are more people coming? Who else is joining?"
Juhee pushed a menu toward him calmly. "It has the best view, and since no one's sitting here, we can spread out. Stop complaining and drink this Americano before you fall asleep on the table."
We were all laughing and chatting loudly at our table when my mom suddenly appeared, holding a tray of fresh drinks.
"Yah… do you think this is your personal living room?" she teased, though her tone was light. "just lowers your voice and laugh, you are not the only one "
She passed out the drinks, and we all immediately softened our volume—but not our smiles.
"Thanks, Imo!" Sunoo said, giving her an innocent blink.
"Don't thanks me," she shot back, trying to look stern. "Behave… or this isn't free!"
Just then, a noisy group of boys chimed in. It was our section's basketball team. Based on the loud, familiar way they entered, it felt like it wasn't their first time at the café. When some of them saw us, they waved over.
Jay and his friends were also there. I noticed Sunghoon looking down at his phone. As soon as Jay spotted us, he signaled to his group, and they all made their way to our table. I quickly nudged Jay into the seat next to Haerin.
"You said you were playing basketball. Why are you here?" Haerin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We did play," Jay replied, slightly out of breath. "The court is just near here."
My mom came over with our food and noticed the new arrivals.
"Well, hello young men! What can I get for you?" she asked warmly, though her eyes flickered curiously between us and the basketball team.
Without waiting for their order, she leaned in a little and asked, "Are you all friends?"
"Yes, ma'am," Jungwon replied politely. "We were in the same class"
Just as my mom turned to grab her notepad, Heeseung grinned mischievously and opened his mouth:
"Yeah, especially since you guys were totally fighting yest—"
Before he could finish, Nari lunged across the table and clamped her hand over his mouth, her eyes wide with panic. "Shhh! Do you have a death wish?!" she hissed through gritted teeth."That's Y/N's mom! If she finds out, we're dead!"
Heeseung's eyes widened in understanding—and maybe a little fear—as he slowly nodded behind Nari's still-covered mouth.The whole table fell silent, waiting to see if Mom had heard. But she was already walking back toward the counter, humming lightly as she went.
We all breathed a sigh of relief—crisis (narrowly) avoided.
"Ohhh, sorry! I didn't know!" Heeseung whispered, finally free from Nari's grip but still looking guilty.
I shrugged and dug into my noodles, totally focused.
Then Jake leaned over, his voice a low tease in my ear: "Hey, you know you're eating in front of your crush, right? You should eat a little more... delicately,"
I didn't even look up, my mouth half-full.
"I'm hungry. Besides, whoever likes me will like me even with noodles hanging from my mouth. And whoever doesn't? Well, same."
The whole table burst out laughing—and I only then realized I'd said it way louder than I meant to.
My eyes flickered nervously toward Sunghoon.
He was already looking right at me, a soft, amused smile playing on his lips.
"Exactly," Jay said, giving me an approving thumbs-up. "That's the spirit."
After we finished, Jake, Sunoo, and Niki had already left. As we stepped outside into the cool evening air, Haerin leaned in and whispered something into Jay's ear. A mischievous grin spread across his face before he turned and murmured something to Heesung.
A moment later, Heesung clapped his hands together like he'd just organized a military operation. "Alright, listen up! Sunghoon—you drop Y/N off. Jungwon, you take Juhee. And I'll take Nari."
My eyes went wide. Nari's did too.
"Wait, it's okay—we can just walk—" she began, but Haerin cut her off smoothly.
"Nari-ya! Just say yes—they have motorbikes. And didn't your mom tell you to come home early tonight?" Haerin widened her eyes meaningfully, and I knew right then—this was all her plan.
I glanced nervously at Sunghoon, who simply nodded calmly, as if dropping me home was the most natural thing in the world.
In the end, they all agreed. One by one, they drove off, until it was just Sunghoon and me standing there.
I stood frozen on the sidewalk, my heart doing a nervous tap dance against my ribs. I'd imagined this moment a hundred times, but now that it was here, all I felt was a wave of panic. My hair was a mess, my clothes smelled like french fries, and I was suddenly, painfully aware of every single one of my flaws. Maybe I wasn't ready to be this close to him physically.
He was already seated on his motorbike, holding out a helmet for me. When I didn't move, he raised an eyebrow.
"Well?" he said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Are you going to get on, or are you expecting me to lift you up?"
My eyes widened, and I shot him a sharp glare. He almost smiled—a faint, fleeting twist of his lips—but his tone hadn't sounded like he was joking. It was cool, direct, and left no room for argument.
Swallowing my pride and my panic, I finally forced my feet to move. This was not how I'd pictured my first alone time with him, but maybe… just maybe… it was a start.
I took the helmet and got on rigidly, settling myself behind him. I was careful not to touch him, leaving a deliberate space between us.
We started going, but within just a second, he stopped the bike abruptly. The sudden halt made me lurch forward, and my chest slammed against his back. I quickly pulled myself upright, my face flushing.
He chuckled softly."Just hold on to me. I won't bite—you don't have to be scared."
I could hear the smile in his voice—smooth and warm, like honey.
Then he glanced back slightly, his tone turning more serious yet still gentle.
"Do you know what I said?"
"Mmm... Ye-ahhhh," I stammered, finally wrapping my arms around his waist. Even if we weren't in an accident, I felt like I could die just from this situation alone, my heart hammering against my ribs. Get a grip, I scolded myself silently.
"Which way?" he asked suddenly, making me wince.
"I asked you, which way is your house?" he repeated, his voice patient but clear.
I somehow managed to tell him, though I have no idea how the words actually came out. Around him, I completely lost myself. I had never been this nervous in my entire life.
Finally, we reached my house. As he brought the bike to a smooth stop, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. I need to put some distance between us now, I told myself, or I might actually die from this heartbeat.
I clumsily stepped off the bike, my legs feeling strangely weak.
"We live on the same street," he said casually, as if he'd just noticed.
"Yeahhh," I managed to choke out. Around him, it wasn't just my words that failed me—my whole body seemed to forget how to function.
"Thank you," I added softly, finally meeting his eyes.
He simply nodded, his expression unreadable. I turned and walked toward my house, each step feeling heavier than the last.Just as I reached the door, I heard the soft roar of his engine starting again behind me.
I felt a mix of lingering excitement and mild embarrassment buzzing under my skin. When I finally checked my phone, our group chat was flooded with messages—dozens of questions, teasing remarks, and excited reactions. They were far more hyped about the ride home than I was, and it made me smile despite my flustered state.
Since it wasn't too late, I decided to keep myself busy. I tidied up the living room, wiped down the counters, and carefully watered the flowers on the balcony, each task helping to calm my still-racing thoughts.
Afterward, I took a long, warm shower, letting the water wash away the tension. I hadn't realized how mentally exhausting it would be to sit so close to Sunghoon—every second required concentration, composure, and a whole lot of self-control. Honestly, riding on the back of his bike was more draining than walking home alone.
At night, I didn't feel like studying, so I started doodling about today's ride with Sunghoon. I drew it in a cartoon style, capturing everything exactly—his cool posture, my flustered face, even our outfits. I couldn't help but smile to myself.
But as I lay in bed, sleep wouldn'come. My mind kept replaying everything that happened. I scolded myself for acting so awkward and nervous around him.
Park Sunghoon… you really made me look like a fool today.