Chapter 75. Lee Dohyun (5)

Eunkyo laughed as she replied, “Yeah, you seem a little crazy.”

— And whose fault is that?

His voice came through with a long, deep breath, closer than ever. Feeling the subtle warmth that spread through her body, she glanced around aimlessly to shake it off.

“What did I even do? This is unfair.”

— Can I come see you?

Reflexively, she tilted her head to check the time.

The hour hand pointed exactly at ten. Click—the minute hand ticked past twelve.

10 p.m. Only two hours left until midnight.

“No, you can’t. I have to write.”

— I’ll behave. I just want to be near you.

“Next time. My friend’s having a wedding reception the day after tomorrow, so let’s meet after that.”

— What about tomorrow?

“Why are you being so clingy, Lee Jaeheon?”

— Because I’m young.

He sighed softly. The disappointment in his voice was obvious, but she stayed firm.

As always, she evaluated her relationship with Jaeheon like a habit. Should she take another step forward—or step back?

And once again, the scale tipped toward retreat.

“But… I want to see you too. Wonder what kind of face you’re making right now.”

— What, are you teasing me?

She smiled with laughter on her lips, toying with the hem of her soft shorts.

“So, do you hate it?”

— Don’t you think I like it even more because of that?

Eunkyo tilted her head, pressed the phone to her ear, and turned onto her side. As she leaned into the sofa back and relaxed, the cushion sank in comfortably.

“So… you really can’t go home?”

— I don’t really want to. I was thinking maybe I’d go exercise or something.

“What kind of exercise?”

— Anything that uses my body.

“I can’t sleep like this,” Jaeheon laughed bitterly.

His words stuck to her lips like melted caramel—sweet, sticky, impossible to ignore. For a moment, she said nothing at all.

‘You’re insane, Jung Eunkyo.’

She shook her head at herself. A dry laugh escaped. Not even with Lee Dohyun… not even with her first love or those first fluttery moments with someone else had she ever felt like this.

She had always tried to stay within a safe emotional range, to keep relationships smart and contained. So why now—why with just a few words, a laugh, a breath—was she unraveling like this?

— Sunbae, should I really come up?

Just as he spoke, she heard the heavy, rough engine of his car.

And then… the same sound, outside her window.

Startled, Eunkyo sat up.

“Where are you?”

— If you don’t want me to come up, then just come downstairs. Just one kiss, I promise.

“When did you even get here?”

— About an hour ago? You didn’t hear because you were on the phone.

‘Unbelievable.’

She rushed to the window and opened it. The heat hadn’t cooled even after sunset, and a damp breeze stirred her hair.

When she raised her heels slightly to peek below, she saw Jaeheon’s car.

With the engine idling and the headlights off, she couldn’t see him—but under the glow of the streetlamp, the car was unmistakably there.

Knowing he was that close filled her with an uninvited rush of excitement. The kind of feeling she didn’t want to have. Getting hopeful over someone, being read like an open book by someone else… that fluttering feeling was terrifying.

‘What if I become too much for you? What if I sink under the weight of that feeling myself?’

— Jung Eunkyo, why so quiet?

His teasing voice snapped her out of it.

“Wait there.”

She closed the window, threw on a light cardigan, and headed out. 

*Tap! Tap!*

Her slippers echoed rhythmically against the marble floor—quickening once she saw the building’s entrance.

The passenger-side window rolled down, and there he was—leaning toward the driver’s seat, smiling brightly like a kid.

The sight of that smile shifted the balance again inside her. Like someone under a spell, she walked over, opened the door, and let him pull her in.

***