Jiyeon's Declaration

Gojin woke up groggily, feeling disoriented. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. The room slowly came into focus. It took him a moment to realize where he was. This was Jiyeon's room.

He had been here before, back when they were still together and the place hadn't changed much. But that wasn't all as he panicked, realizing he was only in his underwear under the covers. He quickly jumped out of the bed.

"How did I end up here?" he muttered to himself, looking around for his clothes.

His clothes were neatly folded on a chair nearby. Before he could reach for them, the door creaked open, and Jiyeon walked in, wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of hot pants.

She was carrying two cups of coffee, but when she noticed Gojin was up, she quickly put the cups down and rushed over to check on him.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" Jiyeon asked, concerned.

Gojin raised his arm, stopping her from coming closer.

"Uh, could you wear something first?" he said awkwardly, thinking Jiyeon wasn't wearing anything under the shirt.

Jiyeon rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, Gojin?" She lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing the hot pants underneath. "See? I'm wearing pants. Now, you should wear something too."

Feeling foolish, Gojin quickly put on his clothes. Once he was dressed, he turned to Jiyeon, who handed him a cup of coffee.

"What happened after the fight with Jang Chul?" he asked, sipping on the coffee.

"You collapsed after beating that guy," Jiyeon replied, opting to sit next to him. "Since my home was close by, I got a taxi and dragged you here."

"I see..." Gojin nodded.

An awkward silence filled the room. Gojin didn't know what to say. He glanced around, feeling out of place. Finally, he broke the silence.

"What were you doing in a neighborhood like that at night?"

Jiyeon smiled sadly, thinking he had forgotten about the day.

"I turned eighteen yesterday. My friends from other schools wanted to celebrate, so we went to a club that allowed eighteen-year-olds to drink, even though the legal age is nineteen." She paused, taking a deep breath.

Jiyeon continued, "In that club, I bumped into Jang Chul. Then I found out my friends had set me up. They wanted to let Chul have fun with me to settle some debts. I tried to fight back, and that's how I ended up in the alley where you found me."

"Some friend you have," Gojin scoffed. "also... happy birthday."

"...thanks."

"I think you should be careful around them. And contact the police if you can."

Jiyeon shook her head. "We both know that the police won't help in situations like this."

Gojin couldn't argue with that. Even so, he didn't think Jang Chul would leave her friends alone and they wouldn't leave Jiyeon in peace either. Though after the beating they received, things should be calm for a while.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for her. After finishing the coffee, Gojin stood up, ready to leave.

"Thanks for looking after me," he said, turning towards the door.

"Wait," Jiyeon grabbed his hand, her eyes pleading. "Can we start over again? I know I messed up but-"

"No," Gojin immediately cut her off, pushing her hand away. "Not after the things you said to my mother and the way you insulted her."

"If you don't care about me, then why did you save me?" Anger flashed in Jiyeon's eyes as she got into Gojin's face. "Why did you fight them when you could have left me alone?"

"I would have done the same if it was a stranger." Gojin shrugged, trying to sound indifferent. "Happy now?"

Even though he said that deep down, he knew it was a lie. He only helped because he knew Jiyeon. Maybe she would have helped someone if he knew them... but he couldn't deny that he saved her because he knew her once.

Jiyeon let go of his hand and sat back on the bed, looking defeated. "I'll never give up on us, Gojin. I still care about you, and I won't stop trying until you see it, too."

Her words annoyed Gojin, but he decided not to argue. Instead, he simply thanked her for looking after him before walking out of the room.

As he left the house, he felt a mix of emotions. Anger, frustration, and a small pang of guilt. He didn't want to think about Jiyeon anymore. He just wanted to put this whole mess behind him.

Why couldn't you be like this before?

The reason Gojin couldn't bring himself to acknowledge Jiyeon was because of their past. In their previous life, she had treated him horribly, and he couldn't forgive her for that.

However, Jiyeon did not know about Gojin's past life. To her, it seemed like he was ignoring her because of Seo Ahri. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Jiyeon knew Seo Ahri wasn't the school's idol for nothing. But that didn't mean she would give up on Gojin.

***

Gojin tried to open the front door as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake anyone. It was still early morning, and the house was silent. He slipped off his shoes and tiptoed toward his room. As he reached his door, he let out a sigh of relief.

But his relief was short-lived. The moment he turned the doorknob and stepped inside, someone hit him in the head. He took a step back, clutching his head in surprise.

"Where have you been?" his mother, Yeji, demanded, brandishing a sleeper in her hand. "You didn't text or call, and you were gone all night! You better have a good reason for this, young man!"

"Mom, I—" Gojin started, trying to think of an excuse.

But before he could continue, Jinho walked in, placing a hand on Yeji's shoulder.

"Yeji, calm down," he mumbled. "Gojin's a responsible young man. He told me he was going to stay at a friend's place for some schoolwork. I just forgot to mention it to you."

"You should have told me," she grumbled, heading towards the kitchen. "I was worried sick for no reason. You're both idiots!"

Yeji huffed, clearly still annoyed but less furious. Watching her walk away, they both smiled and Gojin let out a sigh.

"Thanks, Dad. You saved me there."

"No problem," Jinho smiled. "But tell me, who's the lucky girl?"

"W-what?" Gojin's eyes widened. "There's no girl, I swear!"

At first, he thought Jinho had seen him with Seo Ahri and recognized her. It could make things worse for him, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Jinho chuckled and pointed at Gojin's collar. "You might want to take a look at your shirt."

Gojin glanced down and saw a smudge of makeup on his collar. It had to be from Jiyeon carrying him to her home. He scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

"Uh... it's not what you think," Gojin stammered.

"It's okay, son. Just enjoy your youth," Jinho laughed and patted him on the back. "But be careful, and try not to make a habit of staying out all night or your mom will have both of our heads one of these days."

Gojin smiled and nodded. "I will, Dad. Thanks again."