Chapter 10 : A Dance of Emotions

The night had been restless, and as I dragged myself out of bed, every muscle in my body ached. I rubbed my neck, trying to shake off the discomfort, and freshened up. Suddenly, a mischievous thought crossed my mind could we… could Ji-yu and I become… closer? I immediately shook my head. No, no, no, stop thinking like that!

Lost in thought, I glanced at the clock and realized I was nearly late for college. I quickly made breakfast, left it on the table, and went to Ji-yu's room. "Ji-yu, I made breakfast. I've gotta run, so eat up when you wake up," I said, trying to sound casual.

She half-opened one eye, smiled, and mumbled, "Okay, my dear husband." Her words caught me off guard, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. "Alright, bye!" I stammered, practically bolting out the door. As I boarded the bus, I noticed a familiar face next to me one of my classmates, Annie's friend. She glanced at me but didn't say anything, so I remained silent, feeling awkward. The whole ride, she kept giving me strange looks as if I'd committed some crime. What's her deal? I thought, trying to ignore her gaze.

Finally, I arrived at college, where Annie greeted me with her usual enthusiasm. She was giving me way too much attention, and it felt… uncomfortable. During the lunch break, Annie's friend approached me and said in a hushed tone, "Meet me on the rooftop." I stared at her, confused. What's going on? Why is my life suddenly so dramatic?

Reluctantly, I made my way to the rooftop, wondering what I'd done to deserve this. She was waiting there with a serious expression. As I approached, I blurted, "So… what's up?"

She crossed her arms and, without any preamble, asked, "Who is that girl living with you? Who is she to you?"

I nearly choked. How did she know about Ji-yu? Was my secret going to be exposed? Trying to keep my composure, I replied, "Oh, she's just a relative. She's staying with us for a while and will leave soon. Why do you ask?"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "She's your wife, isn't she?"

It felt like the sky was falling on me. "What?! No, no, no! That's… absurd! We're not… married! How did you even get that idea?"

She leaned in closer, "Because I saw you two coming home wearing wedding attire. And if that wasn't suspicious enough, I heard her call you 'husband' the other day."

My heart sank. How could I have been so careless? "Ah… um… okay, fine, you got me," I said, deciding to go with a partial truth. "She's… my girlfriend, and we like to play around, calling each other silly names." Not a complete lie, I thought, just a little twist of the truth.

She looked skeptical. "Alright, if that's the case, why are you flirting with Annie?"

"What?! I'm not flirting with Annie!" I blurted out. "Why would I even do that?"

"Well," she replied, crossing her arms, "Annie seems pretty interested in you. You might want to be careful with your signals."

I sighed, thinking about my past crush on Annie. "Yeah, we used to be close in high school. But I'm over it now. And… actually, I have someone else on my mind." Someone who has filled my days with warmth, I thought, remembering Ji-yu's laughter and adorable antics.

She gave me a small smile. "Alright, then. Just… make sure you don't break anyone's heart." She walked off, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But as I returned to class, her words lingered in my mind. Who did I really have feelings for?

The rest of the day passed in a blur, my thoughts constantly drifting back to Ji-yu. Her silly expressions, her infectious laugh… why did my heart feel lighter whenever I thought of her? By the time I was on my way home, I had made up my mind. Maybe… maybe I really am falling for her.

As I entered the house, I was greeted by the sound of loud music. Peeking into the living room, I saw Ji-yu dancing in front of the TV, completely lost in the music. She was so absorbed that she hadn't noticed me standing there. Watching her, I couldn't help but chuckle. There was something so carefree, so genuine about her that made my chest tighten in the best possible way.

I coughed lightly, and she jumped, nearly stumbling. "Oh! You're back," she laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"Looks like you're having fun," I teased, walking over to her. She smiled, a bit shy, and then shrugged. "It's nice to let loose sometimes, you know?"

We sat down for dinner, and I could feel my heart racing. I wanted to tell her, to be honest about my feelings, but I was too nervous. Instead, I decided to throw in a light-hearted comment to break the tension.

"You know," I said, smirking, "I think I'm starting to fall for you."

Ji-yu's eyes widened, and she looked at me, blushing furiously. "W-what?! Are you kidding me?" she stammered, clearly flustered.

I laughed, enjoying her reaction. "Just kidding, just kidding," I said, but my heart knew that maybe I wasn't entirely joking.

After dinner, we both decided to watch a movie together, something light-hearted. But as the romantic scenes played on the screen, I could feel the tension between us rising. Every time I glanced at her, I found her already looking at me, her cheeks flushed. By the time the movie ended, I felt like my chest would burst from the unspoken words trapped inside.

As I walked her to her room, I hesitated at the door. Ji-yu turned to me, giving me a small smile. "Goodnight," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Goodnight, Ji-yu," I replied, my voice hoarse. For a moment, we stood there, neither of us wanting to let go. Then, finally, I forced myself to release her hand, feeling my heart drop as I did.

Back in my room, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. The memory of her touch, her shy smile, her laughter… everything about her filled my mind. Could it be… that I'm truly in love with her?

I drifted off to sleep, a smile lingering on my lips, knowing that tomorrow would bring us closer to whatever was building between us.