Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
𝐇𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐞𝐣𝐢
"Yeji?"
I blinked when I heard my name rolling off so easily through his lips as I willed to stop the sudden rise of my beating heart. "Yeonjun-ah," I spoke with a breathy voice. Even with the lights off, it didn't hide the beauty that his bare face possessed.
The mention of his name caused an upward curl from both the ends of his lips. He took huge strides towards me with both his arms wide open, effectively engulfing me in a tight and warm embrace. I relished the feeling of his lean arms around me as he rest his head on my shoulder. I could feel his steady heartbeat against my chest. I closed my eyes thinking that not even once had he done this in the past, it's the first time. And, it made me felt safe. As scary as that sounded.
Returning the hug, I wrapped my arms around his sides. I inhaled his scent, it wasn't strong but it was still there and it was familiar — light musk and warm cotton with a hint of vanilla. A scent that I got very used to in the past. He and I went to the same high school and we used to sit together every morning during study hall. Even though we were both from different classes, we would still find our way to the library or to the extra music room and we would spend our time there just doing schoolworks, prepping for an exam, or listening to music while occasionally talking.
The both of us broke from the hug. I looked up as he looked down at me. He was just a few centimeters taller than me before but now he's grown too much. "How tall are you?" I blurted out.
"Really? That's the first thing you ask after disappearing completely without saying anything?" His eyebrows furrowed, looking and sounding angry. Casting my eyes downward, I bit my lower lip. I felt like a child being scolded by her mother. "You didn't even say goodbye," his voice was soft, almost a whisper but due to our close distance, I was able to hear him.
I looked up and saw a look of hurt flashing across his face. Of course, he would be. He was one of the only two close friends that I had and yet I just left him with nothing — not even a call or a text. I let out a soft sigh, thinking of a way to divert his attention. It's a subject that I don't feel like opening up for now. Although it had already happened years ago, the wound it left was still fresh and hurting. I don't think I'd be telling stories about it anytime soon.
"Let's talk about it some other time, yeah? It's already very late and I still have some classes to attend to tomorrow," grabbing my phone from the counter, I said to him, avoiding meeting his eyes. He seems to have noticed that I didn't want to talk about it, thus, giving me a stiff nod as a response. I can't blame him though. But I'm still thankful that he decided not to push the topic any further.
Pursing my lips, I headed out of the kitchen while he silently followed closely behind. I suddenly felt a tug on the hem of my sleeves as soon as I took a step on the stairs. "Good night," he said while holding my hand as I looked back, our eyes level. He had a small smile on but his eyes held a strange look, telling a different story to which I couldn't read.
