BITTERSWEET || Jeon Wonwoo

06

Jieun POV

"Mashora, mashora, mashora, sul-i deul-o kanda, juk juk juk juk..." Mingyu and I chanted at Wonwoo, who had just lost at rock-paper-scissors. "How can you be so bad at a kid's game?" Mingyu teased while Wonwoo made funny faces because of the taste of the alcohol.

He rolled his eyes and put his head on his arm, saying he wanted to rest a bit. "Oh come on, he's not funny," Mingyu said while shaking him a bit to keep him up. "I'm afraid that if you keep shaking him like that, your lovely shirt is going to be stained with soju. Let the man be; out of all of us, he's the one who drank the most," I replied, laughing.

We'd been here for two hours, talking about anything and drinking. It was the first time since uni started that I ever hung out with someone who wasn't my cousin. "Yah, Jieun-ah, can I ask you something? It's about Minho," Mingyu said. The familiar anxious knot formed in my stomach. What had he done? "Yeah, what is it?"

"Is he bothering you? I don't want to scare you or anything, but I caught him following you earlier today, and I confronted him about it." Minho was following me? That man was such a pain in the ass. "Honestly? Yeah, he is. He approached me for the first time on the rooftop, saying he wanted to get to know me, and I was actually so uncomfortable. I don't know the guy," I replied. Mingyu scoffed, "You never heard anything about Minho?"

"I don't pay attention to what people say, plus how could I have been informed? I never talk to anyone. Why? Is he some kind of bad guy?" I asked, determined to get closure on Minho's intentions. "Rumors say he stalked his ex-girlfriend for two years." Oh... "Wow, I mean I knew he was a weirdo but not a stalker," I stated, taking a sip of my Pepsi can.

"Yeah, well, you want my honest opinion, Jieun? Don't talk to him, don't get close to him or anything like that. He seems to have a special interest in you, and I have a bad feeling about this. So please be careful," Mingyu replied, doing the same as I was. "I will. Thank you for informing me," I said, giving him a warm smile. "No problem, anytime. Atta girl."

I sat at the table, fidgeting with my drink while Mingyu excused himself to use the bathroom. Across from me, there lay Wonwoo, slumbering peacefully with a gentle smile on his face. The dim lights of the bar cast a warm glow upon him, and I couldn't help but admire how beautiful he looked even in his sleep. The soft strands of his hair fell over his forehead, and impulsively, I reached out to brush them aside, wanting to get a closer look at his peaceful expression.

As I gazed at him, a wistful sigh escaped my lips. I couldn't deny the feelings that had grown within me, feelings I had kept hidden for far too long. "I wish you liked me back," I whispered quietly, thinking that no one could hear me.

But little did I know that Mingyu had returned from the bathroom and overheard my confession. My heart skipped a beat when I realized he was standing behind me, and I quickly turned my head to face him. Mingyu's expression was a mixture of surprise and concern. He had caught me in a moment of vulnerability that I hadn't intended to share with anyone.

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I stumbled over my words, trying to explain myself. "I-I mean... It's not what it sounds like," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I admire him as a friend. That's all." Mingyu raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced, but he didn't press the matter further. Instead, he smiled reassuringly, trying to ease my discomfort. "It's okay, Jieun. I understand."

I felt grateful for his understanding, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had exposed too much of my heart. Mingyu took a seat beside me, and we both glanced at Wonwoo, who was still peacefully asleep. "He's a good guy," Mingyu said softly, his eyes fixed on Wonwoo. "And you're a great person, Jieun. Anyone would be lucky to have you."