hallway⤵ park wonbin

63. LONGING

Myeong found herself aimlessly lying on the bed after dinner, staring at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts for the third consecutive day. She absentmindedly nibbled on dark chocolate, a temporary escape she requested her father to bring home from the office.

The weight of the recent events had lessened, yet a sense of uncertainty lingered.

Though not as weary or anxious as in the initial days, Myeong remained unsure of how she would face Minhyuk.

The prospect of encountering him added a layer of tension to her already contemplative mind, leaving her in a state of quiet reflection.

On their last scheduled group study day, Wonbin messaged Myeong shortly after she reached her room, informing her that the study session was canceled with an attached text encouraging her to take her time.

Grateful for the understanding gesture, Myeong agreed, deciding to skip the group study for the day.

Myeong's intention was to present herself in a good state and mood when facing Wonbin, not allowing the recent events to cast a shadow on their interactions.

She wants to reassure him that the situation with Minhyuk, though on her mind, wouldn't affect their shared moments together.

At exactly 11:30 pm, Myeong squinted her eyes to check the wall clock and reached for her phone.

She wondered if Wonbin was still awake, as she believes he was, Myeong contemplated texting him to find out what he might be doing at this very moment, in spite of imagining he's probably diligently sitting at his study table.

Despite the recent events, Wonbin never once directly questioned her about what occurred. Instead, he consistently sent good morning wishes or inquired if she had lunch or dinner, always just a few minutes after she returned to her bedroom from the meal.

Myeong would smile looking at the messages and reply back positively.

As Myeong was about to pull over her chats with Wonbin, Haneul's call unexpectedly popped up on the screen.

Intrigued and slightly taken aback, she sat at the edge of the bed in anticipation. With a sense of curiosity, she picked up the phone and whispered a hesitant, "Hello, Haneul?" into the quiet night as everyone in her home were asleep by now except for her.

The other side remained quiet until Myeong heard some footsteps, and finally, Haneul responded, "Why are you awake this late? Rethinking about what happened?" Myeong, frowning, looked at the phone screen and saw the time—it was 11:45 pm.

She replied, "How do you know I am awake?"

Haneul smiled through her words, replying, "I saw you being online..."

Myeong's mouth formed an "O" as she realized she haven't exited the messaging app for quite some time. The surprise shifted to a sheepish smile on her.