✔ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃: 𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑟

CHAPTER 27

The cheers of the crowd around me slowly died down as I stood on the soccer pitch, letting the excitement of winning the game sink in. The victory was not only a triumph on the pitch, but also an overcoming of personal challenges and doubts that had accompanied the team and myself over the past few weeks.

As I looked around, I could see the beaming faces of my teammates. The union of effort and success had created something unique - a bond that went deeper than the victory itself. My eyes wandered to Paenji, who was standing on the court with the other cheerleaders. Her smile and proud looks were a testament to the intense support she and the girls had given us during the game.

I stepped out of the hustle and bustle and approached Paenji, who was waiting for me with a warm smile. "You guys did a great job cheering," I said.

Evening fell over the campus as the euphoric mood of winning the game slowly faded into a serene celebration. The sky turned warm shades of red as we gathered together on the soccer field.

Her red hair shone in the spotlight and her cheeks glowed in soft shades of pink. The moment seemed to float between us and I could literally feel the joy we shared. "And you played great!" she replied and her cute giggles reached my ears. Meanwhile, the festive music continued to play in the background.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile on my lips and gave my team a quick glance. I was very proud of our victory. "We're a good team," I announced happily, because I couldn't have wished for more at the moment. Nevertheless, there was still one thing nagging at me and I really wanted to get rid of it now. "Paenji, do you have a moment?"

She nodded and her eyes wandered back and forth as if she was looking for a place where we could talk undisturbed. "Let's go there," she finally said, pointing to the large double doors. We were away from the crowds there and could talk.

With a nod, we both went there, but I kept a little distance because I didn't know if too much closeness was good for me. I'd had a lot of time to think over the last few weeks and I was pretty sure what to do next. However, I didn't know how Paenji would feel about it and whether she would accept my request. When we finally stood in front of the double doors, I literally slammed the door and said, "I'm in love with you."

Her roundish eyes widened for a brief moment, then her expression softened. I didn't know what she was thinking or whether I had just taken her by surprise. But I felt the desire to tell her the truth. "That's you?" her voice spoke, but it was only a breath. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips that somehow seemed hopeful.

"That's me," I confirmed her question and felt my heart start to beat faster at that sentence. "It took me a long time to understand these feelings, but you've always fascinated me as a person. You are someone very special to me."

Her eyes shone, the brown of her irises was even more beautiful than usual. "That - ...", she stuttered, "I feel the same and ..." She must have been overwhelmed, because she didn't know what to say. "Taehyun, there's so much I wanted to tell you."