When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 42

The apartment was silent, the kind of silence that doesn’t feel empty—just new. The door closed behind us with a soft click, and for a moment, neither of us moved. Three hours of winding roads, soft music, and the lull of morning light… I hadn’t realized how tired I’d been until I finally let myself fall asleep in the car, the notes of IU’s voice pulling me under like a gentle tide.

Now, I stood at the threshold of this quiet place—walls painted in warm earth tones, the faint scent of fresh wood and old memories. A single window bathed the living room in pale gold. It wasn’t big. It wasn’t fancy.

But it felt safe.

And maybe that was everything.

“I like it,” I said, setting my bag down by the couch. “It’s… peaceful.”

Han Wool was already in the kitchen, placing the water bottles in the fridge and humming some IU song under his breath. He glanced at me with that small, lopsided smile of his.

“You slept like a rock. Snored once, too.”

“I did not,” I muttered.

“You did.” He grinned wider.

I rolled my eyes, walking over to the windows and pressing my fingers to the glass. The trees outside swayed slightly, touched by a lazy spring breeze.

A long moment passed. Then—

“Geon Yeop told me he loved me.”

Han Wool’s movements stilled.

I didn’t turn to face him. I just watched the wind, my voice steady. “Back in high school. He said he kept it to himself. That he thought if I hated him, I’d be safe. That maybe he'd move on.”

The silence behind me stretched.

And then—soft footsteps. His presence, always warm. Calm. He stood beside me, not too close, not too far.

“I’m glad he told you,” Han Wool said, voice low and sincere.

That surprised me. “You are?”

He nodded, looking out the window with me. “Sometimes feelings are like bruises. They hurt more when they’re hidden. I think it takes strength to speak them out loud. Even if they don’t change anything.”

I finally looked up at him.

He met my eyes with that same quiet strength. “You don’t owe him anything, Ye Na. But maybe he needed to say it for himself. To heal.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected jealousy. But I hadn’t expected… this.

“You’re really okay with it?”

He laughed gently. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re here, aren’t you? With me.” Then, after a beat, “Besides, you’d never fall for a guy who talks in metaphors. That’s not your type.”

I laughed, soft and surprised. “You know my type?”

“Mm,” he said. “Tall, annoyingly handsome, mysterious, gets too excited when you are around.”

I stared at him. “That’s… literally you.”

“Exactly.”

I rolled my eyes, but my heart wasn’t heavy anymore. Not the way it had been.

We stood there, just watching the world move beyond the glass, side by side.

No ghosts. No lies. Just the soft beat of something we could finally hold onto.

Peace.

“You hungry?” Han Wool asked after a moment, bumping my shoulder gently with his. “I can make ramyeon. It’s probably expired, but that just adds spice.”