Withered (Michaeng) ✔️

Chapter 31: A Step Closer

Chaeyoung keeps glancing over his laptop at Mina full with adoration. He realizes and knows it well, every feature of her face but whenever he looks at her, he discovered something new, something different that spark that familiar feeling again and again. He can't deny it's the best feeling in the world but at the same time very painful.

All this time, he's content just by the fact that Mina is his best friend. Seeing her smile or hearing her laugh makes his heart happy. And being near her is good enough.

He thought of falling in love with his best friend is not a crime because falling in love can happen to the least person we expect. Love is free and people have the freedom to choose whom to love.

Just as much as he loves her, he's afraid of losing the girl, because he cares for her more than he supposed to, he's terrified. The feelings are so intense, and the fear of revealing them can be paralyzing. Thus, he chooses to distance himself, keeping the wall between them. Silently hurting, watching her from afar for years.

He never dares to fantasize his confession let alone dreaming about his future with her. And now, living under the same roof, eating on the same table, waking Mina in the morning, and her carrying their child seems very unconvincing. Well, everything happens for a reason and he hopes that his stupid and unforgivable mistake actually leads to something, something he never knows. Something........meaningful.
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Mina looks up and put her book down. She catches Chaeyoung staring at her, and their eyes meet for merely a second before he coughs and look away, busying himself, full concentration on his laptop screen. They sit across the library room, Mina's on the couch while he's typing at the working desk. Originally, Chaeyoung is browsing the internet reading some pregnancy books. A section dedicated just to dads that has a lot of useful information and how he could help throughout the process. But, he gets a bit distracted by Mina.

"So... how is it?" Chaeyoung asks breaking the silence. He's talking about the book that Mina just finished reading.

"It's good. A story about acceptance and letting go. Though it was hard for him to deal with the truth, she belonged only to his past. Grief and massive guiltiness make him confused, lost and trapped in his own little world. But, it was time to begin to accept it, as much as it hurt to do so. A sad yet beautiful story" She ends it and close the book. Her soft lips stretches into a smile but don't quite reach her eyes. Chaeyoung sighs and walks closer, sitting beside the girl and embrace her. He sees it, how her eyes are shining lit with sadness and what that forced expression meant.

"You're always a soft-hearted person. Never change. Stop reading that kind of books. It's too depressing" He pulls out and wipes her tears while giving her that silly smile, trying to cheer up the girl. Mina chuckle softly and rub her eyes, they stare at each other before she reaches out, hugging him tightly. Chaeyoung is frozen by the sudden action but soon reciprocate it. For Mina, it's sound calming and reassuring. She's trying to liberate herself of the burden of anger and resentment and feel the freedom of granting forgiveness. He hurt her, yes it's a fact and she's still in pain but no matter what it's also a fact that he is someone who had spent half of his life beside her. She decides that their friendship is worth continuing.

They stay hugging wordlessly, her head resting on his chest as she closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Chaeyoung tries his best to control his heart from thumping so loud but at the end, he gives up with the thought and just focuses on her warmth.

It's a simple enough gesture -
affection, perhaps the fragile beginnings of love
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"Wanna go out for ice cream? It's good weather today" Chaeyoung whispers, enough for the other to hear him. Mina bobs her head with the mention of 'ice cream' but tighten her arms. It "Let's stays like this a bit more....it's been a while" She replies. Chaeyoung smile and gently caresses her hair "Yeah, let's do that"