Whispers In The Moonlight

It was finally the weekend, and the weather was perfect for the school picnic. The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the kind of gentle breeze that only came with early spring was blowing through the trees. I had been looking forward to this day for ages, mostly because it meant I would be able to spend some time with my friends, but also because, well... Min-jun would be there.

Of course, I had tried to convince myself that I wouldn't make a fool of myself again, but considering my track record with him so far, I wasn't entirely confident.

I met up with Hye-jin early, and we walked to the park together. I tried to calm my nerves by chatting about the picnic, about everything else, really—anything but the fact that Min-jun would be there. As we reached the spot where the picnic was set up, I spotted him almost immediately. He was sitting with Dae-hyun, chatting with him and looking totally relaxed, like he didn't have a care in the world.

I, on the other hand, felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest.

"Just breathe, Eun-ji," Hye-jin whispered to me, nudging me in the side.

I gave her a shaky smile, hoping I wasn't visibly trembling. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as we made our way over to the group.

We all sat on the picnic blankets, laughing and chatting. The guys were being their usual selves, joking around and making fun of each other, while the girls were much quieter. Seul-gi was fiddling with her phone, Na-ra was looking around as if searching for someone, and Hye-jin kept throwing me sidelong glances, like she knew exactly what I was thinking.

I couldn't focus. My mind kept wandering back to Min-jun. How was I supposed to act around him? What if he didn't really like me? What if I was just imagining everything? All these thoughts started racing through my head, and I felt like I was going to burst into a million pieces.

But then, to my surprise, Min-jun stood up and offered me his hand. "Do you want to take a walk?" he asked in that soft, almost shy voice of his.

I blinked at him, trying to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. "What?"

"I mean, if you're not too busy," he added quickly. "I thought... maybe we could take a walk and get away from all the noise. I think it's nice out there by the lake."

I felt my cheeks flush instantly. This was real. This was happening.

"Sure," I said, trying to sound casual, but I was pretty sure my voice cracked. I reached out and took his hand.

We walked toward the lake, and as we did, the sound of the group faded away. It was just the two of us now, walking by the calm water. Min-jun didn't speak at first, and I didn't either. The silence wasn't awkward, though. It was peaceful. It felt... comfortable.

Finally, he turned to me and smiled that smile that could melt my heart. "I've always liked the lake," he said softly. "It's kind of peaceful, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I love it here," I replied, my voice quieter than usual. "It's really nice."

We stopped walking for a moment, standing side by side by the water's edge. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and my palms were sweaty. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I didn't want to mess this up.

Min-jun took a deep breath and turned toward me, his face suddenly serious. "Eun-ji, I know things have been kind of... weird between us. And I know you probably don't know what to think about me."

I froze. Was he about to say he didn't like me after all?

"I just want you to know," he continued, "that I really do like you. I've liked you for a while now."

I blinked, my heart racing. He liked me? For a while? How had I not known this?

Before I could say anything, Min-jun stepped closer to me, his expression soft and earnest. "I know we're still getting to know each other, but I think we have something really special."

And then, without another word, he leaned in, his lips gently brushing against mine.

It was a soft kiss. A slow one. Not like the first one we shared in the library, where everything felt like it was happening in a rush. This time, it was different. This time, it felt like the world around us didn't matter at all. It was just the two of us, standing by the lake, sharing something that neither of us had expected.

When he pulled back, we both stayed there, staring at each other for a moment. Neither of us spoke. We didn't need to.

"Thanks for the walk," I said finally, my voice a little shaky. "I really needed that."

Min-jun smiled, and in that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay. He liked me. I liked him. And maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something real.

As we walked back to the picnic spot, I couldn't help but feel like I was floating. Hye-jin shot me a teasing grin when she saw us, but I didn't even care anymore. Min-jun and I had shared something special, and nothing else mattered.

At least, for now.

Love,

Eun-ji