Yeonjun ran his fingers along her cheek, so gently that she almost thought she imagined it. She felt stripped bare under his eyes. As if he had peeled away all the layers until her deepest inner self was revealed. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, his gaze holding her captive, like a deer in the beam of a headlight. Hwayoung's heart was beating as frantically; terrified of the collision. And at the same time, she didn't want to look away, didn't even want to blink, afraid to miss the smallest moment of Yeonjun looking at her like this. His fingertips danced over her skin until they stalled at her mouth. Then tenderly they touched her lips, traced their form. Yeonjun lowered his hand, and before she could stop herself, Hwayoung caught it with hers, pulled it to her chest. Right to the place where her heart fluttered like it was a bird in the cage of her ribs. Yeonjun exhaled shakily and gently loosened one of her hands. When he placed it against his own chest, his heart beat as fast as hers. All at once Hwayoung saw the insecurity alongside the tenderness in his eyes. The worry. The fear. Her heart swelled in her chest until it felt too big for her body. I'm overflowing, she thought. I'm overflowing with love. She wanted to laugh and cry and she wished she'd never taken his hand, never let it get this far. And then Hwayoung leaned forward and their lips brushed. 

i know you don’t tell me everything. i can see it in your eyes, i can feel it in the way you kiss me. sometimes i look at you and you seem so far away that i’m scared you won’t be coming back to me. i don’t know what you’re so afraid of but i can promise you have my heart as long as you want it. i don’t think i could ever stop loving you, even if i wanted to