Moments | Sweet Home

Chapter 11

"Hyun?"

He opens his eyes and turns to her. Her head was still on his shoulder so as he turned his head he became aware suddenly of how close they were-too close, their noses were almost touching. He turns away stuttering. "MMn?"

"Do you think we would have met if things were still normal?"

He took a moment to consider it. Would they? Probably not, but maybe if they had, he would have been less miserable. "I hope so."

She smiles, pleased with his response. "Me too."

He smiles a little, the corners of his mouth upturning.

Yeonha realizes she'd never seen him properly smile. She studies his face more, realising she'd never properly looked at him but now that she did he was actually rather handsome. He had a disheveled appearance since he hadn't had the chance to clean up yet, but still beyond that Yeonha thought he had pretty eyes and a pretty nose and mouth. He probably has a handsome smile too, she mused.

"What?" Hyun becomes shy at her prolonged staring. The tips of his ears felt warm and tingly, and he was thankful his hair was long enough to hide them because they were probably bright red.

"Oh, I uh I was just wondering how we would have met." Yeonha becomes shy too. She turns away and purses her lips. "Do you think we would have met in school, the supermarket, university? Would we have been friends or dated?"

Dated? A faint blush creeps along his cheeks.

"Where do you think we would have had our first date?" She ponders the question aloud. "A cafe? Cinema? Amusement park?" Yeonha continues to ramble as her thoughts get ahead of her. "Oh you like video games don't you."

"How'd you know?" He asks, turning to her with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, I saw the lock screen on your phone, it was a game character." She explains with a smile. "Maybe it would have been an internet cafe date then; y'know I used to go to them a lot at night because I hated being at home alone." 

"Do people even have dates at internet cafes?" She continues to talk, Hyun unable to get a word in. "I've never actually dated, so I don't know if people actually do all that stuff you see them do in dates on dramas."

Hyun was surprised. He thought someone friendly and approachable and pretty like her would have had lots of dates and boyfriends.

"Jisu said you used to like Hyuk." He doesn't know why he suddenly brings that up.

Yeonha snorts. Of course Jisu had told him too. "When I was like 14 I used to."

"You don't anymore?"

Yeonha pulled a face. "God no."

Hyun was happy she'd had such a reaction.

"You know those dates people in dramas would go on where they'd got to an amusement park and wear those silly hats? My friends used to say they were so romantic and cute but I always thought they were cringy and embarrassing.  I suppose though that is part of the charm."

He did know what she was talking about. Before they had died and before things had gone wrong with school, his mom and sister had made him watch dramas with them. His mom had said it was family bonding or something.

The more Yeonha talks about all the stuff she'd never got to do, the more she realises she wants it. She'd missed out on so many normal things, things that she probably wouldn't get to do now that she was becoming a monster. Yeonha wondered if Hyun was thinking the same.

"Hey Hyun, if we both survive this, and if things ever get back to normal again, lets go on a date."

He's silent for a moment, as the words take time to sink in. A date?

"If you don't want to it's fi-"

"-Okay." He agrees quietly.

Quite a bit of time had passed and Yeonha was still resting on his shoulder. Like a person who was chosen by their pet dog or cat that had climbed in their lap, Hyun remained still, not wanting to disrupt her since she seemed to be comfortable.

She sighs. "I wish I could stay like this."

"Like this?" Did she mean here with him?

"Mhmm." She nods without divulging further what she meant and closes her eyes.

A few moments later he feels movement from her and turns to her curiously as she snickers.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I just thought it was funny, everyone else is scared of you and avoids you because you're turning into a monster, but I actually feel safer around you."

"You do?"

Yeonha nods. 

Unfortunatley, she could not stay as she was, because Hyun had to go back upstairs.