❝𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗛 ━━ 𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗪𝗢𝗢

step #5

:: Let him call you a dumb (embarrassing) nickname

As you'd predicted, you could barely bring yourself to eat during the whole gaming thing, even though Wonwoo's mum always makes the nicest food. You try not to let on that you're hungry, though, because it's worth it just to see Wonwoo get so excited about something.

You both go up to his room afterwards, you trailing behind him as he babbles about the grip of the console and the functions of it—and it's nice to hear him sounding so passionate, even if thinking about the science behind the consoles makes your head spin a bit.

Though it's not the first time at Wonwoo's place, given that you'd helped him in moving and even stopped by to have dinner together sometimes...it is strangely comfortable. Wonwoo too must find it that way because lies down on his bed, and you lie on the floor and put your feet up on the bed—it's a configuration you both were used to.

Back in middle school, when you both were shooed away from the hall to his room, he'd be on his bed doing his thing and you'd be on the floor doing your own thing. You think you know Wonwoo's ceiling almost as well as you know your own.

"—and it never took a turn that smooth before," Wonwoo concludes, summarising his many feelings about the new console.

"Oh," you say, trying desperately to sound like you'd followed every single word of the conversation. "Um."

You are usually a good listener, so you're really letting yourself down today, but you can't stop thinking about how different everyone in the basketball club was acting after probably, the girl had spread the gossip.

Was it really so weird that you and Wonwoo might be going out?

You already spent all your spare time together nowadays, at each other's houses, and they walked to and from the university together every day.

Maybe—just maybe—what was stopping people from seeing it as natural was that Wonwoo is different when he's alone with you. He smiles more, he talks more, he even laughs occasionally. You wonder if he's ever been jealous when you talk to some other boys. You wonder if anyone's ever called you "YumYum," and if it's ever made Wonwoo angry.

You wonder why you've never called Wonwoo by his nickname.

"Yumi," Wonwoo says. "Did you fall asleep?"

"Nah," you scoff, "I'm awake."

You pause, a momentous decision on the tip of your tongue. "Um, Wonu?"

The silence is so loud that you feel like your ears are buzzing. Wonwoo doesn't respond for a very long time, and you stare at the ceiling, scared that if you blink, the world will end.

"Don't ever call me that again," Wonwoo says.

You let out a breath. "Why," you try. "Isn't that better?"

Wonwoo laughs, and you wish you could see his face to gauge what type of laugh it is. "Better," Wonwoo says, "yeah I guess, it's relative."

"Right," you say, sounding relieved. "Wonu."

"This is stupid," Wonwoo says. "I'm already used to hearing Wonu from my parents and relatives, it still sounds like a dumb nickname."

"Wonu isn't just some dumb nickname," you retort, "it's your name."

You sure are feeling bold.

"And it's about time you got used to it."

"Alright," Wonwoo says.

You wait for him to speak further, but he doesn't, he's just silent, and you feel like screaming.

It's almost ten minutes later when Wonwoo—when Wonu clears his throat.

"YumYum."

You are so shocked that you don't react for maybe ten more minutes. And then you laugh.

"Shut up, Yumi," Wonu says.

You are so happy that you could cry. You don't cry, though, because that would be pathetic, and Wonu would probably scoff at you, so you keep laughing. "Sorry, Wonwoo," you say, more as a reflex than anything else.

"No, that's not fair," Wonwoo says, as if he's whining, "you can't just tell me you're going to call me Wonu, and then go back to Wonwoo.'"

"Sorry, Wonu," you say, your laughter finally fading. "Why can't I call you both?"

"Pick one and stick to it," Wonu says.

It sounds like he's trying to be serious, but you can hear the amusement in his voice. You wish, again, that you could see his face, just to see how close he is to a smile. You're right there in the same room—it's pathetic that you haven't done anything about it yet, so you pull your feet off the bed and sit up, leaning on the edge of the bed.

Wonu turns his head away, which means he's smiling. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, but they can't go any higher, which means he's trying to distract himself.

You feel like you've oddly succeeded—even though there are still at least some girls with crushes on Wonu, and countless more who have now been informed that they're going out, even though they're not, which is something you wish you could fix—even though you might not have the prize, you still won first place.