36 MINUTES TO FALL, jaemin ✓

17 | treasured memory

❝ What is your most treasured memory?❞

"I'm afraid this might sound shallow, but," Yumi paused, "my most treasured memory is the day you first asked me out. Yes, you were met with a rejection, but I wanted to say yes so badly. It's a bittersweet memory, if not exactly a good one."

"Is there a reason for it?" Jaemin asked curiously.

"You're probably aware of this," she said. "I'm insecure about a lot things, not without reason, really. I guess it's because one of the things I fear most is being a disappointment and somehow, I'm scared that to some people, I'm not exactly a great person or a girl worthy of being called a good friend—especially not someone who earns the romantic interest of someone."

She dropped her brush near the can with relief. "That's done," she said. "Anyway, as I was saying, when you asked me out, it was like a light went on in my head. It hit me that there must be something good about me that you noticed for you to like me. And later on, as you kept asking and asking..." she brushed away the stray strands of her hair out of her face as she surveyed the wall. A bit messy, but good. "I began to realize that more and more. That perhaps I'm not entirely a lost cause."

"You're not a lost cause," Jaemin objected. "At all. And you're right—I noticed a lot of good things about you and I still believe in them."

"More reason to like you," she murmured. "What's your memory?"

"There was this one time my family and I went to an amusement park," he said. "I was about ten or eleven. Even by then, my sister and I fought a lot. But that day, we were just hanging out. Having fun. Being kids. No fighting at all. It was one of the few actually good, fun days I've had with my sister, and a day where my academic record didn't matter as much."

"That's a sweet memory," Yumi smiled. "I'm guessing the next one is about our most terrible memory?"

In response, Jaemin read out the next question.

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WORD COUNT: 364