Paperclips - YJH

Twenty-Five

"I like you, Y/N." He dropped the bomb, just like he did nine years ago. He stared at me, searching my eyes for answers as I stood here like an idiot, feeling my heart skip a beat by each passing second.

A good few seconds passed before I blinked. Jeonghan took a deep breath as he opened his mouth to speak. "What—"

"Repeat that." I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. Did I hear that right?

"What?" Jeonghan asked, with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Repeat what you just said." I breathed out, making sure I wasn't imagining things. Jeonghan's eyes softened as he smiled faintly, "I said I like you."

My heart raced as I heard those words again. A sudden wave of excitement washed over me, but I couldn't ignore the fluttering feeling in my chest. "Are you asking me out or..." Was all I could mutter out, despite the hundreds of things I wanted to say.

Jeonghan smiled as his gaze moved about, "What do you think?" I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Before I could blink again, a name popped up in my mind— Jia. I swallowed hard, hesitant. I looked at Jeonghan again, "I—"

"You need time to think about it." He breathed out, "Right?" I nodded slowly, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. Jeonghan's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly masked it with a reassuring grin. "Take all the time you need," he said softly, his eyes searching mine for any sign of what I was feeling. 
____

The day had come to an end, and everybody was returning home. I didn't see Jeonghan anywhere after this morning. As I drove back to my apartment, I couldn't help but shake off the feelings of guilt. It felt like the past was going to repeat itself. I couldn't let that happen, not after I had the opportunity to meet him again after nine years. I quickly retrieved my phone from my bag and called Jia after I parked my car on the roadside. Several cars zoomed past me as I waited for Jia to pick up the call, my feet tapping anxiously on the ground.

"Hello? Y/N?" She answered the call, with her usual bubbly tone. "Is everything okay?"

"About Jeonghan..." I trailed off, anxiously. "He—Today we..." I stuttered out before a wave of confusion washed over me as I heard Jia chuckle from the other side.

"Did it finally happen?" She asked, amusement evident in her voice. I raised my eyebrows at her question, "What...?"

"Did he finally confess? Took you guys too long!" She continued, teasing me. "You know he's had a crush on you forever, right?"

"Jia, what the fuck?" I mumbled, "Did you not like him?" Shocked by the turn of events.

"No, I never did. Seungkwan asked me to pretend I did so you could finally come to your senses and confess. It was our plan." She revealed it, still laughing. My mouth hung open as I listened to her. Only one thought races through my mind— Jeonghan. I quickly hung up the call and started the car, speeding towards his house. As I drove, my heart pounded with a mix of nerves and excitement. This was my chance to finally tell him how I felt. 
____

I stood outside his building, a big, luxurious one—just like what I'd imagine an idol would live in. I had already called him and let him know that I was coming over, so all I have to do now is just walk straight in. I take a deep breath and walk inside, making my way to the elevator. My mind was racing with all the things I wanted to say to him, hoping that I could make up for hurting both of us in the past. The elevator ride felt like an eternity, but when the doors finally opened on his floor, I knew there was no turning back. This was it—my moment to lay it all on the line and see where it would take us.

He smiled as he welcomed me into his apartment. There were pictures of Jeonghan and Seungkwan on the walls. I looked around, taking in all the small details in the house that indicated Seungkwan was his roommate.

"So, where's Seungkwan?" I try to make conversation, after making myself comfortable on the couch.

"Schedule. He'll come back late today." Jeonghan said it casually, grabbing a couple of drinks from the fridge. I felt a sense of relief knowing I had some alone time with Jeonghan. "So, what's up?" He asked as he passed me a bottle of soft drinks.

"Huh? Oh— yeah, I'm..." I took a deep breath to calm myself down before looking at him, "I... uh... like you." I mumbled softly, looking away afterwards. 

He raised his eyebrows before inching closer to me. "Say that again?"

I looked at him, taking in his sincere gaze and encouraging smile. It somehow gave me a boost of confidence as I faced him, "I love you."  

His eyes widened as he let go of the drink in his hand, the glass falling to the ground and spilling the drink all over the floor. I looked down at the floor in horror, unaware of all the thoughts that rushed through Jeonghan's mind. As I stood up to help him clean it up, I felt a hand grab mine and pull me back into a warm embrace. It took me by surprise, but soon I closed my eyes and felt a sense of peace wash over me. In that moment, I knew that my confession had brought us closer together in a way I never expected.

I could feel Jeonghan's heart race as my ears were placed on his chest. He took a deep breath before pulling away and looking right into my eyes, "Do you mean it?"

"I've always wanted to say that to you." I nodded in response. With a smile, Jeonghan gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face before leaning in to kiss me softly on the forehead. The weight of unspoken words lifted off my shoulders as we stood there, connected in a way that words could never fully express.

Instinctively, I placed my hand on his shoulder as I tiptoed up to reach his level before softly planting a peck on his sweet lips. As I pulled away, I chuckled at how taken aback he was by the kiss, but soon I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist as I was suddenly up from the ground, my legs wrapping around his torso. Our lips met once again, more passionately this time. He placed me on the couch and sat beside me before leaning in to kiss me again, however, a voice from behind interrupted our moment.

Turning back, I saw Seungkwan standing there with a playful smile dancing on his face, "Get a room, damn."