Minji's POV:
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, swirling with the scent of rain that had just begun to fall.
I sat at my usual spot by the window, watching the city streets transform into a glistening canvas under the evening's soft glow.
It was a scene I’d witnessed countless times, but tonight, it felt different. It was bittersweet, tinged with an unfamiliar ache.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic rhythm echoing the storm brewing within me.
I had known for weeks, felt it in the way my stomach twisted at the mention of his departure, in the way my eyes searched for him in every crowd, heart aching at his absence.
He was leaving. Leaving Korea, leaving me, to chase his dreams, a world away.
The thought of that, of a world without him, was unbearable. It was in this turmoil I finally understood.
"Minji?"
His voice, a gentle whisper over the gentle patter of rain, tore me from my thoughts.
His eyes, the color of a summer sky, held a knowing glint, the same look he always had when he knew I was hiding something.
"You've been quiet all evening," he observed, his voice a comforting chord in the symphony of my emotions.
"I’ve just…" My voice trailed off. How could I explain the jumbled mess within me? The realization that had hit me like a rogue wave, sweeping away the normalcy of our friendship, revealing the truth beneath.
He sat across from me, a familiar warmth radiating from him. That warmth had always been there, a constant in my life, but tonight, it felt different, amplified, a silent confession whispered through the shared space between us.
"It's okay," he said, his hand reaching across the table, his touch a beacon in the storm of my feelings.
I was finally seeing him, truly seeing him. The boy I had known for years, the one who always had a smile for me, who always knew how to lighten the mood, the one who never failed to make me laugh, was also the one who stole my breath, who made my heart race, who filled my life with a joy I had never known before.
"I thought you were just… stressed about exams," he added, a hint of concern in his voice.
Exams. The reason I had given him when he'd asked why I’d been acting strange.
Yet, in that moment, those exams seemed so insignificant, dwarfed by the tidal wave of emotions crashing within me.
"You're leaving," I blurted out, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them.
He nodded, his gaze locking with mine. "In a week."
The weight of the realization hit me again. A week. A week was all we had left. A week to hold onto the fleeting hope that this wasn’t the end.
"Y/N," I began, my voice shaking. "I… I need you to know something."
He leaned forward, his expression expectant, his eyes reflecting the storm inside me. "What is it, Minji?"
I took a deep breath, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I love you, Y/N."
The air seemed to hold its breath, the silence between us stretched thin, taut with anticipation. His eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Minji," he started, his voice hesitant. "I…"
But before he could finish, the words I had dreaded, the words that brought the world crashing down around me, came out.
