The following day, Chaeryeong trudged sluggishly through her classes, her mind preoccupied with her thoughts. She was unable to focus on the lectures, her thoughts constantly veering back to Taehyun.
She couldn't decide whether she was relieved or disappointed at her own decision to decline his invitation. The memory of his warm smile and the way their conversation had flowed easily was still fresh in her mind.
"Sweetheart can you throw the trash for me?" Chaeryeong snapped out of her reverie as her mother's voice broke through her thoughts. She blinked, taking a moment to process her mother's words.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," she replied, shaking off her distraction. "Sure, I'll take out the trash for you."
Chaeryeong was in the middle of carrying a garbage bag to the outdoor bin when she heard the distinctive sound of rolling wheels getting closer. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the sound, even before she saw him.
As Taehyun approached on his skateboard, gliding effortlessly along the sidewalk, Chaeryeong froze, momentarily caught off guard by his unexpected appearance.
Chaeryeong blinked a few times to Taehyun's casual greeting. "Hey," he echoed, managing a small smile.
Despite her growing attraction to Taehyun, Chaeryeong tried to keep her emotions in check and stick to the agreement she had made with her sisters.
As he approached, she swiftly averted her gaze away from him, feigning nonchalance. She pretended to be engrossed in throwing away the trash, not acknowledging him at all.
Throughout the day, Taehyun relentlessly tried to get Chaeryeong's attention. He was determined to interact with her. "Hey Chaeryeong! Look at this new trick I learned!"
"Hey Chaeryeong have you tried this new drink?"
"Her Chaeryeong..." Taehyun's constant attempts to talk to Chaeryeong were driving her crazy. He kept trying to get her attention with various excuses, ranging from showing off a new skating trick to sharing a new drink he had discovered.
Every time he called her name, she would instinctively look up, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of his voice. But each time, she would quickly regain her composure and feign nonchalance, avoiding engaging in conversation with him.
Once Chaeryeong reached the privacy of her room, she closed the door behind her and flopped down on the bed with a heavy sigh.
She felt drained from the constant inner turmoil regarding Taehyun, from her growing feelings for him and her determination to stick to the agreement with her siblings.
Chaeryeong busied herself with drawing in an effort to distract herself, she found her thoughts continuously drifting back to Taehyun. Without consciously intending to, her drawing started to take the shape of his features.
Chaeryeong realized that no matter how hard she tried to put him out of her mind, her heart was yearning for him even more.
Chaeryeong paused in the middle of her drawing, her attention shifting to her phone when it buzzed with a notification.
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