7 Minutes In Heaven (SUNGHOON)

3: Unspoken Feeling

The week after the party felt like a whirlwind. I went about my usual routine—classes, studying, hanging out with friends—but I couldn't stop thinking about the time I'd spent with Sunghoon. His calm demeanor and easy smile played on a loop in my mind, making it hard to focus on anything else.

One afternoon, I was sitting in the campus café, my textbooks spread out in front of me, but my mind was elsewhere. I sipped my coffee, trying to shake off the distraction, when a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked up to see Sunghoon standing there, a tray with his own coffee in hand. He looked effortlessly cool in his casual outfit, his eyes crinkling slightly as he smiled down at me.

"Sure, go ahead," I replied, trying to sound casual despite the flutter in my chest.

He sat down across from me, setting his tray aside. "Busy studying?"

"Trying to," I said with a laugh. "But my mind keeps wandering."

"To anything in particular?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I felt a blush creep up my neck. "Just...stuff."

He chuckled softly, taking a sip of his coffee. "Stuff, huh? Sounds important."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yeah, very important stuff."

For a moment, we both just sat there, sipping our drinks and enjoying the comfortable silence. I could feel the warmth of his presence, the slight brush of his knee against mine under the table sending little shivers down my spine.

"So," he began, breaking the silence, "I've been thinking about the party last week."

My heart skipped a beat. "Oh? What about it?"

He leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Just...how interesting the game was. I didn't expect to get paired with you."

I tried to read his expression, but his nonchalant demeanor gave nothing away. "Yeah, it was definitely unexpected."

"Did it make you uncomfortable?" he asked, his tone genuinely curious.

"No, not really," I admitted. "It was just...awkward at first. But it was nice to talk to you."

"I felt the same way," he said, nodding. "It was good to have a real conversation."

There was a pause as we both took another sip of our coffees. I could feel the weight of the unspoken words between us, the questions I was too afraid to ask.

"Sunghoon," I began hesitantly, "do you ever feel like...these games make things weird between friends?"

He looked at me, his expression serious for a moment before he smiled softly. "Sometimes. But I think it depends on the people involved. With you, it didn't feel weird. Just different."

"Different how?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

He shrugged, his eyes meeting mine. "Different in a good way. Like maybe it brought us closer."

I felt a warmth spread through me at his words. "I feel the same."

We continued talking, the conversation flowing easily as we shared stories about our classes and mutual friends. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes would light up when he laughed, the way he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

As the afternoon turned into evening, I realized how much I enjoyed being around him. Despite the initial awkwardness of the game, our time together had indeed brought us closer.

Eventually, we both had to head to our next classes. As we gathered our things, Sunghoon turned to me with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey, Eunju," he said, his tone serious. "I'm glad we got to talk like this. We should do it more often."

"I'd like that," I replied, feeling a smile spread across my face.

"Great," he said, his own smile matching mine. "I'll see you around, then."

As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and excitement about what might come next. Maybe the game had changed things between us, but in a way that felt right.

For now, all I could do was wait and see where this newfound connection might lead, my heart filled with anticipation for the future.