7 Minutes In Heaven (SUNGHOON)

11: Echoes of Seven Minutes

The days blurred together after that evening in the park with Sunghoon. We continued to strategize, trying to anticipate his father's next move while navigating the complexities of our own emotions. Each conversation felt like a delicate dance between hope and fear, a tightrope we walked together, hand in hand.

One afternoon, Sunghoon and I found ourselves in the university library, surrounded by the hushed whispers of students and the comforting scent of old books. We had retreated there to study—or at least, that was the plan. In reality, our minds were consumed with thoughts of what lay ahead.

I glanced over at Sunghoon, who was flipping through a thick textbook with a furrowed brow. His usually calm demeanor was tinged with a subtle tension, a testament to the weight of his responsibilities and the uncertainty of the future.

"Hey," I said softly, breaking the silence that had settled between us. "How are you holding up?"

Sunghoon looked up from his textbook, his eyes meeting mine with a mixture of weariness and determination. "I'm... okay. Just trying to focus on something other than everything that's going on."

I nodded, understanding all too well the need to find moments of normalcy amidst the chaos. "I get it. It's hard not to let it consume you."

He closed the textbook with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah. Sometimes I wish I could just... escape from it all."

I reached out, placing my hand on his arm, the warmth of his skin seeping through the fabric of his shirt. "You don't have to do this alone, Sunghoon. We're in this together, remember?"

He looked at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I know. I'm grateful for your support, Eunju. I don't think I could face this without you."

The sincerity in his voice touched me, and I squeezed his arm gently. "We'll figure this out. We always do."

Sunghoon's phone buzzed on the table, interrupting our conversation. He glanced at the screen and frowned slightly before looking back at me. "It's a message from my father. He wants to meet again."

My heart sank at the news, the familiar knot of worry tightening in my stomach. "When does he want to meet?"

Sunghoon checked the message again. "Tomorrow afternoon. He didn't say where, just that he expects me to be there."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "We'll come up with a plan. We'll make sure you're prepared for whatever he throws at you."

He nodded, his expression serious. "I need to be strong. I can't let him intimidate me."

"You won't," I said firmly, trying to inject as much confidence into my voice as possible. "We'll face him together."

Sunghoon's fingers traced absent-minded patterns on the table, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Do you remember that night at the party? When we played '7 Minutes in Heaven'?"

I smiled at the memory, the warmth of that fleeting moment still lingering in my mind. "How could I forget? It feels like a lifetime ago."

"It does," Sunghoon agreed, his eyes distant. "But those seven minutes... they felt significant somehow. Like a turning point."

I tilted my head, studying his expression. "What do you mean?"

He met my gaze, his eyes searching mine. "It's hard to explain. It's just... in those seven minutes, everything seemed clearer. Like we were finally seeing each other without any pretenses."

A soft blush crept onto my cheeks, the memory of our closeness that night stirring something warm inside me. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It was like time stood still for a moment."

Sunghoon nodded slowly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Maybe we need to approach tomorrow's meeting with the same clarity. Focus on what's important and not let anything distract us."

I smiled, feeling a sense of reassurance wash over me. "You're right. We'll stay focused and face whatever comes our way head-on."

The library around us seemed to fade into the background as Sunghoon and I continued to talk, our conversation weaving between memories of that night at the party and plans for the upcoming meeting. The soft murmur of voices and the faint rustling of pages created a cocoon of intimacy, shielding us from the outside world.

As the afternoon turned into evening, we reluctantly packed up our things, knowing that we needed rest before the challenges of tomorrow. Sunghoon walked me back to my dorm, the cool evening air a stark contrast to the warmth of our shared determination.

"Thank you for today, Eunju," Sunghoon said softly as we reached the entrance to my dorm. "Your presence always brings me a sense of calm."

I smiled up at him, feeling a swell of affection for the man who had become my anchor in the storm. "Anytime, Sunghoon. We'll get through this together, I promise."

With one last squeeze of his hand, I watched as he walked away, heading back to his own dormitory. The path ahead was uncertain, but as I turned to enter my building, I knew that with Sunghoon by my side, I had the strength to face whatever challenges lay ahead—seven minutes at a time.