But i wasn't a liar ✔️[ENG ver]

Part 41

Part 41

The tires crunched over fresh snow as
Busan's glittering skyline faded behind them. Three days had been enough—too much, maybe—and now the quiet hum of the heater filled the car as they drove home through the winter dusk. 

Hyunjin tightened his grip on the steering wheel as an unexpected memory surfaced - Yeji's smile . Before he could stop himself, a soft smile tugged at his lips.

"Did you just smile?"

Hyunjin jerked slightly in his seat. "Huh?!"

"Ohhh, someone's thinking about Yeji."

"Hyung!"

"I know you miss her so much. Tell her 'I love you.' I wish I could see your face when you say it - you'll turn into a complete tomato, hahaha!"

"I'm driving here. Don't make me crash this car. Please. Be quiet, Leeknow."

"But if you tell her, you'll get kisses later, right?" Leeknow's voice dripped with mischief.

"Leeknow!!!" The shout echoed through the car. Then, quieter but no less pointed, "Maybe you should save kiss talk for you and your lover, Mr. Leeknow." Hyunjin kept his eyes firmly on the road, but satisfaction curled in his chest at his own retort.

Leeknow turned to the window, throat bobbing. The taunt hung like a knife between them—Yuna's name a fresh wound. He'd carved his longing into jokes for months, but fate had other plans. 

Hyunjin's smirk faded. The quiet was louder than any scream. 

Yeji lay buried under her blankets, her hair a wild nest of tangles from tossing and turning all night. She looked—and felt—like a hibernating bear rudely awakened in the middle of winter. 

Then her phone rang. 

She ignored it at first, burying her face deeper into her pillow. But when it rang again, she cracked one eye open—and nearly fell off the bed. 

"H-Hyunjin?!"

Her heart hammered as she stared at the caller ID. The phone kept ringing, vibrating against her palm like a live wire. On the fifth ring, she finally swiped to answer, hastily smoothing her voice into something calm. 

"Hello, Yeji." His voice sent a shiver down her spine. 

"Hi," she managed, then winced at how breathy she sounded. "How... how are you?"

"I'm fine." A pause. "What are you doing?"

"Me?!" She sat up too fast, blankets tangling around her legs. "Umm... studying! I was just—just finishing my lessons. Yeah. Done now!"

Another pause. Then, quieter "Yeji... do you have time at six? There's something important I need to tell you."

"Of course!" The words burst out of her before she could stop them. She cleared her throat. "I mean, yes. I'm free."

"I'll send you the address. I'll be waiting."

"See you then. Bye!"

The second the call ended, she launched herself across the bed, bouncing like a kid on a trampoline. Then she caught sight of herself in the mirror—puffy eyes, hair sticking up in ten different directions—and froze. 

"Oh my god, Yeji. You look like a bear attacked you. What could Hyunjin possibly want to tell me?!"

She scrambled for her phone again, dialing Yuna with trembling fingers. 

"Hi," Yuna answered, sounding far too calm. 

"Yuna, Hyunjin wants to meet me at six! He said he has something super important to say! I'm freaking out!" The words tumbled out in one frantic breath.