OTT |Jang Wonyoung|

I Need You Now |Chapter 8|

"Meeting you this year would be one of the longest chapters in my autobiography."

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Over the next few weeks, a comfortable routine settled into place. I found myself visiting Wonyoung's apartment more often, whether it was to chat over coffee, share a meal, or spend time playing with Seon-Yeong. Each visit brought us closer, deepening a bond that had started forming that night after the office Christmas party.

Wonyoung was always welcoming, her smile warm and inviting whenever I knocked on her door. I quickly became a regular fixture in their lives, and it was a role I was happy to embrace. There was something about the quiet, domestic atmosphere of her apartment that put me at ease. It was a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of my work life, and I found myself looking forward to those moments of calm.

Seon-Yeong, too, seemed to have grown accustomed to my presence. Every time I arrived, she would greet me with an excited shout, often dragging me into her world of toys and games before I even had the chance to take off my coat. I didn't mind one bit. There was something incredibly rewarding about seeing her smile, about knowing that I was a part of this little family they had built.

The more time I spent with them, the more I learned about their lives and their struggles. Wonyoung was doing her best to balance work, motherhood, and everything in between, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the weight of responsibility that she carried on her shoulders. She rarely complained, but I could tell that it wasn't easy. I admired her strength, her resilience, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help lighten the load.

Our conversations grew deeper as well. We talked about everything—from our past experiences to our hopes for the future. I shared stories from my childhood, anecdotes from work, and in return, Wonyoung opened up about her life, her dreams, and the challenges she faced as a single mother. There was a vulnerability in her that she rarely showed to others, and I felt honored that she trusted me enough to share it with me.

But as close as we had become, there was always an unspoken line between us, one that I wasn't sure I should cross. I found myself thinking about her more often than I cared to admit. There was something about Wonyoung that drew me in—her kindness, her beauty, her strength. But every time I felt that pull, I reminded myself that she had been through enough heartache. The last thing I wanted was to complicate her life further.

And so, I kept my feelings to myself, content with the friendship we had built. It was enough, I told myself. It had to be enough.

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Then one day, out of the blue, my friend Andrei called me up. Andrei and I had known each other since college, and he was one of the few people who could always tell when something was bothering me. He didn't beat around the bush. After a few minutes of catching up, he came right out and suggested that I go on a blind date.

"You've been spending too much time in that apartment of yours, Y/N," Andrei said, his voice full of the easy confidence that had always made him popular with women. "You need to get out there, meet new people. I've got a friend—well, she's more of an acquaintance, really—but she's great. I think you two would hit it off."

I had been so wrapped up in my visits to Wonyoung's apartment and my work life that I hadn't really thought about dating. It had been months since I'd even considered it. But Andrei was persistent, insisting that I needed to get out there and live a little, to see what was out there beyond the walls of my own mind.