Guri's Old Mansion ✅

38.

As the evening sky transitioned from a pale blue to a deep purple, the group of friends found themselves at a bustling restaurant in Guri, the place alive with the sounds of sizzling meat and uproarious laughter. Everyone was in high spirits after an intense brainstorming session, but for one particular person, the mood was equally filled with excitement and dread.

Dokyeom sat beside Midori, his stomach doing somersaults. She was enthusiastically discussing garden plans with Joshua and Hoshi, her eyes sparkling so brightly that Dokyeom wondered if she had consumed too much of the colorful fruit punch. No matter how much kimchi he piled onto his plate, he just couldn’t shake the heavy feeling of impending doom—or as he liked to call it, the “confession anxiety.”

“Are you okay?” Mingyu nudged him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “You look like you just saw a ghost—or worse, a broken potato chip.”

“Yeah, totally fine!” Dokyeom replied, perhaps a little too quickly, as he attempted to shove a whole piece of meat into his mouth to distract himself. “Definitely not thinking about how to confess my feelings to Midori while attempting to breathe correctly!”

Mingyu didn’t buy it. “Sure you are. Just remember, if this goes south, I’m definitely not sharing my dessert with you.”

After an extravagant meal, complete with good-natured ribbing and multiple plates emptied, the group decided to take a stroll in a nearby park. The atmosphere shifted, the sounds of their friends' laughter fading into the backdrop of soft chirps and rustling leaves. Dokyeom could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He had to do it now or risk having his feelings bottled up forever—like a jar of pickles left in the sun.

As they settled down on a grassy patch, Dokyeom noticed Midori gazing at the stars like she was trying to decode their cosmic secrets. He took a deep breath, battling the tumultuous waves of courage and embarrassment crashing inside him.

“Midori,” he started, trying to sound suave but accidentally sounding like a recovering parrot. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking… about our projects and things… and I realized something very important.”

“Are you okay? You sound like you’re about to launch into a motivational speech,” she said, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Okay, fine! I just need to say it! I have feelings for you!” he blurted out, his face flushing hotter than the spicy kimchi they had devoured earlier. “Wait, that didn’t sound smooth at all…”

Midori blinked, momentarily caught off-guard, her expression a mix of surprise and intrigue. “Wow, you really went for it, huh? Should I get you a trophy for bravery?”

“Only if it comes with the bonus of you being my girlfriend!” he replied in a flash of desperation, his heart pounding. “I mean, will you be my girlfriend? I promise to bring donuts on Wednesdays!”

“You had me at donuts!” she chirped back, suddenly grinning widely. “I thought you were going to say something really deep and profound, but all it took was pastries!”

Dokyeom felt the relief wash over him as he tried to catch his breath. “So, does this mean we’re officially a thing now? Like, are we sharing a Netflix account and arguing about what to watch?”

“Is that a commitment problem I hear?” Midori teased, giving his hand a playful squeeze. “Because I'm totally ready to fight over every romantic comedy.”

“Perfect! I have a strategy—I’ll suggest a horror movie and then we cry about it together afterward. Team bonding!” he replied, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

They both laughed, the anxiety dissipating like mist in the morning sun. Underneath the starlit sky, Dokyeom’s heart felt lighter, and in that moment, he knew he had made the right call. Together, they would navigate their newfound relationship, full of quirky fights over what snacks to buy in the grocery store and debates over which bakery sold the best tarts.

“Just one thing,” Midori said, a teasing glint in her eye as she turned serious for a moment. “If we’re doing this, you have to promise me one thing.”

“Anything!” Dokyeom replied, puffing out his chest like a proud rooster.

“No more creative and silly excuses from now on! Or that flower pot incident when you thought it could be a ‘cute metaphor’ for our relationship. Just be you—awkward and sweet, okay?”

“Deal!” Dokyeom laughed, feeling a surge of affection. “But if a plant starts talking to me, I might need to reconsider this arrangement.”

As the stars twinkled above them, the air filled with laughter and silly promises, Dokyeom realized that the intensity of the moment had transformed into something so beautifully light, just like them. And off in the distance, one could almost imagine a broken potato chip quietly cheering them on.