The Lucky Fans (LEE JUN HO'S FANFICTION // ENG VER)

16. You're Mine, I'm Yours

The night air mingled with the seaside breeze, making it chilly enough for Rhea to pull her cardigan tighter around herself, providing a bit of warmth, though it felt almost pointless. She had just discovered that there was a beach behind the hotel where they were staying. It seemed like a trek if you went through the main entrance, but there was a shortcut through the hotel's back garden.

If she were at the beach during the day, Rhea would be running around barefoot, reveling in the soft sand between her toes. Unfortunately, the situation wasn't quite right at the moment. Especially with Jun Ho beside her, who had been silent and still since they arrived at the beach. Didn't he say he had something to share?

"Wait, is there someone selling eomuk by the beach? Do you want some?" The thought of enjoying eomuk by the shore, sipping on its warm broth, didn't sound like a bad idea at all.

"No, you can have it."

Jun Ho stared out at the expanse of the sea, searching for the right words that wouldn't hurt her feelings. But the more he thought about it, the more he struggled to find the perfect phrase.

"Igeo." Rhea handed Jun Ho a paper cup filled with a skewer of eomuk and broth. Even though he had declined, she insisted. It was too cold outside for him to resist warming up with the hot broth.

Jun Ho sipped the warm liquid, feeling it flow down his throat and settle comfortably in his stomach. "Rhea-ya."

"Eung?" She looked at him, her mouth full of eomuk. The temptation to devour the rest of it in one go was strong because it tasted so good.

Jun Ho met Rhea's gaze, exhaling slowly before saying, "Nae ma-eum badajullae?"

Only one thought raced through Rhea's mind at that moment. Was Lee Jun Ho practicing for a new drama? If so, he was being pretty cruel for making her heart race like this. "Mwoya? Are you rehearsing for a new drama?" It reminded her of her ex, who had confessed his feelings after making her heart race too. But in the end, he was the one who walked away.

Jun Ho set his eomuk cup down on the table and grasped Rhea's hand firmly. "Nae nuneul bwa. Do I look like I'm joking?"

The gaze of the smiling moon indeed radiated seriousness. Yet, Rhea still felt uncertain. Would she end up in the same tangled love story as before? She didn't want to waste her time on a relationship that lacked seriousness, one without commitment. That wasn't what Rhea was looking for.

"Then let me do one thing." She placed her eomuk cup next to Jun Ho's.

To her surprise, Rhea wrapped her arms around him. She needed to feel something to convince herself—was the flutter in her heart just admiration for Jun Ho as a superstar, or was it genuine attraction because he was a man?

Jun Ho remained still, his hands hovering in the air. He wanted to embrace her back but hesitated, afraid that Rhea might pull away at any moment. After finding her answer, Rhea stepped back, releasing their hug.

She had compared Jun Ho to many things. When she hugged Hee Chul, her heart felt nothing. Even when Ye Sung embraced her, it was just... okay. Although she couldn't deny the happiness she felt in his arms.

But the feelings were different when she was facing Jun Ho. His gaze, his voice, even the hug they had just shared, sent shivers through the deepest corners of her heart, corners that had long been sealed off due to past trauma. The time they spent together and the accidental closeness had resurfaced feelings that Rhea had actually feared.

She nodded, giving the answer that Jun Ho had been waiting for.

Jun Ho smiled. Did she not know that waiting for her response felt like an announcement of whether he would enter Heaven or Hell? His mixed emotions were more intense than the moment he learned he had won a Survival Show or that he'd debuted with 2PM.