Tethered by Rivalry | Eunwoo

7

New Year's Eve came faster than you expected. The holiday season had passed in a blur of family time and quiet moments shared with Eunwoo, the tension between you two growing more familiar with each passing day. You were starting to settle into this strange new dynamic, though you hadn't fully processed your own feelings yet.

That night, the resthouse was filled with laughter and celebration. Your families had set up a small party, the living room glowing with string lights and the fireplace crackling warmly. Everyone was in high spirits, counting down the hours until the new year. You and Eunwoo stuck close to the group, trying to avoid any more awkward situations like the one from Christmas.

But fate had other plans.

At some point in the evening, you and Eunwoo found yourselves wandering near the entryway, talking quietly about the upcoming semester, each other's internship, and your plans for the new year. You hadn't even noticed the mistletoe hanging above you, not until Eunwoo glanced up, his eyes widening slightly. You followed his gaze and immediately felt the heat rush to your cheeks.

"Oh, no..." you muttered under your breath, already knowing what was coming.

Before either of you could move, someone from your family spotted you.

"Look! Mistletoe!" your cousin called out, her voice full of excitement. The rest of the family quickly joined in, all eyes turning toward you and Eunwoo.

"Come on, you know the rules!" another voice chimed in, the teasing tone impossible to escape.

You froze, your heart racing. This couldn't be happening. Not now. You glanced at Eunwoo, hoping he would come up with some quick excuse or a way to laugh it off. But instead, he surprised you.

With a quiet sigh and a half-smile, Eunwoo took a step closer, his eyes meeting yours. His expression was calm, but there was a spark of something else beneath it; something you couldn't quite place. He hesitated for just a second, as if giving you a chance to object, but you didn't.

Before you could even process what was happening, his hand gently touched your chin, tilting your face up toward his. Then, in one smooth motion, he leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to your lips.

The room erupted in cheers and laughter, but you barely heard any of it. The world seemed to shrink in that moment, your senses overwhelmed by the feeling of Eunwoo's lips against yours. It wasn't rushed or forced; it was careful, almost tender, as if he was holding back something deeper.

When he pulled away, his eyes lingered on yours for a second longer than necessary, the air between you charged with a new kind of tension. Your heart pounded in your chest, the warmth from his kiss still lingering on your skin. You wanted to say something, anything, but the words stuck in your throat.

The family's laughter and teasing filled the space between you, giving you both an excuse to step back, to play it off as just a harmless tradition. But inside, everything had shifted. That kiss had stirred something within you, something you couldn't ignore anymore.

For the rest of the night, you couldn't stop thinking about it. The way his touch had felt so natural, the way your heart had fluttered in a way it hadn't before. You could no longer deny it-you had feelings for him. Real feelings. But the fear of what that might mean, of how it could complicate things, kept you from saying anything. For now, it was easier to keep it to yourself, to pretend that everything was the same.

The vacation finally came to an end just after new year. As you packed up your things and prepared to leave the resthouse, the bittersweet realization that your time together-away from the pressures of school-was over, weighed on you. The drive back home with Eunwoo was quiet, both of you lost in your own thoughts.

As the car sped down the highway, you found yourself stealing glances at him, wondering if he was thinking about the kiss too. But he didn't say anything, and neither did you. The silence between you wasn't uncomfortable, but it was filled with unspoken words, things neither of you were ready to face just yet.