Home With You ⸺ y.jw

O14.⠀The Little Shift

The festival had been fun, but the next day, Yoorin found herself thinking back to the little moments from the night before. Like how Jungwon's presence seemed to fill up the space around her, or how the small things he did—whether teasing Sooyun or making sure Yoorin had a bottle of water when she didn't even ask—felt so natural.

She wasn't sure what that meant. But for now, she was trying not to think too much about it.

It was a quiet Sunday morning, the kind Yoorin loved. The apartment was peaceful, the faint hum of the city outside providing a steady backdrop to her thoughts. She was sitting on the couch with her laptop open, browsing through lecture notes, when Jungwon padded out of his room, looking half-awake, hair ruffled in every direction.

Yoorin smiled to herself. He looked like a sleepy cat.

"Morning," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning," Yoorin replied, glancing over at him. "Late night?"

"Yeah, I stayed up working on an essay," he said, stretching his arms over his head before plopping down on the couch next to her. He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment, and Yoorin had to stop herself from staring. There was something oddly comfortable about their routine now.

Jungwon opened one eye lazily. "What are you working on?"

"Just going over some notes," Yoorin replied, shifting her focus back to her screen. "I have a quiz tomorrow."

Jungwon nodded but didn't say anything. Instead, he reached over for her laptop, his hand brushing hers in the process. "Mind if I check something real quick?"

"Sure," Yoorin said, trying to ignore the way her skin tingled from the brief touch.

Jungwon quickly pulled up his email, scrolling through a few unread messages before handing the laptop back to her. "Thanks. You've been busy lately, huh?"

Yoorin shrugged. "College life."

"Yeah, but you've been extra focused," Jungwon pointed out, his tone light. "You deserve a break, you know."

Yoorin gave him a small smile. "Maybe. But I don't have much time for breaks right now."

"Well," Jungwon said, stretching out on the couch and resting his head against the armrest, "you should make time. We're going out later."

Yoorin blinked. "We are?"

"Yup. You, me, and Sooyun. She's been texting me about going to that new dessert cafe near campus. She's dragging us along."

Yoorin laughed softly. Sooyun was always so good at pulling people into her spontaneous plans. "Okay, I guess I can squeeze that into my busy schedule."

"That's the spirit," Jungwon said with a grin. "Besides, you need to balance all that studying with something fun once in a while. Consider it a public service announcement."

Yoorin chuckled, shaking her head at him. "Fine, fine. But you're paying for my dessert."

Jungwon opened his eyes fully, giving her a mock gasp. "Me? Pay? I thought this was your idea."

"Excuse me?" Yoorin shot back, crossing her arms. "This was all Sooyun!"

"Well, since I'm going along with it, doesn't that count for something?"

Yoorin rolled her eyes, laughing despite herself. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And you're stubborn," Jungwon said, his grin widening. "But fine, I'll treat you this time."

✦

The cafe was charming, with warm lighting and a cozy atmosphere. Sooyun was already seated by the time Yoorin and Jungwon arrived, waving them over excitedly.

"I ordered for us!" Sooyun announced proudly, gesturing to the table already filled with various cakes, pastries, and drinks. "I figured we could just share everything."

Yoorin sat down, smiling at the sight of all the colorful desserts. "This looks amazing."

Jungwon slid into the seat next to her, eyeing the array of sweets with interest. "Wow, Sooyun. You really went all out."

"Of course," Sooyun said with a wink. "I'm a dessert connoisseur, after all."

They spent the next hour talking and laughing, sharing bites of cake and sipping on sweet drinks. Yoorin found herself relaxing completely, the stress of her schoolwork melting away in the warmth of the cafe and the easy company of her friends.

At one point, Jungwon leaned over and nudged her shoulder. "This was a good idea, right?"

Yoorin smiled at him, feeling a soft warmth spread through her chest. "Yeah, it was."

As the conversation flowed, Yoorin couldn't help but notice the small ways Jungwon seemed to hover near her—offering her bites of dessert, making sure her drink was full, brushing against her arm whenever he moved. It wasn't anything obvious, but it was enough to make her heart race a little faster.

When they finally left the cafe, the sun was starting to set, casting a golden glow over the street. Sooyun waved goodbye, heading off to meet some other friends, leaving Yoorin and Jungwon to walk back to their apartment together.

The walk was quiet, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was the kind of silence that felt peaceful, like they didn't need to fill it with words. Yoorin glanced at Jungwon out of the corner of her eye. He looked relaxed, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie, his usual playful grin softened into something gentler.

They reached their building, and as they stood by the entrance, Yoorin felt a strange hesitation. She didn't want the moment to end, but she wasn't sure why.

Jungwon seemed to sense it too. He turned to her, his gaze steady. "Today was fun."

"Yeah," Yoorin agreed, smiling softly. "It was."

There was a pause, and for a brief moment, it felt like something unspoken hung between them. But just as quickly, Jungwon broke the moment with a playful grin. "You still owe me for dessert next time."

Yoorin laughed, feeling the tension ease. "We'll see about that."

And with that, they headed inside, back to the familiar comfort of their shared space. But as Yoorin lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. Something small, but important.