The rain pounded relentlessly against the windows as Juhee sat at the small dining table in Wonbin's apartment, wrapped in one of his oversized sweaters. They were both quiet, their silence filled with an intensity neither could explain but both could feel deeply. Her hair was still damp from the rain, her cheeks flushed from the cold, and a cup of hot tea sat untouched in her hands.Wonbin watched her carefully, noting the weariness in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. He had seen her like this before-guarded, burdened. Yet tonight, as she sat across from him, the weight she carried seemed even heavier.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his voice gentle but firm.
Juhee looked down at her tea, not answering immediately. She was tired of pretending, tired of holding everything together. "My mom..." Her voice faltered, and she swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. "She's sick. It's... it's serious."
Wonbin's face softened, and he reached across the table, his fingers barely brushing against hers in a hesitant, comforting gesture. She looked up, meeting his gaze. The concern in his eyes was genuine, unguarded, and for a moment, all of her defenses threatened to crumble.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She was exhausted, her heart worn down by the grief she'd been carrying alone. And Wonbin-his presence, his quiet understanding-felt like a lifeline.
Without thinking, she found herself leaning forward, her breath hitching as their faces drew closer. Wonbin's eyes searched hers, uncertain but hopeful. Neither one spoke; they simply let the moment pull them together, closing the distance.
Their lips met, soft and tentative, as if testing the waters of emotions they'd both kept buried for too long. The kiss deepened, each feeling the weight of words unspoken, of all the years and distance between them melting away. Juhee's hand came to rest on his shoulder, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as if grounding herself in this fleeting escape.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, their gazes locked. Wonbin's hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb brushing gently against her skin, as if afraid to let the moment slip away.
Juhee looked away, blinking back tears, her heart racing. "I... I don't know what I'm doing," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Wonbin pulled her into a comforting embrace, holding her close, letting the silence say everything they couldn't.
They stood there for a moment, still wrapped in the quiet intimacy of the kiss, letting the world outside fade away. Wonbin's arms wrapped around Juhee's shoulders, holding her close, feeling the tremor of emotions running through both of them. Slowly, she rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes, allowing herself this brief solace, a refuge she hadn't known she needed until now.
Wonbin took a slow breath, as if grounding himself, and let his fingers gently trace soothing circles along her back. The warmth of his touch eased the tension she had held for so long. As she looked up, their eyes met, filled with a mix of tenderness, longing, and the weight of unspoken words that had hung between them for years.
Without a word, Wonbin leaned in again, his lips meeting hers with more certainty this time. The kiss deepened, filling the room with a quiet intensity, a release of everything that had remained hidden in both their hearts. Juhee's hands moved up to his collar, gripping it softly as she felt herself sink into the moment, letting go of the walls she had kept up around him.
Wonbin led her gently, guiding them both as he cupped her face, tilting her chin up, the kiss growing more urgent, as if both of them were finally daring to reach for what they had been afraid to touch. They moved slowly toward the sofa, hands entwined, neither wanting to break the connection they'd found.
As they sank into the warmth of the cushions, Wonbin held her close, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered at her cheek, his gaze full of an emotion that spoke louder than any words could. In the quiet of his apartment, the distance and hesitation they once held slipped away, leaving only the depth of a bond that had never truly faded.
For the first time in a long time, Juhee allowed herself to let go-to let herself be vulnerable, to lean on someone. And in that moment, with Wonbin holding her close, she felt a sense of peace she hadn't known in years, as if, even just for a little while, she could let herself feel whole again.
They stayed like that, tangled in each other's arms, surrounded by the soft, steady sounds of the rain outside. Wonbin's hand stroked her back gently, each movement calming the storm that had been brewing inside her. She closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat, feeling the steady rhythm and drawing a sense of comfort from it that felt both familiar and foreign.
"Juhee," he whispered, his voice a murmur that seemed to blend into the quiet of the room. She lifted her head, their faces inches apart, her gaze meeting his. There was a vulnerability in his eyes she hadn't seen before, something raw and unguarded that she wasn't used to seeing from him.
"Why did you come back?" she asked, her voice a mixture of curiosity and lingering hurt, the question one she had carried silently for so long.
Wonbin paused, searching her face as if looking for the right words. "Because... there were too many things left unsaid," he admitted softly. "I tried to stay away, thinking it was better that way. But it wasn't."
Juhee bit her lip, the weight of his words hanging between them. She could feel the old wounds resurface, the years of distance and missed moments, yet here they were, sitting side by side, the unspoken promises and lost time still palpable.
She didn't answer, letting her hand trace soft patterns on his shoulder instead, the silence filling with all the things neither could express. Slowly, as if testing the waters, she leaned back against his shoulder, allowing herself to find solace in his presence once again.
The rain outside began to slow, the faint patter against the window turning gentle. After a while, Wonbin's hand found hers, intertwining their fingers in a quiet affirmation, as if promising her-silently-that he wasn't going anywhere this time.
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Between the Lines | Riize Wonbin
FanfictionBOOK 1 of the RIIZE series || Between the Lines || Ft. Wonbin of Riize Amidst the relentless pressures of university life, Myung Juhee is trapped under the crushing expectations of her family, determined to become a successful lawyer while drowning...