Heart Stereo [Hyunlix ff]

Chapter 13: Ferris Wheel

---

Han instantly jumped up like a child and pointed at the Ferris wheel. We had no choice but to follow him; we didn't want him to sulk later. We quickly lined up, along with Lee Know's group and even Jay! The maximum capacity for each gondola is three people. Han guided me into the gondola and sat down beside me. I thought I.N would follow in, but Han quickly stood up and whispered, "Sorry." Then I saw Seungmin push Hyunjin into the gondola I was in. I heard Hyunjin mutter a curse as he nearly stumbled into the seat.

What the fuck, yaah! I tried to open the gondola door, but it was already locked. I saw Han, I.N, and Seungmin waving at me while they entered the gondola next to us.

"What a fucking traitor," I whispered.

Great! We're going to be stuck here for 20 minutes. My eyes wandered everywhere to avoid talking to him. He was sitting in a very relaxed, man-spread position. I cleared my throat several times; it was awkward sitting across from each other.

"So," he began, "are you dating that guy?"

"What guy?"

W-wait, Jay? "We're just friends!" I shot back, and I even saw him roll his eyes after I said that. Seriously, the audacity?!

Suddenly, he pulled something from his pocket and unfolded a piece of paper. It looked familiar to me, and I widened my eyes as I remembered the letter I gave him last time. I was about to snatch it back when he suddenly hid it behind his back.

"What the fuck?" I shouted.

"Why do you have that?" I added.

"Duh, it's obviously mine. You gave it to me, right?" he mockingly replied.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath—because I was about to lose it!

"Do you want to know why I'm showing this to you?" he said seriously.

"W-why" I stammered.

He handed me the folded paper and looked at me intently.

"Read it," he said.

W-what? My confession letter? Hell no!

"Nope."

"Read the part below the confession letter," he said.

I started to feel nervous and slowly opened the folded paper. My lips parted when I noticed he had written a reply. I took a deep breath before deciding to read it; this might be the rejection I was expecting.

"Hi, this confession letter from you was very unexpected. First of all, I'd like to apologize for how I acted when I threw this letter into the air. I didn't know how to react at that time, especially coming from you and right at in front of the school gate. I know that's no valid reason for what I did to you, especially with so many people watching us. After seeing you in tears, I decided to pick up the letter from the ground because I felt guilty; I was an asshole. Even Lee Know punched me after he found out I made you cry.

Secondly, the first question that popped into my mind after reading your confession letter was: why me? Out of all your friends from Lee Know hyung, why did you choose me? Lastly, I'd like to apologize for what happened during our trip to Busan. I'm sure you felt disrespected after our kiss in the kitchen. But for me, I don't regret what happened between us. Instead of giving you a straightforward answer about what I felt, I gave you mixed signals. I know I'm not the guy you deserve, but I will do everything to be worthy of you. I really like you, I do. I don't know where it started, but all I know is that I really like you. Even if it's too late, I will still pursue you, that you'll like me back."

I was speechless, barely able to believe it. I thought he was going to reject me with a reply to my confession letter. I wasn't expecting this at all!

"I-I don't know what to say," I stammered, sounding foolish.

He adjusted his sitting position and hesitantly reached for my hands.

"C-Can I hold your hands?" he asked shakily.

"S-Sure," I stammered back.

He gently took my hands and rubbed my knuckles with his thumb.

"I want to ask your permission if I can court you," he said carefully.

"But if you don't want me to, I still want to pursue you," he added.

I froze in my seat because I still couldn't believe that the arrogant Hwang Hyunjin was confessing to me right now.

"W-wait, you have a girlfriend, right?" I asked hesitantly.

"What? I know I'm an asshole, but would I be asking if I could court you if I had a girlfriend? If you're referring to Mayei, she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends, she's like a little sister to me and she already has a boyfriend," he explained in detail.

I didn't know! I mean, you two were so close that you looked like a couple... I mumbled to myself.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied quickly.

"So, what's your answer to my question? Will you let me?" he asked again.

I took a deep breath and answered, "I've liked you since freshman year. I really didn't expect you to reciprocate my feelings. You're THE HWANG HYUNJIN; you're so hard to reach, even though our worlds are so close. Even now, I still really like you. Yes, I'm allowing you to court me," I said, taking my time with my response.

He smiled and held my hands, bringing them to his lips. He gently kissed my knuckles, lingering there for a moment, sending a wave of warmth through me. I felt my face flush, certain I must look like a tomato in this moment.

With a soft gaze, Hyunjin leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek. "Can I..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he were afraid to break the intimate atmosphere we had built.

I nodded, my heart racing in anticipation.

Slowly, he tilted his head and closed the distance between us, his lips brushing softly against mine. It was a gentle kiss, tentative yet electrifying—his lips felt warm and inviting, contrasting with the cool air around us.

As his lips moved against mine, I felt a rush of emotions swirling within me—happiness, excitement, and a hint of disbelief. He pulled back slightly, searching my eyes for any hint of hesitation, but all I could do was smile, feeling a giddy thrill coursing through me.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he admitted, a hint of shyness replacing his usual arrogance.

I could hardly respond, still lost in the softness of the moment. Instead, I grinned up at him, feeling lighter than air.

---

Author's note
Dating era next chap?🤪