criminal love; jungwon

18

The idea of a date felt strange to Jungwon. He’d never been on one, and honestly, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Nanhee, on the other hand, seemed calm as ever, texting him instructions:

Nanhee: “Meet me at the coffee shop near school. 4 PM. Don’t be late!”

Jungwon stared at the message, nerves twisting in his stomach. It wasn’t like hanging out with her was new, but now that it was labeled as a date, everything felt different.

By the time he arrived, Nanhee was already waiting, sitting at a window table. She looked up and smiled when she saw him, waving him over.

“You’re early,” she teased as he sat down.

“I didn’t want to mess up,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

She laughed softly. “It’s just me, Jungwon. Relax.”

Somehow, her words put him at ease. They ordered drinks, and soon the conversation flowed naturally, just like always. They talked about school, Seojun’s latest antics, and Nanhee’s art club projects.

After finishing their drinks, Nanhee stood up. “Come on. I have an idea.”

Curious, Jungwon followed her outside. The winter air was crisp, and snowflakes began to fall gently from the sky. Nanhee led him to a small park nearby, where the snow blanketed everything in white.

She twirled in the snow, her laughter echoing in the quiet park. Jungwon watched her, captivated by the way her eyes lit up.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, holding out her hands to catch the falling snow.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving her.

She noticed and blushed, quickly changing the subject. “Let’s build a snowman!”

They spent the next hour playing in the snow, their laughter filling the air. Nanhee’s cheeks turned pink from the cold, and Jungwon’s hands were numb, but neither of them cared.

As the sun began to set, they stood back to admire their lopsided snowman.

“He’s perfect,” Nanhee declared, brushing snow off her gloves.

Jungwon chuckled. “Just like our first date.”

She turned to him, smiling softly. “Yeah. It is, isn’t it?”

Before they could say anything else, Nanhee leaned up and kissed his cheek, the warmth of her lips lingering even in the cold.

“Thanks for today,” she whispered.

Jungwon felt his heart race, but he managed to smile back. “Anytime.”

They walked home together, their hands brushing but never quite touching. Neither of them said it out loud, but they both knew—this was just the beginning.

And neither of them could wait to see what came next.