Autumn Calculus

Ch.19.

The crisp winter air bit at Eun-ji’s cheeks as she stepped out of the university gates, the bare branches of trees above her tracing delicate, intricate patterns against the pale sky. The semester had ended, and she was looking forward to the holiday break, but a part of her couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about what was to come. Finals were over, and she had made it through—barely—but there was something more pressing on her mind now.

As she crossed the street, she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts about her growing feelings for Ji-hoon. Their friendship had always been easy, comfortable, but recently, there had been moments—small, fleeting moments—that had made her wonder if there could be something more between them.

She glanced down at her phone, noticing a message from Ji-hoon.

Ji-hoon: "Hey, meet me at the café in 10? Got something to tell you."

Eun-ji’s stomach did a little flip. She quickly typed a reply.

Eun-ji: "Sure, be there in 10."

She made her way to the café, the familiar warmth enveloping her as soon as she stepped inside. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the soft hum of quiet chatter. Ji-hoon was already there, sitting at their usual corner table with two steaming cups of coffee in front of him. He looked up when she approached, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

“Hey,” Eun-ji greeted, slipping into the chair across from him.

Ji-hoon’s smile widened, but there was a glint of something else in his eyes—something more serious, almost nervous. Eun-ji raised an eyebrow, concerned.

“What’s up? You said you had something to tell me.”

Ji-hoon hesitated for a moment, his fingers tapping against the side of his coffee cup. Then he looked at her, a little sheepish. “It’s about the lantern festival...”

Eun-ji’s brow furrowed slightly. “What about it?”

He took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto hers. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, Eun-ji... about us, about how things have been changing. I think... I think I like you. More than just a friend.”

Eun-ji froze, her breath catching in her throat. She had known, somewhere deep down, that this was coming, but hearing him say it out loud still made her heart race. She didn’t know what to say. Her mind went blank, and for a moment, the only sound was the quiet hum of the café around them.

“I... I don’t know what to say,” she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. “I—”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Ji-hoon said quickly, his hand reaching across the table to gently cover hers. “I didn’t mean to make things weird. I just wanted to tell you. We’ve been through a lot together, and I guess... I didn’t want to keep pretending like I wasn’t feeling this way anymore.”

Eun-ji’s heart thudded in her chest as she looked down at their hands. She didn’t pull away. She didn’t want to. She felt it too, this pull, this connection that had been growing between them over the past few months.

“I like you too,” she admitted, her voice soft but steady.

Ji-hoon’s expression softened, his smile returning with a warmth that made her feel like everything was falling into place. “Really?”

Eun-ji nodded, her eyes meeting his. “Yeah. But... I’m just not sure what this means for us, you know? We’ve been friends for so long. What if things change?”

Ji-hoon leaned back in his chair, his hand still gently resting over hers. “Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We’ll figure it out, Eun-ji. Together.”