Annyeongz One-shots

89. Sweet

Yujin sat slouched in his chair, the late afternoon sunlight cutting through the classroom windows, dust particles dancing in the golden streaks. His arms, deceptively soft-looking, were toned underneath his long sleeves, the kind of body that could surprise anyone who thought he was just the quiet, soft-spoken guy in class. But right now, all he could focus on was Wonyoung, who was sitting a few rows ahead, scribbling notes with her perfect, neat handwriting. He had liked her for years—ever since their first-year classes—but he had never worked up the courage to say anything. Instead, he let his eyes do the talking, stealing glances whenever she wasn’t looking. Every little laugh, every hair that fell over her face, sent his heart stuttering.

exhausted from classes and after-school training, his mind refused to rest. He drifted into a dream, one so vivid it felt like reality. The scene opened with him and Wonyoung in the school park, under the soft glow of lanterns that lined the pathways. Their uniforms clung perfectly to their forms, and the air smelled faintly of autumn leaves and wet grass. The school was eerily silent, as if it existed just for them.

Yujin’s heart pounded as he took a hesitant step closer to her, feeling the warmth radiating from her without touching. She looked at him, her eyes soft but unreadable, and he found the courage that always escaped him in real life.

“Wonyoung… I’ve liked you for a long time,” he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. “I can’t keep it in anymore. I just… I need you to know.”

For a moment, she didn’t move. The stillness stretched on, torturing him. Then, ever so slowly, she closed the distance between them. Her eyes held a softness that made Yujin’s chest constrict, and her lips curled into a gentle, teasing smile.

“You’re sweet,” she murmured, and before he could react, she grabbed the collar of his uniform and pulled him in. Their lips met in a sudden, heated kiss that left Yujin dizzy, like gravity itself had changed. His hands instinctively reached for her waist, pulling her closer, and for the first time, the longing he’d carried for years burned in a tangible, intoxicating way.

But dreams are fragile. The world dissolved around him, the lantern light fading, the warmth slipping from her hands, until he was jerked back into reality.

His eyes snapped open, and he realized he was slouched over his desk in the empty classroom. The soft hum of the late afternoon echoed through the space. His friend nudged him sharply, shaking him out of his daze.

“Hey, sleeping beauty. Time to get home,” his friend teased, though the smirk revealed he knew Yujin’s mind wasn’t on leaving just yet. “Well… not exactly, you’ve got tuition, don’t forget.”

Yujin straightened up, heart still hammering, his body stiff from sleeping in the chair. He rubbed his face and blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream, when his eyes landed on Wonyoung. She had just stood up from her seat, backpack slung over one shoulder, and was walking toward the exit. Her hair caught the sunlight streaming in from the windows, and for a moment, it was like she carried the warmth of that dream with her.

Their eyes met. Yujin froze, his chest tightening, the dream’s memory pressing against the reality of the classroom. She rolled her eyes at him, a playful, almost teasing gesture, but it didn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips. Yujin’s hand clenched slightly at his side, a mixture of relief and longing coursing through him.

He knew the dream was just a dream—but for a heartbeat, the world had felt like it could actually be real. And maybe, just maybe, he thought, he’d find the courage to make it real one day.

The alley was quiet, the kind of narrow path that cut behind the busy streets, littered with fallen leaves and the faint scent of rain lingering from earlier. Yujin’s backpack swung against his side as he walked, mind half on tuition, half lost in thought about the lingering dream of Wonyoung—how she had kissed him in that impossible, perfect way, and how his heart had thudded so hard he could feel it in his throat.