silver lining » wonwoo

five;

"You're stirring clear of the real deal here," Soonyoung said, focusing on the television screen, a controller in his hand as he danced to an upbeat song.

"It's steering," Wonwoo sighed, correcting him. Soonyoung had this habit of asking him to teach him about any kinds of phrase and idiom for the sake of being 'cool', but what was the point of it if he always used it wrongly, anyways?

"Whatever. It's not like you haven't been crushing on her for forever," Soonyoung scoffed, quickly changing the topics as his friend's cheeks went as red as ripe tomatoes. "Just ask her out already."

Wonwoo immediately looked down on the keychain in his hand. Despite it being a keychain with a fox figurine, it was completely different from the one Yiseul used to have. He got it from a night market, with a thought that it would be the gift to end his feelings toward her.

It was what people would refer as a puppy love. Wonwoo wasn't even serious in the first place. It was a mere crush where he would adore her from afar and found every little thing she did cute, which would most likely lead him to smiling like a fool. He didn't even dare to make the first move or intend to take it to another level. She was cute, that was it. That, and the fact that Yiseul had been avoiding him for the past week, had convinced him even more to bring his feelings to an end. The keychain was both a gift and an apology from him.

"It's not like she doesn't know it anyways," Soonyoung let the words slip out of his mouth in the silence, causing his best friend to snap his head and shoot a glare at him.

His eyes lit up in bewilderment as the brown haired boy proceeded to keep dancing with his lips tightly pursed, his eyes threw worrisome side glances once awhile. Wonwoo felt like he should've known how it would turn out if he told his story to Soonyoung. The boy's mouth moves faster than a wildfire. Though, Wonwoo had no problem with it, a part of him didn't want her to think of him as someone weird.

*

The drowse and soft wind filled up the air as soon as Yiseul opened her window. It was about five in the evening, her favorite time, where the colors of dusk blue and tangerine blended, painting the skies with newly made brush. It was the softest time in the evening.

Yiseul went back to her bed, lying down as she stared into the ceiling, which she decorated with painting of little stars. Her bedroom wasn't that huge, but she kept it clean and tidy so it actually looked decent. The walls were painted in light yellow with posters of her favorite groups and cute little stickers. Her desk, which faced the window, was full of books and little notes. Being the only woman in this house, Yiseul believed that she had to be the anchor that keeps this house in peace. Not that her father couldn't do the chores and things mothers usually do, but she just felt the responsibility of being a daughter and a big sister that made her feel like she had to do the works better.

She was still staring at the distance when she suddenly thought of something; what Soonyoung had just said this afternoon. After their unexpected encounter in the hallway, he agreed to talk about the related topic that seemed to give him the same concerns as her. His statement, "I can't tell you what it is, but I think he needs to see a professional." convinced her even more about her prejudice toward him and what he was facing. From what she read in her father's books, there was a chance that he was being traumatic, and Yiseul felt bad for bringing it up so often. She even felt worse for avoiding him when she could've talked it out with him.

As the sky got darkened, Yiseul was about to get even more intense with her thoughts when she heard her brother yelling, "Noona, a friend of yours is here!"

If it was Daeun, she would've entered her room straightly like it was her own. Though, she couldn't think of any other friends that would go to her house. For her curiosity got the best of her, she quickly slipped on her slippers then ran to the porch. Hyungsuk was talking to a tall guy with glasses on. They looked like they were deep into the conversation that Yiseul hesitated to interrupt them, until Wonwoo finally shifted his gaze on her.

She could see him mouthed a "hi" before giving her a small smile that somehow made her nerves insanely go wild. Maybe it was because the first time she saw him outside school, or maybe it was because he looked cute in his glasses—Yiseul had to keep herself from cursing because him in round glasses was way too cute—that made her almost losing control. However, she managed to reply him by a wave, and walked toward them though her body felt stiff.

"You're taking too long," Hyungsuk complained before he turned to him and said, "Hyung, you should come again sometimes."

With that, he went back to the house, leaving the two of them together. It was the time she realized that he was still outside the area of her house, and Hyungsuk and he had been chatting separated by the fences. Dammit. "Sorry, Hyungsuk should've invited you come in."

"It's okay, his company was a delight," he smiled, shaking his head when Yiseul opened the gate, indicating him to come in. "I just wanted to give you this."

He held out his hand, a fox keychain was on his palm. It was nothing like Eddy, but Yiseul was still in awe that he got her a keychain of a cute fox sleeping. Its eyes reminded her of him and she automatically broke into a smile. She averted her gaze back and forth to him and the keychain.

"It's cute, but I don't think I can accept it," she spoke with a soft voice, looking up at him as she waited for his reaction.

Without any words, he took her hand and put the keychain in there. Just as Yiseul was going to return it to him, he gently held her hand, tightening her clasp so that the keychain would remain there.

In a split second, blood immediately rushed into her cheeks. Yiseul felt like running back inside the house and screamed against her pillow. Wonwoo was one hell of a good looking guy, and it would be a lie if she had never added him into the long list of her crushes.

At that time, she knew she shouldn't have looked up for her nerves were going to go even more insane than they already were. By the time her eyes met his—which earlier she thought to resemble the fox's—a soothing sensation was sent through her spine, and it felt like the blood was streaming back in its appropriate veins. The dim light of the moon softened his sharp features, his messy hair looked even fluffier with the moonlight spilling over it.

"If you don't want to accept this because you thought I don't deserve to buy you a new keychain, just think of it as a special gift from me then. I'm sorry it's not exactly the same like the one you used to have," he told her, smiling as he looked straight into her eyes.

Yiseul looked down, swallowing back what she had in mind because there was no way back. Her eyes were fixated on their hands which were still connected together. She had nothing to say except the fact that it felt warm. Too warm that she couldn't pay attention to anything else, including the thing he had just said to her. When she looked up, Wonwoo had already taken a step back, his soft hand was no longer holding hers. He was ready to go, yet Yiseul hadn't even got the chance to apologize and thank him. Would she really let go of him that easy after all the kindness he gave her?

With his back already facing hers, Yiseul called out to him after clearing her throat, "Wonwoo-ya, do you want to get ice cream?"

*