"haha... i guess i owe you an explanation, eunhwa," he says.
i nod.
i'm just so shocked. i never could have thought that hyeongjun and starboy were the same person; but i'm very happy about it. it's too perfect—i had feelings for both of them, but turns out they were the same person.
mindblown. 🤯
"i'm so confused," i tell him. "did you know since the beginning? and why did you act so rude towards me?" i had an endless amount of questions.
"come on, let's walk and talk." he takes my hand. i freeze. he sees my expression and lets go.
"no," i say. i intertwine our fingers, and we begin the walk home.
"from the day i heard you on the rooftop for the first time... i was just so interested in you. your voice was so nice to listen to," he says. "at school, i figured out it was you because i heard your voice."
"but why did you act like that towards me?" i say. i also want to tell him how nice his voice is, and i finally understand why hyeongjun's humming sounds so familiar.
"eunhwa, first i want to apologize to you for acting like that towards you. i'm so sorry!! i promise i will never be like that again!!" he looks at me with his big eyes.
i smile. "just tell me why."
"remember the conversation we had on the rooftop... about my first love?"
"yes," i reply.
—flashback—
"she broke my heart."
i listened intently to his story. he was in love with her, and then one day, he saw her kissing somebody else.
"i realy didn't know what to do. she hurt me so much."
"i'm so sorry," i murmer. i want to touch his hand, but then i remember he likes someone else.
"that's why i'm scared to love anyone, or even have a crush. i just... don't want to get hurt all over again."
—flashback over—
"i liked you since the beginning, eunhwa. but... i didn't want the past to repeat, and be heartbroken all over again. that's why i acted so terribly towards you. i was hoping that i would convince myself that i didn't have feelings for you even when i really did, and i was hoping that it would keep you far away from me. clearly... it didn't work. i like you too much, eunhwa. i couldn't keep up the rude act forever, and i guess that's how we got here... i'm so sorry eunhwa."
i process everything he says. it does make sense. "it's okay," are the two words i say to him as i squeeze his hand.
"i figured that talking to you on the rooftop was okay. you didn't know it was me, but that made me fall for you even more, eunhwa." he smiles at me. "i hope you're okay with all of this. i am so sorry. i know i've been a jerk but i hope we can move past that, together." he turns his head and i see those big, beautiful, eyes again.
i smile back. "it's okay."
we walk home, hand in hand.
✰ ✰ ✰
a/n: we're super close to the end. the next chapter will be the last one, but it will be more of an epilogue! 👀
