a reason for being | jung jaehyun

eighteen

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

- 이유 - 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧

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SEONMI ALMOST COULDN'T PROCESS THE words that just left jaehyun's lips, and it seemed like the man didn't process it either. in a mutual state of intoxication, neither of them reacted until seconds later. they stared at each other with enlarged eyes, a similar pink blush on their cheeks embodying their flustered-states.

jaehyun almost regretted it, it worried him that she wasn't saying anything. he cleared his throat to divert his embarrassment and rubbed his fingertips along the cold edge of his champagne glass.

"huh?" seonmi whispered. she pouted suddenly while she widened her eyes, her stare fixed on his as she tried to process the words that remained in the air. "w-what did you s—?"

"sorry," jaehyun interrupted. he shook his head, keeping his eyes on the glass of alcohol before him, hoping that the girl wouldn't remember what he said tomorrow when she sobered up.

seonmi didn't want to push the subject further, but it was eating her away from the inside. her large, doe-like expression didn't change while she watched the man across from her. she examined his shy expression while he rubbed his lips with his thumb. suddenly, she chuckled.

"do you really think so?" seonmi slurred, tilting her head and leaning forward slightly. her face was burning red, and jaehyun couldn't decipher whether it was from embarrassment or the alcohol. he felt awkward, unable to look at her painfully innocent expression that swallowed him further with each passing second.

"mmm," he hummed, barely managing to get it out. with a brief glance down, he practically begged for seonmi to drop the topic. i'm screwed  he internally groaned.

seonmi was smiling shyly, covering he mouth with her fingers. jaehyun wanted desperately to look, to have his awkwardness dissipate, but it wouldn't. even as he looked back to the woman across from him, her beauty struck him hard as he just studied how effortlessly entrancing seonmi was.

at the candlelit table, the flicker of the flame rippled across her features elegantly. his eyes wouldnt leave— couldn't leave her idyllic smile. seonmi let out an embarrassed giggle before taking a sip of her champagne. "thank you," she mumbled. "i think you're handsome."

glancing away momentarily to process what she'd just said, jaehyun chuckled and bit gently on his lips to contain his large smile. "seonmi, you can't say those types of things."

"what?" she frowned resting her tilted head tiredly on her fist. "why not?"

"hmm," the doctor mused. with a grin full of implication, he sighed, "it's dangerous. i don't know, i might do something," he admitted dully, his eyes full of adoration.

⁀➷ 

"can i ask you a question?" seonmi mumbled. the two decided to relax at the rooftop, where they were sitting in two chairs with a blanket wrapped tightly around the girl. while they sat in silence seonmi was contemplating this question as the wind wafted through her hair. she sighed nervously, almost regretting asking on impulse.

"sure," jaehyun smiled, watching the stars twinkle above them as he listened to the sounds of cars and wind fly past.

the girl hummed, contemplating over her words again for a while. she couldn't help biting the inside of her cheeks with furrowed brows as she curled further into the warmth of the blanket. a few minutes of silence passed again when she blurted, "what made you choose to become a pulmonologist?"