Tales Of The Heart | (G)i-dle

𝐈'𝐦 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥

"Soojin!"

I called her name, loud enough to carry across the courtyard. She was maybe twenty feet away, but I wanted to make sure she heard me.

She glanced over—just briefly—then looked away like we'd never met. It wasn't the first time. Honestly, I was getting used to it.

Her name is Soojin. She's the girl I like. She's a year older than me, but I've never cared about that. Feelings don't really ask for permission, do they?

And yeah, she's beautiful—everyone sees that. But what draws me in is something else. The way she carries herself, that quiet confidence. It's magnetic.

I'm Yeh Shuhua. I'm from Taiwan, been studying here in Korea for about eight months now. My life was pretty ordinary until I met her. Now? Well, she's kind of all I think about. Who could blame me? She has this effortless coolness about her, the kind that turns heads without trying.

What gets me is how other students can just walk up to her—handing over flowers, letters, little gifts. She accepts them with a polite smile, a quiet thank you. But whenever I try to give her something, it's always no. Every single time.

Yeah, it hurts. It really does.

I jogged after her, still calling her name. Finally, she stopped and turned around, wearing that serious expression she always has.

"What do you want, Shu?" Her tone was flat, clearly annoyed.

I tried not to look as out of breath as I felt. "I just wanted to ask... maybe we could walk to next class together?"

She didn't answer. Just turned and kept walking.

I let out a quiet sigh—half frustration, half acceptance. At least she didn't flat-out reject me this time. That counts for something, right? I've learned to be patient. You kind of have to be when your crush treats you like this regularly.

She can be cold, even harsh sometimes. But I still can't bring myself to be mad at her.

Pathetic, I know.

"Jin-ah, wait!" I called out again.

She turned around, visibly more annoyed this time, her expression tight.

Thinking fast, I clutched my chest and bent over slightly, pretending to catch my breath. Her expression shifted immediately—from irritation to concern—as she hurried back to me.

"Shu, are you okay?" Her voice softened, hand gentle on my shoulder.

"Do you want to go to the clinic?" She leaned closer, searching my face.

But I wasn't really listening. All I could focus on was how close she was. Close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from her. My heart was racing now, but not from the fake breathlessness.

What am I doing?

"I'm fine, really," I said, keeping my voice steady. "No need to worry."

The lie came out smoothly. Too smoothly. A small wave of guilt hit me.

She studied my face, uncertain. "Are you sure?"