The days following the teasing were a whirlwind of shared glances, quiet smiles, and unspoken understanding. Jungwon found himself seeking out moments with Jiwon more and more—whether it was walking her home, sitting together during breaks, or even just texting her about the smallest things that made his day better.
But tonight was different.
Jiwon had invited him out to watch the stars. It wasn’t anything special—just a calm, impromptu plan. She’d mentioned that she loved stargazing and wanted someone to share it with, and Jungwon—who had no idea how to refuse her even if he wanted to—had eagerly agreed.
So, here they were, sitting on the grass near a quiet corner of the park after the last school bell rang. The sky was clear, with just enough clouds to make the stars pop, but not too many to dull their brightness. The faint buzz of the city was in the distance, but here, surrounded by trees and night air, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Jiwon lay back on the grass, hands tucked behind her head, her hair spread out around her like a dark halo. She seemed at peace, her eyes lazily tracing the constellations.
“You ever feel like the stars are the only things that understand you?” she asked, her voice low and soft, like she didn’t want to break the magic of the night.
Jungwon sat beside her, leaning back on his hands as he looked up. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “But I like the idea. They’ve been around for so long, right? Maybe they’ve seen everything.”
Jiwon smiled to herself, her eyes softening. “Exactly. I sometimes wonder if they can tell me something, give me some kind of sign. Like they’re trying to give me a clue about what I’m supposed to do.”
“Clue about what?”
She paused, a quiet hesitation in her voice. “About… what’s next. What happens after high school. Or even with this.” She glanced sideways at him before looking back up at the sky. “With us.”
Jungwon’s heart stuttered in his chest. The words felt bigger than the moment, but he couldn’t look away from her.
“Us?” he repeated, his voice a little rougher than he intended. It was the first time she had said anything like that.
Jiwon nodded slowly, her expression unreadable in the dim light. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking a lot about it. About us. And how, even though things seem so easy now, there’s still a part of me that’s scared. That things will change when we stop seeing each other every day.”
Jungwon took in a slow breath, his gaze shifting from her face back to the stars. He didn’t want to ruin this moment, but at the same time, he couldn’t hide from the truth. Not anymore.
“I get that,” he said quietly. “I feel the same way. It’s easier to pretend like everything will stay the same, that we’ll keep being this close no matter what. But I know... things change. And it’s hard not to feel like I’m holding onto something that could slip away.”
There was a long silence between them. Jiwon let out a soft sigh and shifted closer to him, her shoulder brushing his as she laid on her side.
“Do you think we’re too young for this?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Jungwon hesitated for a moment, taking in her words, the way she was looking at him with so much earnestness. He hadn’t expected her to ask something like that, but now that she did, the weight of it sat on his chest.
“No,” he answered firmly, turning toward her slightly. “I don’t think so. I think... there’s no perfect age for anything. We don’t have to have everything figured out right now. We just have to figure out what feels right for us.”
Jiwon turned her head to meet his gaze, her eyes reflecting the starlight. “What feels right?”
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Like right now. This... feels right.”
A small smile tugged at her lips, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you think that.”
“Of course I do,” he replied. “You’ve been right all along.”
Her smile widened, and for a moment, it felt like everything around them faded—just the two of them, the soft sound of their breathing and the rustle of the wind in the trees. It wasn’t romantic or magical in the way movies made it seem. It was quieter, more subtle. But it was enough.
Jungwon could feel his heart racing again, but this time, there was no fear. Just warmth. The kind that made him feel like everything he had been through—everything that had been uncertain in his life—had led him to this moment. To Jiwon.
“Jiwon,” he said, his voice barely above a murmur.
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad we’re here. Together. Even if it’s just for tonight.”
She turned her head to look at him fully now, her expression open, vulnerable. “Me too.”
There was something about the way she said it, the way her words matched the sincerity in her eyes, that made Jungwon feel like his heart had finally found its place.
“Hey,” he said, his voice lighter now. “If the stars really do give you clues… what do you think they’d say about us?”
She glanced back at the sky, considering. Then she grinned and nudged his shoulder with hers. “I think they’d say… maybe you’re not such a soft boy after all.”
Jungwon laughed, the tension in his chest easing. “You’re impossible.”
She laughed with him, the sound carrying across the quiet park. For a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Jungwon looked back at the stars, smiling to himself. Maybe they were right. Maybe everything had led to this.
But more than that… maybe the stars were giving him a sign.
The sign that this wasn’t just a passing moment. This was something real.
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✓ 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥. yang jungwon
Fanfiction( 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥 ) "One dare, one text, and a whole lot of feelings." --- It all began with a simple dare-one that led to an unexpected connection. Jiwon Park, a quiet transfer student, received a random text that read, "I'm cute." Thinking it was...
