Start-Up (Seo Dal-Mi x Han Ji-Pyeong) [FanFic]

Chapter 25: 편지 (Pyeonji)

Dal-Mi and Ji-Pyeong ended up ordering jajangmyeon for lunch, both seated next to each other on the rug. Leaning against the foot of the couch, they decided to watch a movie while waiting for the food to arrive.

"I broke up with Do-San today," Dal-Mi said, her eyes fixed on the screen. "Well we weren't actually in a relationship to begin with."

"You weren't?" Ji-Pyeong asked, turning towards her confused.

She shook her head, pursing her lips. "We both assumed that we belonged to each other because we had such a long history between us. It was a given that we liked each other."

Ji-Pyeong nodded, a pang of jealousy hitting him but he soon realized the reason Dal-Mi was telling him all this. It wasn't to undermine his emotions, but to make him understand how much those letters meant to her.

"Fifteen years ago, I gave my heart to you," she continued. "You were the threshold no man could cross. Anyone I'd date I would think of you and compare. And no doubt that every time, they would fall short."

Ji-Pyeong smiled. "Did you like me that much?" He asked.

Dal-Mi nodded, looking directly into his eyes. "I still do," she said, a smile forming on her face too. "There wasn't a time with Do-San that I didn't think about how his letters made me feel. Now I know who those feelings were actually for."

"Does that mean you're not confused anymore between your feelings for Nam Do-San and me?"

Dal-Mi took a bottle of water from the side table and began opening it but the cap was too tight. "A while ago," she began. " When he was still pretending to be a hotshot CEO, Do-San had asked me what do I like about him."

Ji-Pyeong took the bottle from her and opened it effortlessly. He didn't really  want to talk about Do-San anymore but he had to know if Dal-Mi had any residual feelings for him. Because like him, Do-San was also a part of her life for a long time.

"What did you say?" He asked, handing her the bottle.

"First reason was that he was my first love. That was you. Second reason was that his letters comforted me for a long time. That was you too. Third reason was that he was successful in what he does. That was you again. And the last reason was because he had big hands. That was him."