My morning started in a frenzy. I was late to wake up with a very vivid dream of Yeonjun and my kiss. I barely managed a shower and a breakfast before I ran past my parent to make to school on time.
The day at school felt like a blur. My mind was still stuck on the conversation with Yeonjun from last night. Followed by replaying our kiss over and over again like a dream I didn't want to wake up from.
But reality was a little more complicated.
As I walked down the hallway, passing through the sea of students, I couldn't help but glance around.
It seemed like everyone was talking, laughing, gossiping, just like they always did. The topic of the mystery girl Yeonjun kissed was definitely being tossed around in the midst of every conversation but I tried to steer clear of any such discussion.
Did any of them know?
Did anyone suspect that the girl Yeonjun kissed was me?
I sighed, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I made my way to my last class for the day.
There was no way anyone could know, right? We agreed to keep things under wraps, at least for now. But that didn't stop the butterflies from swirling in my stomach every time I thought about what it would be like when they eventually found out.
As I turned the corner near the science wing, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me into an empty classroom.
Before I could react, the door clicked shut behind us, and I found myself face-to-face with Yeonjun, his mischievous grin greeting me.
"Yeonjun!" I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one saw.
"What are you doing? You can't just pull me into random rooms like this." what was he thinking!
"Why not?" he asked, leaning casually against the door with his hands in his pockets. His tie was slightly loose, and his uniform shirt untucked, making him look effortlessly cool.
"No one's going to find us here" he shrugged.
"That's not the point. We agreed to keep things private, remember? What if someone saw you drag me in here?"Â I shot him a stern look, trying to keep my voice low.
"No one saw. It's almost the end of the day. And I just wanted to see you"Â He shrugged, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us.
My heart did a little flip at his words, but I held my ground. "
Yeonjun, this is risky. We're in school. What if a teacher walks by orâ"
Before I could finish, Yeonjun closed the distance between us, cupping my face in his hands and pressing his lips against mine.
The kiss was sudden, catching me off guard, but the warmth of it melted away my concerns almost immediately. His lips were soft, gentle at first, but with each passing second, the kiss deepened, becoming more intense, more passionate.
I tried to pull back, my mind still yelling at me that this was wrong, that we were in a classroom where anyone could walk in, but my body wasn't listening.
Instead, I found myself leaning into him, my hands gripping the fabric of his shirt as he kissed me like he couldn't bear to stop.
Yeonjun's hand slid down to my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.
The intensity of the moment took over, and all the worries I'd been carrying about people's opinions, about keeping this a secret, faded into the background. It was just him and me, wrapped up in this stolen moment.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathless. I looked up at him, my heart racing, and tried to find the words to express how conflicted I felt. But before I could speak, he pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed.
"You drive me crazy, you know that?" he whispered, his voice husky from the kiss.
I swallowed, my heart still pounding in my chest. My mind was failing to come up with words. This was much much better than the dream I had.
"Yeonjun... we can't keep doing this. Not here. What ifâ"
"I don't care," he interrupted, his tone more serious this time. He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes, his brow furrowed.
"I hate hiding this, Yuri. I hate pretending like nothing's going on between us when all I want to do is hold your hand, kiss you whenever I want, and not care about what anyone else thinks."
His words hit me like a wave.
I could feel the frustration in his voice, the same frustration I'd been feeling too. But I wasn't ready to let go of the safety of our secret, not yet.
"I know," I whispered, placing a hand on his chest to create a bit of space between us.
"I hate it too, but... we can't just throw caution to the wind. You're Yeonjun Choi. People are always watching you. And me... I'm just me. What if people start talking? What if they say things about us?" I didn't want to face it yet.
I liked this bubble of ours.
I knew eventually we'd be out but until then, I could enjoy our company in peace.
"Yuri, people are always going to talk. It doesn't matter what we do. They'll find something to gossip about whether we're together or not. But I don't care about them. I care about you. About us."Â He looked at me, his expression softening.
I bit my lip, his words making sense, but the doubt still lingered.
"But what if they judge me? What if they think I'm not good enough for you? I'm not from your world, Yeonjun. People might not accept us, and I don't know if I'm strong enough to deal with that." that was the truth.
His hands slid down my arms, gripping my wrists gently.
"You're more than strong enough, Yuri. And I'll be right there with you. We can handle it together. But hiding? It's only going to make things harder. If we keep sneaking around like this, it'll just get more complicated."
I sighed, knowing he was right but still feeling overwhelmed by the weight of it all.
He wouldn't understand what I was feeling.
We were both outsiders in a way but he had the Choi name even if he was reluctant to it.
If things got out of control, his family would do everything to keep him out of it.
My reputation was another question all together.
I hated being the party pooper in this situation and I didn't want to voice out my concerns because he might feel like I didn't understand any of it.
Well, partly true, given I had no ideas about how real life relationship worked.
The only experience I had was from all the romance novels and fanfiction I had read but I hardly doubt that would apply to real life.
The stories on the pages ended after 300 pages but this was real life. And unlike a book, my life didn't revolve around one big plot followed by a happily ever after.
"I'm just... scared. I don't want to lose you in the midst of all this. Things are already complicated" I repeated the words he said during the trip.
What if all the gossips got to him and he decided he was better off without me by his side. What if everyone told him he could do better. And he believed them?
"You won't," he said firmly, his gaze locking with mine. There was an authority in his voice that didn't leave room for argument.
"We'll figure this out. If you need more time, I'll wait. But I'm not going anywhere." he reassured.
"I don't want to keep you waiting forever."Â I felt a lump form in my throat, the vulnerability in his words making my heart ache.
He smiled softly, brushing his thumb over my cheek.
I could see the undercurrent of frustration he had on his features but he didn't voice them.
I was grateful for it.
Also, who would have thought he would be so understanding?
"Then don't. When you're ready, we'll face everything together. Until then... we'll take it one step at a time. Okay?" he brushed his thumb over my cheek.
"Okay" I nodded, my chest tightening with a mix of relief and uncertainty.
For a moment, we stood there in the quiet classroom, the weight of our unspoken fears hanging between us. But Yeonjun's presence, his unwavering support, made it easier to breathe.
Maybe he was right. Maybe we could handle this, even if it meant taking things slow.
He leaned down, pressing one more gentle kiss to my lips before stepping back, his hand still holding mine.
"Let's get out of here before someone catches us." he finally says.
"Good idea"Â I roll my eyes, a small laugh escaping my lips.
As we slipped out of the classroom and back into the crowded hallway, the world seemed a little less daunting. We were still hiding, still keeping our relationship a secret, but these stolen moments were all that kept me going.
Everything would turn out right?
Right?
I just hoped that these stolen moments were enough for Yeonjun as well.
"Hey Yuri! Where have you been all day? I feel like I haven't seen you at all since the trip" Saehi meets me in the hallway and links her arm with me.
"I-uh- yeah, back to school and all the studies to catch up on" I make a lame excuse.
"Uh huh. Okay. You do realise that the mid-term just got over right? And with Chuseok coming up, there will be a week long holiday. Don't stress so much" she reassures me.
If only she knew what I was stressing about.
"I know. But I like to keep ahead of my curriculum" this wasn't a lie. I did want to keep ahead of my studies.
And with everything going on, I had to remind myself of what was on the line if I failed or got bad grades. I couldn't afford to lose this scholarship.
"Alright smarty pants. Let me walk you to class. I'm heading that way anyway" she shrugs and we start walking.
A gnawing feeling in my stomach intensifies.
I hope I was making the right decision by keeping us a secret.
A/N: UPDATE!!!!!!
Things are getting complicated. What do you think will happen next?