On Saturday evening, Jihoon sat in his car outside Minji's building complex. Before he could move on with Minji he had to make sure they were on the same page, with a big sign he texted him that he was outside.
Jihoon stared at his phone screen, watching the three dots appear and disappear as Minji typed and re-typed his response. The wait felt like an eternity, every second stretching out longer than the last. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, debating whether showing up like this was a good idea.
Finally, his phone buzzed.
Minji: I'll be down in a sec.
Jihoon let out a breath, his pulse quickening as he reread Minji's text. He wasn't sure if it was relief or nerves making his chest tighten. Either way, he was about to see Minji face to face. There was no turning back now.
The door to the building opened, and Jihoon spotted Minji stepping out. His heart skipped a beat as Minji made his way toward the car. He looked tired, his hair slightly messy, and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie. Even with the casual look, there was something about seeing Minji that hit Jihoon in a way he couldn't explain.
Minji opened the passenger door and slid inside, his expression neutral. "Hey."
"Hey," Jihoon replied, trying to gauge his mood. "Thanks for coming down."
Minji nodded, his eyes flicking toward Jihoon before looking away. "What's up? Why are you here?"
Jihoon sighed as he grabbed Minji's hand and turned his head facing him, "look I'm sorry okay, I know I promised not to push you away. But that night everything went by so fast and it was hard for me to grasp it, I just needed a few days to myself to think about things." He told him.
"So what was your conclusion?" Minji asked his tone very firm.
"I want you Minji, I need you to be in my life." He confessed, "but at the same time I don't want to hurt you with my messed up feelings." He added.
"So what do you want from me Jihoon?" He asked a crack visible in his voice.
"I want you here with me, I want us to stay the same."
Minji let out a sighable laugh turning away from Jihoon, "so you just want to fuck me and throw me away after!"
Jihoon shook his head panicking, "I want us to be us, with no labels. We can do things lovers do but with no label on it, I don't want a label because I don't want to hurt you in the long run."
"So you want to date me without dating?" Minji asked but Jihoon staid quite, "you don't want to put a label on it because when you're TaeHyun comes running to you, you will just leave me like that. Isn't that right?"
Jihoon's stomach twisted at Minji's words. He opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find the right words. Minji had hit too close to the truth, a truth Jihoon had been avoiding.
"I'm not going to leave you for TaeHyun," Jihoon finally said, his voice low but steady. "This isn't about him. It's about us—me and you. I just don't want to ruin things by putting too much pressure on us."
Minji scoffed, pulling his hand away. "No, Jihoon. You don't want to ruin things for yourself. You're still scared, and instead of dealing with it, you're trying to keep me close without giving me what I deserve."
Jihoon's chest tightened as Minji's words sank in. He didn't know how to explain it—how to make Minji understand that he was terrified of losing him but equally terrified of getting too close.
"I'm just trying to protect us," Jihoon muttered, feeling the weight of his emotions crashing down on him.
"Protect us?" Minji's voice cracked, and he shook his head in disbelief. "You're protecting yourself, Jihoon. You want me, but only on your terms. You want everything without giving anything in return. How is that fair to me?"
Jihoon reached out, his heart racing. "Minji, please—"
"No." Minji's voice trembled with anger and hurt. "I deserve more than whatever this is. I can't be just a placeholder until you figure yourself out."
Jihoon felt his chest clench, knowing Minji was right. "I don't want to hurt you."
"But you are," Minji whispered. "By keeping me close and never fully letting me in, you're hurting me more than you realize."
Jihoon sat in silence, the weight of Minji's words pressing down on him. He had thought he was doing the right thing by not
committing fully, but now he realized how selfish he had been. How much he had taken Minji's patience for granted.
Minji wiped at his eyes, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "I love you, Jihoon. But I can't keep doing this—waiting around for you to decide whether or not I'm worth the risk."
Jihoon's throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. "If that's what you want then I'll show that you are worth the risk."
Minji stood up, his back to Jihoon. "Show me and I'll believe it, I can't let you keep hurting me like this."
With that Minji opened the door and walked out the car.
Jihoon watched as Minji walked away, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on his chest. He wanted to call out to him, to stop him from leaving, but the words caught in his throat. He had said enough—maybe too much—and now, all he could do was let Minji go.
Sitting there in the car, the silence was deafening. The empty seat next to him seemed to mock him, reminding him of all the times Minji had been there for him, and all the ways he had pushed him away. Jihoon ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. How had things gotten so complicated?
His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced down, half expecting it to be Minji, but it was just a notification from one of his group chats. He ignored it and leaned back in his seat, staring out the windshield.
"Show me and I'll believe it."
Minji's words echoed in Jihoon's mind. For the first time, Jihoon realized that love wasn't just about how you felt—it was about what you were willing to do. He had been so afraid of losing control, so scared of getting hurt, that he hadn't considered how much he had already hurt Minji in the process.
Jihoon gripped the steering wheel, determination settling in. He couldn't keep running away from his feelings. If he wanted Minji in his life, he had to prove it. He had to be willing to take the risk, even if it scared him.
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Minji's pov:
A few days later after the whole conversation with Jihoon, his whole attitude changed over night. It was like he was a brand new person, usually he would ignore me in school and act like I didn't exist. But now it's like his trying everything and anything to get closer to me.
He will text me good morning, good night, brings me food when I'm hungry and checks in on me every day. I guess me putting my foot down really did a number on him, but at the same time I can't fall for the old tricks in the book. Even though he is showing interest, how do I know that he's actually being genuine and not trying to get me wrapped around his finger again.
A few days after our conversation, Jihoon's entire attitude shifted. It was almost unnerving how quickly he went from distant to attentive. Normally, he'd breeze past me at school, acting like I wasn't even there. But now? He's everywhere.
He sends me texts in the morning and again at night. Random messages throughout the day. He brings me snacks during lunch, even though I never asked him to. He checks in on me like it's his new mission in life. Part of me feels relieved—maybe he really did listen to what I said that night. But another part of me, the cautious part, can't help but question his motives.
It's like he's trying to make up for everything overnight, but how can I be sure this isn't just another phase? How do I know he won't go back to ignoring me once he feels like he's won me over again?
I don't want to be played. Not again.
Even though his actions are sweet, I can't help but feel like there's more to it. I've seen Jihoon change his tune before, only for him to pull away again when things got too real. I'm trying not to fall for it, but damn, he's making it hard.
Every time I catch myself softening toward him, I remind myself of all the times I've been hurt. All the times he's pushed me away, left me questioning where I stood in his life. I can't let myself fall into that cycle again, no matter how tempting it might be.
But then, there are moments where I see something different in him—like maybe this time is different. Maybe he really does want me in his life for real.
Still, I can't just trust his words. I need to see him follow through, to prove that he's not just trying to pull me back into the same old mess. I won't let myself get swept up in this again without knowing for sure.
For now, I'll keep my guard up. Jihoon will have to do more than just shower me with attention to prove he's serious. Actions speak louder than words, and I'm watching every move he makes.
TBC