Park Sunghoon | drowned in silence

The crisp afternoon air brushed past them as they strolled through the narrow streets near Yejin's neighborhood. Sunghoon walked slightly ahead, his hands tucked into his pockets, while Yejin trailed behind, her eyes fixed on the uneven pavement.

Her mind raced as she tried to find the courage to bring up the question that had been bothering her for days. The memory of that dare—of Sunghoon kissing her in front of everyone—still lingered in her mind, refusing to be ignored.

She bit her lip, then finally blurted out, "Why did you kiss me that day?"

Sunghoon stopped mid-step, turning to look at her with raised eyebrows. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"That's random," he said, his voice calm as ever.

"It's not random," Yejin muttered, her cheeks turning pink. "I just... I don't get why you did it. You didn't have to."

Sunghoon was silent for a moment, studying her. Then, with a shrug, he said, "I told you. I didn't want you to get punished."

"That's it?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze softening. "What else would it be?"

Yejin opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it again, unsure of what she even wanted to hear. Instead, she looked down at the ground, her thoughts spinning.

"Is it really bothering you that much?" Sunghoon asked, his tone quieter this time.

"No," she lied, her voice barely audible.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, it wasn't a big deal. It was just a kiss. Don't overthink it, okay?"

Yejin didn't respond, but the weight on her chest didn't lift.

After a moment of silence, Sunghoon spoke again, changing the subject. "So, are you excited for the class trip on Monday?"

Yejin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "The beach trip?"

"Yeah," he said, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "Everyone's been talking about it. Should be fun."

She hesitated before answering, lowering her gaze again. "I'm... not going."

He stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "Why not?"

Yejin shifted uncomfortably, hugging her arms to her chest. "I just don't want to."

Sunghoon narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing that there was more to her answer. "Is that really it?"

Her silence gave her away.

"Yejin," he said, his voice a little firmer now, "what's the real reason?"

She hesitated for a long moment before finally whispering, "I can't afford it, okay?" Her face burned with shame as she spoke, and she quickly added, "It's not a big deal. I don't really like the beach anyway."

Sunghoon frowned, his expression unreadable. "You're not going just because of that?"

"I said it's not a big deal," she repeated, her voice firmer this time.

He watched her for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly, before nodding. "Okay."

Yejin blinked, surprised by his lack of argument. She had expected him to press her further or try to convince her to go, but he didn't.

"Okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah," he said, turning to keep walking. "If you're not going, you're not going. But I'm still going to the beach."