??? ????? ? yang jungwon ?

Minah lay on her bed, bathed in the soft glow of her bedside lamp, staring at the photo strip pinned to the wall.

The tiny images captured moments frozen in time—the gentle curve of Jungwon's smile, the flicker of surprise when she had leaned in closer, the way their laughter had blended into something unspoken.

The aquarium had been beautiful, but somehow, the memory of him beside her felt even more vivid, like ink sinking into the pages of her mind.

She traced her fingers over the photos, her chest tightening with something she didn't quite understand. It wasn't new, this feeling. It had always been there, quiet and persistent, like the lull of waves against the shore.

But tonight, it felt heavier, more tangible.

All cause of him, Jungwon.

She rolled onto her side, pulling her blanket up to her chin. Her mind replayed every glance, every stolen moment, every time his voice had softened just for her. 

The way he had looked at her in the glowing blue light of the tanks, as if she were something worth looking at.

Minah sighed, pressing her forehead into the pillow.

She liked him.

The realization was terrifying and warm all at once, like stepping into the ocean at night—cold at first, but then the waves welcomed her in, pulling her under with a gentle, inescapable force. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her heart to slow down. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was her friend.

Her friend.

And yet, the thought of not having him beside her, of not seeing his exasperated eye-rolls or hearing his quiet laughter, felt unbearable.

Minah groaned and reached for her phone before she could talk herself out of it. Her fingers hovered over Jungwon's contact, her pulse thrumming in her ears. It was late. He was probably asleep.

But what if he wasn't?

Before she could hesitate any longer, she pressed the call button, holding her breath as the line rang.

It picked up after the second ring.

"...Minah?"

His voice was soft, drowsy, the sound of blankets shifting in the background making her heart clench. "Did I wake you?"

There was a pause. Then, a quiet chuckle. "No," he murmured, his voice warm and edged with sleep. "Well, maybe. But it's fine."

Minah smiled, curling into her pillow. "I just... I couldn't sleep."

Jungwon hummed, as if he understood. "Thinking too much?"

She hesitated, then whispered, "Yeah."

The silence stretched between them, comfortable and unhurried. She could almost see him lying there in the dark, hair messy from sleep, eyes half-lidded but still full of something she couldn't quite name.

"What about?" he asked, voice quiet, like he was afraid of breaking the moment.

Minah turned onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "Today," she admitted. "It was nice."

Jungwon didn't say anything at first. But then, in the softest voice, he replied, "It really was."

She closed her eyes. "Yeah."

Another pause. 

She didn't know what this meant, not yet. But as they stayed on the phone, whispering about everything and nothing, listening to each other's breathing in the quiet of the night, Minah knew for certain, that she was starting to like him.

"Jungwon," Minah said softly, her voice like a whisper against the quiet of the night.

Jungwon shifted under his blankets, the phone cool against his ear. He lay on his side, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars he had stuck to his ceiling years ago. He hadn't really thought about them in a long time, but right now, they reminded him of the way the aquarium lights reflected in Minah's eyes.

"Yeah?" he murmured.

A pause.

"I don't really know why I called," Minah admitted, voice hesitant. "I just... I was thinking way too much."

Jungwon smiled to himself. "Thinking about what? It doesn't seem like you were thinking only about today, you know."

She exhaled slowly, and he could almost picture her lying on her bed, staring at the photo strip she had just taped to the wall.

"I was thinking about you."

Jungwon's heart stuttered.

Minah must have realized what she said because she let out a soft, breathless laugh. "I mean—" She sighed. "You make me feel... different."

Jungwon turned onto his back, gripping his phone a little tighter. "Different how?"

"I don't know," Minah admitted. "Like... my chest gets all tight when I think about you. And tonight, when we were at the aquarium, I felt like—like I wanted time to stop. Just for a little while."

Jungwon's throat felt dry. "Oh. Uh, yeah...me too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He swallowed, forcing himself to breathe steadily. "You're not the only one who feels like that, you know."

Minah went quiet. For a moment, all he could hear was the faint rustling of her sheets. Then, softly, "What do we do about it?"

Jungwon's lips curved into a small smile. "We don't have to figure it out all at once."

Minah hummed in agreement. "You always know what to say, huh?"

"Not really," he admitted, glancing toward his window. The moonlight spilled across the floor, illuminating the shirt he had tossed over his chair—the one still faintly carrying the scent of Minah's perfume. "I'm just saying what I think."

"Then keep doing that," she murmured.

A comfortable silence stretched between them. Jungwon listened to the steady rhythm of Minah's breathing, feeling himself relax.

"You should sleep," he said after a while, voice softer now.

Minah made a small noise of protest. "Not yet."

Jungwon chuckled. "You're going to fall asleep on the phone, aren't you?"

"Mmm... maybe," she mumbled. "Is that okay?"

Jungwon closed his eyes, settling deeper into his blankets. "Yeah. It's okay."

Minah didn't respond right away, but he could hear her shifting, getting comfortable.

"Goodnight, Jungwon," she whispered at last.

Jungwon smiled, letting his eyelids grow heavier. "Goodnight, Minah."

Neither of them hung up. The quiet lull of their breathing filled the space between them, steady and warm. And even miles apart, it felt like they were right next to each other.