? ???????? ???? ? phi hanwool

???. ??.?

Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to hold his stare. "The truth?"

His fingers twitched at his side, as if resisting the urge to reach for her. "You knew it was me the moment I said your name," he murmured. "And yet, you're pretending it doesn't mean anything."

She swallowed hard, gripping the sleeves of her blazer. "It doesn't change anything," she muttered, looking away.

Hanwool let out a slow, frustrated sigh. "It changes everything."

The space between them felt charged, thick with the weight of unspoken memories. Hanwool's eyes never wavered, watching every flicker of hesitation in her gaze. He took another slow step forward, forcing her back until she was pressed against the cold rooftop wall.

"You always ran to me, Nara," he murmured, voice dipping into something dangerously soft. "Under that bridge, after every fight with your parents. You don't remember?"

Her throat tightened. Of course, she remembered. The boy who never told her his name, who listened when no one else did, who sat beside her in the silence until her tears dried. But that boy wasn't supposed to be Hanwool. Not the reckless, untouchable Hanwool standing in front of her now.

"I remember," she admitted, barely above a whisper.

His hand came up slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a touch too gentle for someone like him, too careful. "Then stop pretending like none of it mattered," he said, voice laced with frustration. "You saved me that night on the bridge. And after that, I spent years waiting-hoping I'd find you again."

Rin clenched her fists at her sides. "I'm not that girl anymore."

A humorless smirk ghosted his lips. "Aren't you?" He leaned in, his breath warm against her temple. "You still run when things get hard. Just like back then."

She pushed against his chest, but he caught her wrist, his grip firm but not forceful. "Let go, Hanwool."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes darkening. "Tell me to let go like you mean it."

Rin opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Because she didn't mean it. And they both knew it.

Hanwool sighed, glancing around before gently taking her hand. "Come with me," he murmured, his voice lacking its usual edge.

Rin didn't protest as he led her down the stairwell, through the empty hallways, until they reached the old music room-one of the few places no one ever went. He pushed open the door, letting her step in first before shutting it behind them. The dim light filtering through the dusty windows cast a soft glow over the worn-out piano in the corner, the silence stretching between them.

She stood there, tense, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold everything in. But then Hanwool took a step closer, and something in her just-snapped.

A sob tore from her throat as she buried her face against his chest, fists gripping his jacket like it was the only thing keeping her from collapsing. All the stress, the guilt, the weight of memories she had buried for so long came crashing down on her.

Hanwool froze for a second, startled. Then, slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. One hand slid up to her hair, fingers threading through it gently as he whispered, "It's okay... I got you."

She cried harder at that.

"I hate this," she choked out. "I hate feeling this way. I hate not knowing what to do, who to trust-"

"I know," he murmured, pressing his forehead against the top of her head. "I know, Nara."

She hiccupped, pulling away slightly to look at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "Why did you come back? Why now?"

His gaze softened, but there was something desperate beneath it. "Because I couldn't stay away. Because when I saw you again, I knew-I knew I couldn't lose you twice."

She looked away, but he caught her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Please," he whispered. "Give me a chance. I'll treat you right. I won't pull you into my mess. I just want you, Nara."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.

Rin swallowed hard, her breath uneven as she stared up at him. The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered-it was too much. It reminded her of the past, of the boy who had always been there under that bridge, waiting for her when she had nowhere else to go. The boy who had comforted her when no one else had.

But things were different now. They weren't just two kids escaping from their broken homes anymore.

Her hands trembled as she pulled away slightly, just enough to put some distance between them. "You say that now, but Hanwool... you live in a world that's nothing but chaos. You fight, you get into trouble, you-" She shook her head, her voice breaking. "How am I supposed to trust that you won't drag me down with you?"

His jaw tightened, something unreadable flashing through his dark eyes. "I won't," he said firmly. "I swear it."

She let out a bitter laugh. "You can't promise that."

"I can," he insisted, stepping closer again. "I've done a lot of shit, Rin. I know what I am. But I would never let anything happen to you. I would never hurt you."

Her eyes searched his, trying to find any hint of a lie-but there was none. And that scared her more than anything.

"Why me?" she whispered.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as if he was frustrated she even had to ask. "Because it's always been you, Nara." His voice softened, filled with something dangerously close to longing. "From the moment you found me on that bridge, you saved me. Again and again, you saved me, even when you didn't realize it."

Rin clenched her fists, fighting the sting of more tears. "But I didn't know it was you."

"I know," he murmured. "And I didn't want you to. Not at first. But the second I saw you again... I couldn't stay away."

The weight of his confession settled deep in her chest, making it harder to breathe. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that this was impossible-that whatever they had in the past was gone.

But when she opened her mouth, the words wouldn't come.

Instead, she felt his fingers brush against hers, hesitant, like he was waiting for her to pull away. She didn't.

Hanwool took that as permission, slowly intertwining their fingers together. "Just one chance," he whispered. "That's all I'm asking for."

Rin sucked in a shaky breath. One chance. One step closer to something she wasn't sure she could handle.

But as she looked at him-at the boy she had once saved, who was now trying to save her in return-she realized she wasn't sure she could walk away either.

"Fine..."

✶ CHAPTER 017
- Rey's note : dating era coming soon..