?(?? ? ? )? . . . . . . .
. . A seemingly "hard boy" with emotional walls built from past pain. Outwardly confident, sometimes cruel
. . A quiet, gentle girl who has endured bullying in the past. She's observant and strong, and often overlooked...
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she spotted him before he saw her—leaning against the low stone wall by the river trail, hands in his pockets, head tilted toward the sky like he was thinking too hard or not at all.
he looked relaxed. like he belonged in the soft gold of the setting sun.
then he looked up.
and blinked.
"...whoa."
seohyun stopped a few steps away, suddenly unsure. "what?"
jake stared for a second longer, then straightened up.
"you look... good."
his voice wasn't teasing. not smug. just surprised—and something gentler beneath it.
"like, really good."
seohyun tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers suddenly fidgety. "i almost didn't come."
"i'm glad you did."
he smiled, easy and genuine, like she hadn't just heard the same face be called ugly all week.
like maybe he saw her completely differently.
the wind tugged at her sleeves.
for a moment, neither of them spoke.
then jake cleared his throat. "wanna walk a bit?"
seohyun nodded.
and just like that, they started moving—side by side, step by step—toward something she couldn't name yet.
but it felt... better than silence.
their footsteps were slow, unhurried. the breeze stirred the trees above them, leaves whispering like they were sharing secrets.
seohyun glanced sideways at jake, unsure what to say. unsure if she even needed to say anything.
he was the one to break the quiet.
"you know..." he started, voice lower now, thoughtful. "you're better when you're... happy."
she blinked, surprised.
he kept his eyes ahead, hands still in his pockets.
"and prettier when you smile."
her heart skipped.
she looked down at the path. at the cracks in the pavement. anything but him.
but he didn't sound like he was teasing. he didn't laugh after. didn't grin.
just said it like it was the most natural truth in the world.
seohyun bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to smile—because part of her didn't believe it. and another part... wanted to.
"i don't smile much," she murmured.
"you should," he said, quietly. "it suits you."
the wind picked up again, brushing against her face like it agreed.
