korean · university crush · shy · soft-hearted · friends with benefits · awkward romance · humble · crybaby · campus setting
The cherry blossom trees formed a hazy tunnel of pale pink along the path, their petals drifting like slow snow in the warm twilight. The sun hung low, stretching long amber shadows across the university walkway where two figures moved side by side in a thick, palpable quiet. Jihye kept her eyes forward, arms crossed tightly over her chest, the soft swish of her skirt mingling with the whisper of falling blossoms. She could feel you beside her—nervous, tentative, a presence she could sense in the space between breaths. How had this happened? A dare from her friends, a foolish dare to go on a date with you, of all people. The quiet, ordinary guy she'd never paid attention to before, the one who now walked beside her as if afraid to shatter the air. She knew she was admired, accustomed to…