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Yona was pretty sure her fingers had turned into icicles. The usual short walk to the café felt impossibly long today as she and Lili trudged through the winter wind, chins tucked into their coats to brace against the cold. When they finally made it to the storefront and yanked open the door, her hands cracked and tingled from the effort. They each let out a huff of relief as the door swung shut behind them. Whispers of warmth began to seep through the thick layers of clothes to their skin, and Yun had just pulled something absolutely delicious smelling out of the oven. Yona briefly closed her eyes to revel in the combined sensation of precious heat and decadent scent.
Coming back to the present, she peered towards the counter to see Jae-ha clutching Ms. Gigan’s hands. The landlady looked unimpressed and unamused, which probably meant he was being his normal, inappropriate self. Shaking her head with suppressed humor, Yona called out in greeting.
“Jae-ha!” The man in question whisked his head towards them with a smile as Ms. Gigan seized the opportunity to take her leave.
As he strode forward to meet them, Lili couldn’t stop rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Through chattering teeth, she muttered, “It’s so cold outside…”
Jae-ha grinned and made a grand display of motioning towards their favorite table. “The seats on this side are warm.” His invitation was all the permission the two girls needed, eagerly sinking into the cozy chairs. Once they were settled, he continued, “Now, what would you ladies like on this fine winter’s night?”
After some deliberation, Yona ordered sweet and Lili ordered savory. However, both insisted on large cups of hot tea to soothe their chilled bodies. As Jae-ha headed back behind the counter, the girls reminisced over their café favorites and shared plans for the evening, as it was New Year’s Eve. Yona smiled politely but inwardly deflated as Lili divulged the girls' night Ayura and Tetra had planned. Her own plans consisted of another evening sulking alone in her father’s house.
Jae-ha returned and, catching the end of their conversation, asked, “How was Christmas? Did you two get up to anything fun?” Lili essentially had an identical holiday spent with just her two guardians, and Yona suddenly felt a little guilty over her sadness. Lili’s father was also frequently absent; it must be hard for her even if Ayura and Tetra were there. She glanced up to see Jae-ha and Lili watching her expectantly and realized she must have missed a question directed her way. Noting her lack of understanding, Jae-ha repeated slyly, “And what about you, Yona dear? A date with Hak, perhaps?”
Yona’s heart skidded to a halt, and a bright blush bloomed across her cheeks. “What?! Of course not!” Met with disbelieving looks, she protested further, “Really, you’ve got it all wrong. We’re not even dating!”
Lili’s deadpan remained fixed, though Jae-ha looked incredibly amused, of all things. Yona eyed him suspiciously but carried on. “Hak’s doing a part time delivery job over the winter break, remember?” she supplied, as if this was a perfectly acceptable excuse for his distance from her. Whether or not her friends believed her, it was actually the truth. She felt the corners of her mouth turn downward against her will; she hadn’t seen Hak nearly as often as she used to since he began working with Kija. She was happy for him, knowing he took pride in being of use, but she acutely felt his absence.
“That’s right,” Jae-ha said, not unsympathetically. “I’m sure he has been busy given the time of year.”
“Wait,” Lili interrupted, “so you were alone on Christmas?” Steam threatened to start rising from her head, so Yona rushed to reassure her.
“Not entirely! Uhh… Oh, that’s right! I met Zeno and his girlfriend for a bit. We bumped into each other and he introduced me.” Lili’s eyes bulged, and Yona was satisfied to see her distraction working.
“Girlfriend?! ”
Just then the sound of the door and a burst of bitter cold made them look up as Zeno himself padded into the café with an unmistakable toothy grin. Yona beamed in return and called him over, further directing attention away from her lonely holidays and brooding over a certain tall dark-haired boy.
“Zeno! I was just talking about how cute Kaya is.”
His eyes crinkled in the corners as his smile grew wider. “I know, right?”
Jae-ha chimed in observantly, “But you’re alone today, are you?”
“No, I’m meeting someone. I thought he was here alread-”
“Here,” came a light voice from behind Yona and Lili’s table. Both of them jumped in surprise and Jae-ha let out a yelp. Not so observant after all.
“Were you there the whole time?!” he yelled at Shin-ah, who was crouched over his phone, Ao perched on his shoulder.
As was his way at times, Shin-ah didn’t readily answer. Instead he continued to watch whatever had him enraptured with the screen in front of him. Yun helpfully offered from around the corner, “He came in earlier while you were on the phone, Jae-ha. Just before you harassed Ms. Gigan.” Ignoring the slight, Jae-ha shook his head and joined Zeno in conversing with Shin-ah, who angled his phone to show he was watching squirrel videos. While the two other young men pointed out the futility of this practice considering a live squirrel was present, Yun brought the girls’ food out. All thoughts of squirrels and girlfriends vanished as they hungrily dug in, singing the praises of Yun’s cooking throughout.
It felt like no time had passed when Ayura and Tetra appeared in the doorway, ready to take Lili home. Yona watched as Lili tried to negotiate staying longer, holding out a flicker of hope she wouldn’t leave quite yet. Ultimately the argument was lost as roads had started to clog up with holiday traffic, and the two adults were anxious to get home. Yona smiled a little sadly but was grateful nonetheless for at least getting to share a meal with her friend.
“Thanks for coming out with me, especially on New Year’s Eve. It was so much fun!”
Lili’s eyes shone playfully. “Of course, let’s do it again next year.” The trio wished everyone farewell, and Jae-ha straightened to stand next to Yona as she silently watched their exit.
Not feeling up to going home, she asked, “Is it okay if I stay until you close?” She didn’t mind if she needed to keep out of the way while Jae-ha and Yun worked, she just liked the idea of being around her friends for as long as possible.
“Will that be okay with your family?” Jae-ha asked. Yona assured him it would be since her father was away on a business trip, and he gave a knowing smile. “That’s fine then. It just so happens we’re having a New Year’s party after closing. Do you want to join in?”
Yona’s eyes widened in surprise at the word ‘party’, barely letting Jae-ha finish his sentence before squealing, “Yes, yes, yes! Thank you!” Jae-ha made her promise to let her father know despite his absence, and she hastily agreed.
“Since when are we having a par-” Yun started before Jae-ha silenced him with a hard glance.
“Zeno, too! And this guy as well,” Zeno added, gesturing toward Shin-ah.
Yun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I guess there’s no help for it, I’ll whip up some of my special soba.”
“Thank you, mom,” the other boys said in unison with a reverent bow.
“How many times do I have to say it, I didn’t give birth to any of you!!” Yun stalked off to start the soba anyway, maternal urges winning out. Jae-ha pranced merrily around the counter to offer his assistance, extracting a phone from his apron to type out a quick message before pocketing it again.
Refreshed with the excitement of having plans after all, Yona bounded over to Zeno and Shin-ah, crouching down as the latter still seemed to prefer the floor to a chair and table. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her own phone sounded off a dingy alert; she only knew that they had moved on from squirrel videos to flying squirrel videos. Not especially invested, she retrieved her phone right away. A message from Lili? , she thought. Wasn’t she just here?
Intrigued, she tapped open the message only for her other hand to fly over her mouth, stifling a shrill involuntary squeak. She could feel her face reddening as she gawked at the text’s contents: a close snapshot of Hak in his work uniform. It was clearly candid; he seemed unaware of the camera with his face angled slightly away, focused on something out of view. A short sentence followed:
A delivery came.
Yona suppressed a giggle trying to bubble up to the surface, unsure exactly what had her so giddy. Hak’s uniform wasn’t especially attractive; in fact it was rather drab with its unappealing gray-brown color and unshaped fit. Yet her pulse felt electric beneath her skin. Hak’s expression was focused while maintaining a hint of the arrogant demeanor she found both annoying and endearing, though she would die before admitting the latter. The hat he wore pushed his hair into his face further than usual, obscuring his eyes a little. She didn’t approve of the way her heart jumped in response.
Suddenly the image shot upward as another one came through and reoriented the screen. There Hak was again, to her thinly veiled delight, except now he appeared to be walking away with his head turned over his shoulder back towards the camera. His hand held up a peace sign, and his face was pulled into what could only be called a pout. The giggle bubbled more aggressively; she was probably turning an unhealthy shade of crimson in effort to keep it in check. When Lili’s next text followed, stealth mission failed, Yona’s control fractured. An undignified snort tore its way out forcefully, cutting through all other noise in the room.
Zeno perked up. “What’s up, lass? Watching a funny video?” He sounded excited at the prospect, probably eager to see something unrelated to woodland creatures.
“No, no,” Yona wheezed, “It’s nothing.”
He looked like he might press her out of curiosity not easily contained, but thankfully Yun appeared from behind the counter at just that moment announcing the soba was ready. Everyone leaped up, clamoring to the bar stools along the counter. Yun served each of them one after the other, causing Jae-ha to cough and mutter something that sounded like the words “doting mother”.
The first taste was heavenly. Try as she might to savor each bite, Yona ended up devouring the entire bowl in record time, no regard for having eaten only a short time ago. “The tempura on top is so crunchy,” she marveled between mouthfuls. “You’re a genius, Yun!” Zeno cheered in assent while Shin-ah gave short successive nods as he slurped his noodles without pause. Unsurprisingly, both of them were nearly done with their second helping.
“That was delicious! How about red bean mochi for dessert?” Zeno suggested, leaning back with his hands resting on his stomach. Shin-ah’s head whipped up, noodles still protruding from his mouth, Ao dangling from the other end. Yona couldn’t decide which of the two boys would outlast the other, if it came down to it.
“You’ll get fat,” Jae-ha said flatly.
Zeno crossed his arms in objection. “Zeno’s body never gets fat!”
“Oh how wonderful for you,” Jae-ha quipped, and the bickering continued in that fashion for some time. Yona’s frame hummed in amusement, perfectly fulfilled in a way that had less to do with the meal and more to do with being surrounded by all the people she cherished. Well, almost all of them. Hak slipped back into her mind without much effort, as if he had never quite left to begin with.
This was happening more and more frequently as of late. She wasn’t sure at what point her childhood best friend had become something more. Regardless of when this change occurred, she realized some months ago that she couldn’t deny the truth to herself anymore.
The others faded into the background as she followed the trail he carved through her thoughts, a path laid sweet and clear before her. She pulled her phone back out and unlocked the screen, the messages from Lili still open. Lazily scrolling back to the top, she studied the first picture, Hak unaware of his audience. Admiring him while he was none the wiser wracked her with nervous glee. Her stomach began to do little somersaults as she analyzed his defined jawline, the mess of unkempt hair, even the lean muscles that ran down his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt collar.
She tilted forward to inspect these details more closely, imagining what it would be like to trace the lines that made up Hak with her hands instead of her eyes. Her already pink complexion was viciously morphing into scarlet, but she decided to blame it on the noodles and how warm the café air felt under her knit sweater. Had she really been frozen with cold just a couple hours ago? That seemed impossible at the present moment.
She had a vague awareness of the door opening and closing but paid it no mind. Jae-ha was likely taking out the trash, as near to closing as it was. Tapping on the picture to bring it into a larger view, she softly touched her fingers to the spot on the screen where Hak’s cheek was, testing her thoughts to the extent that was possible. Feeling immediately foolish, she swiped away to the second picture of Hak making the peace sign. It had made her laugh before, but now she felt the stirrings of a wistful ache. It burrowed deep within her and melded into something else, something complex and confusing, taking up room in her chest she didn’t think she had. The weight of these tender feelings abruptly became unbearable. I‘d give anything to have Hak here right now , the thought came unbidden. She supported her head in an open palm with her elbow resting on the counter, suddenly heavy but not willing to break her reverent watch.
“Oh, hey! Good job out there you two!”
Yona jolted out of her reverie at Jae-ha’s shout. The room surged back into focus, the volume shifting from muffled to precise and her awareness recalibrating. She sensed a tall form standing behind her and swiveled around only to be met with a broad chest in a familiar winter coat. Tilting her head back slowly, she found an interested blue gaze already locked on her.
Hak.
Oh God, oh no. Her brain short circuited, no longer capable of coherency or reason. She had literally wished him into existence. Why on earth would she do that when anyone paying half attention could plainly see her pining? Stupid, stupid, stupid . With great effort, she stopped berating herself and tried to calm down. Hak was still staring, his expression becoming more quizzical as he likely contemplated her sanity. With a shallow breath, she attempted to ask, “H–,” a choked squeak cut her short. This cannot be happening . Mortified, she cleared her throat before continuing. “How long were you standing there?”
Hak’s eyebrow rose a fraction. “Long enough to see you scrolling through pictures of a poor delivery man. Will I get tipped for those?”
The fire in her cheeks burned white hot. “Uh, it’s just– Lili happened to send these to me…” she trailed off, unsure how to salvage this disaster.
“Yeah, I figured,” Hak drawled slowly, clearly waiting for further explanation. When none came, his questioning expression took on an edge she didn’t understand. Was he annoyed, or maybe embarrassed? Or worse, amused . She quickly twirled back towards the counter, clutching her phone briefly to her forehead with a wince.
The somersaults her insides were performing before had turned into full-on cartwheels, making sickening lurches; she closed her eyes and attempted to regulate her galloping heartbeat. This immediately proved difficult when Hak moved to sit in the stool next to her and she heard him thank Jae-ha for the invite. Oh she was going to hit that droopy eyed fiend. A little warning would have been nice.
Opening her eyes again, she saw that Kija had come as well. He was settling in on Hak’s other side as Jae-ha dished each of them large helpings of soba.
“You’ve been a great help,” Kija said to Hak after swallowing his first bite. “I hope you continue working next year.”
Hak huffed an appreciative laugh. “You got it.” Impressively, he slurped his noodles nearly as loud as Shin-ah. He must have worked up quite the appetite today.
Jae-ha seemed to notice this as well. “You’ve been working so hard, I’d give you a drink on the house if I could. Hurry up and grow old enough so we can drink together,” he teased.
“I can drink!” Kija offered jovially.
Jae-ha grimaced dramatically and gave him a pitying look. “Yeah, you really shouldn't though.” Kija puffed up to protest, but Hak interjected.
“Don’t worry. I’ll continue working and save up enough to be able to drink with you as soon as possible.”
Appeased, Kija settled back down. “And when you do, I shall accompany you both,” he stated proudly in his formal way of speaking. Turning to Jae-ha, he ordered with flair. “Bartender, pour me a glass!”
Jae-ha raised both hands in an exaggerated shrug to say, “Sorry, we’re closed,” making Kija sputter indignantly.
Hak’s mouth quirked with concealed laughter as he sipped a glass of water. He peered sideways at Yona conspiratorially, eyes alight with mischief. This small, silent moment he kept between them dissolved her leftover panic almost instantly, substituted with a warmth that spread from her center outward through the rest of her body. At ease once again, she met his gaze with a surreptitious smile, holding in her own laughter for Kija’s sake.
The group talked, joked, and whooped through the night as the clock ticked ever closer towards midnight. Now that the café was actually closed, their employed friends were able to join in the fun without the distraction of keeping the shop running, though Yona could swear she saw Yun pouring Kija drinks whenever Jae-ha’s back was turned. Shin-ah had broken away from animal entertainment, choosing instead to monitor the New Year’s TV program, notifying everyone of the countdown at each five minute mark.
With just a few moments left in the year, Yona felt gratitude prickling at the backs of her eyes. Though it had turned into more, she suspected this night was thrown together at the last minute with her in mind. This was a family she had chosen and who had chosen her in turn; the way they rallied to take care of her filled her with swirling, heady emotions.
Recognizing Jae-ha as the mastermind of festivities, Yona leaned over and whispered with feeling, “Thank you for holding this party.”
For a moment he appeared stunned, but then his features softened as an uncharacteristic pink dusted his cheekbones.
“Don’t mention it, really,” he insisted. “Having you here, all of you, is a treat.” The usual teasing lilt to his voice was absent, replaced with sincerity that made her eyes mist over.
“Shin-ah, what’s the time now?” Kija called across the room.
Before Shin-ah could reply, Yun stole a glance at his phone and gasped. “Ahh! Only 15 seconds till midnight!”
A frenzied energy fizzled throughout the cafe as everyone jumped to their feet, unsure what to do. Yona didn’t have time to consider before Hak murmured in her ear, “Princess, your hand please,” and firmly gripped the hand in question without waiting for permission.
The use of her childhood pet name rendered her nearly speechless, and liquid heat pooled in her palm where their skin met. She barely managed to stammer, “What?”
*10!*
“We’re going to jump so we can say we weren’t on earth when the new year hit,” Hak replied matter-of-factly.
*9!*
Blank expressions met him throughout the room. “I do it with Tae-Woo and the rest of my family every year,” he explained. Yona’s chest tightened learning this childish tradition; Hak was so good with his younger brothers, something she greatly admired about him.
*8!*
“Aww, aren’t you just the cutest,” Jae-ha taunted good-naturedly.
*7!*
Unaffected, Hak inclined his head towards Yona’s other side. “Droopy eyes, give her your ha-” but was shoved aside as Zeno burst between her and Jae-ha, scooping up each of their hands in his.
“Zeno too, Zeno too!”
*6!*
Kija pulled Shin-ah by his arm to where everyone was standing, encouraging him to link with Jae-ha’s free hand. He turned to scan the rest of the room, immediately pinpointing the straggler.
*5!*
“You too, Yun! Come on!”
*4!*
“You beasts are huge, it’s too cramped over there!” Yun’s excuses were ignored as Kija ferried him over, enthusiastically snatching his hand along with Shin-ah’s.
*3!*
Yona’s eyes sparkled as she surveyed the ragtag semi circle they formed, elation making her light on her feet. Radiating anticipation, she turned towards Hak. He was already grinning at her but offered a covert wink when their eyes met. Fireworks exploded in her head.
*2!*
“Ready?” Hak announced to everyone, squeezing Yona’s hand a bit tighter as he shifted his weight.
*1!*
With the tinny phone speaker’s declaration of Happy New Year! , Yona didn’t even have to bend her knees before she was launched upward with both Hak’s and Zeno’s momentum. Miraculously, it seemed they all managed to make it in the air together; Yona didn’t spot a single foot touching the ground as the digital celebratory sounds rang out.
By the next beat, a chorus of thuds hit the linoleum accompanied by hoots and cheers. Yona was so transfixed with her own shouting that she didn’t notice Zeno attempting a second jump, sending both her and Jae-ha sprawling in his wake.
Yona shrieked and waved her arms frantically in an attempt to regain balance, but to no avail. She tipped backwards and tried her best to brace for impact with the hard floor, when a solid arm shot across her back. Hard hands gripped each shoulder, instantly steadying her. Dizzy with the sudden spike of adrenaline, her head lolled back and found Hak’s face close to hers. Her breath caught in her throat at the proximity. Protective concern flashed across his eyes momentarily, but concluding quickly she was okay, his expression shifted to an all too familiar smirk.
“Easy there. They didn’t teach you to walk in finishing school? Or even stand properly?”
Trance broken, she puffed her reddening cheeks in frustration. His eyes only took on a more devious sheen, and she scrambled to free herself from his hold and avoid further mockery.
“As I told you all those years ago, I am not a princess!”, emphasizing the point with crossed arms and stamping her foot. Hak’s eyebrows rose amusingly at her contradictory behavior.
“Right,” he jeered, “just a royal pain.” He met her petulant glare shamelessly.
More to hide the humiliation than because she was actually angry, she turned her back to him, catching sight of Zeno helping Jae-ha off the floor. The older boy was scowling at the younger, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“Zeno is very sorry for getting overly excited. Is the lass okay?”
Yona's agitation eased slightly, and she offered a gentle smile. “I’m fine, I promise.” She peered sidelong at the still smirking jerk behind her and begrudgingly added, “Hak caught me.”
“Oh, Zeno is so glad the mister was there to save the day!”
Feeling neglected, Jae-ha cut in, “I’m fine too by the way, if anyone was curious.” He jutted his lower lip out in Hak’s direction. “Thanks for nothing. I could be mistaken for a damsel in distress too, you know.” He flipped some loose hair out of his face with dramatic finesse, topping off the performance.
“Eh, not really my type,” Hak shrugged with nonchalance.
A devilish grin wiped away Jae-ha’s pout. In a silky drawl, he goaded, “Is that so? What would be your type then, pray tell?”
A sturdy weight fell on Yona’s shoulders and she tensed somewhere between exhilaration and panic, realizing Hak had made his way to her side again and slung his arm around her, closing the gap between them. She fervently hoped he couldn’t hear her heart trying to break through her ribcage.
“Oh nothing you wouldn’t expect,” Hak responded casually, and began listing as if recalling his grocery list, “cute, clumsy, easily riled.” With each identifier, Yona felt the blood rising higher and higher up her neck until it was searing the tips of her ears. He had to be picking on her purposefully, the brute. Her earlier anxiety resurged with a vengeance, and she was confusingly grateful for Hak’s arm since it was likely the only thing keeping her upright at the moment. “Oh,” he finished, “and I’ve always had a thing for royalty, but I know that’s far-fetched.”
A small gasp escaped reflexively and she cursed herself. It took all her willpower not to cover her mouth and avoid bringing more attention to her reaction, hoping no one noticed. Hak didn’t indicate that he had heard her, though she could see a dimple formed by his half smile out of the corner of her eye. She chose to credit this to his incessant taunting.
Jae-ha on the other hand had pinned her with a direct stare, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Her color went nearly purple when she made eye contact and quickly looked away. Luckily, the others had long since left the vicinity, tuning into the rest of the New Year’s program and scrounging around for dessert.
Following her line of sight, Jae-ha announced, “Oh it looks like Zeno needs my assistance, if you’ll excuse me,” and he was retreating, leaving Yona alone with Hak, his arm still solidly around her.
“Um,” Yona gulped, gathering courage. “Why do you joke like that? I know you like teasing, but Jae-ha already thinks you and I might be dating. You don’t want to give him the wrong idea.”
Without looking at her, he replied coolly, “Who said I was joking?”
She didn’t know what to say to that, spots dancing in her vision. She wishes he would be serious for once.
“Come on, let’s go see if those knuckleheads managed to find anything good,” Hak said, his weight slipping from her shoulders but catching her hand, pulling her along behind him. Still at a loss for words, she let him lead and tried to let go of the lingering self-consciousness. This was just Hak being himself after all; he’d relished getting a rise out of her for as long as she could remember.
Over the next hour or so, her anxiety soothed as they fell back in sync with the others. Zeno had not given up on the red bean mochi suggestion from earlier and eventually succeeded in getting everyone to share a huge batch. When they were finished, Yona offered to carry the empty plates back to the kitchen to give Yun a break, but she ended up bumping her hip on the edge of a table and nearly crashed. To her deep displeasure, Hak managed to catch and steady her again, appearing from thin air wraith-like. Snide as ever, he implied she had been sneaking drinks along with Kija. Rather than dignify him with a response, she stormed off to complete her task.
As time ticked on, the room gradually fell quieter; Shin-ah’s phone had died and at least two of their friends were fast asleep. Kija was making a valiant effort to stay awake, but his head dropped further and further with each passing minute. Jae-ha began sneaking about in search of a sharpie.
“Alright Princess,” Hak breathed in resignation, “You should probably get home. And I should probably walk you so you don't stumble and hit your head after that drink you say you didn’t have.”
“I didn’t!” Yona whined, punctuated with another childish foot stomp. Hak chuckled, and she inwardly rolled her eyes.
“Kidding,” he said, mirth coating his voice. “But still. It’s late and dark. I’ll walk you.” His tone was casual but left no room for argument. Despite his ridicule, Yona found she didn’t want to argue anyway. This was the most time they’d had together in weeks.
They stood and shrugged on their coats, turning to wave and say goodbye to anyone still conscious. Kija had finally conked out, and Jae-ha appeared too triumphant for anything good to come of it.
The walk home wasn’t long, but cold immediately creeped in as soon as they were outside. Yona wasn’t as bothered by it as before, warmed by Hak’s company. He started telling stories about all the interesting things he’s seen since taking on the new job: a three-legged cat who hissed at him as he tried to leave a package on a front porch, an old man who received frequent deliveries and always answered the door in only his underwear, and even Zeno, who rode by Hak on his bike. He had smiled and waved so enthusiastically that he toppled over into someone’s flower bed.
Yona laughed brightly at his tales, encouraging him to tell more until he had none left. She ended up sharing with him the way Shin-ah had surprised them and made Jae-ha shriek earlier that night, extracting a genuine, hearty laugh from Hak’s normally cool exterior. The sound lodged in her chest and reignited the embers of heavy longing. While he could be infuriating at times, this softer side made her melt. It was how she’d always observed him around his family, lively and gentle; she couldn’t help but think this was his truest self. And he chose to extend this intimacy to her as if she were his family too, a truth she held close to her heart. After all, he had become her family and so much more. His faithful presence was her gravity, generating an inexorable pull she couldn’t resist if she tried.
All too soon, Yona’s front yard came into view. They stopped halfway down the footpath to the front door. She turned to say goodbye only to find words wouldn’t come. She didn’t want to go into her empty house, but more than that, she simply didn’t want to leave Hak’s side. Their walk had left her euphoric; she wasn’t ready for that feeling to dissipate, especially since she didn’t know when she would see him next.
She became aware she was staring into his eyes without saying anything, and had been for a few minutes. He gave no sign of feeling awkward about this, but she still swallowed nervously as heat climbed her neck once again.
“Uh, thank you for walking me home,” she managed to say a little breathlessly. Staring at him was muddying her thoughts. What’s the matter with you? , she chastised herself. Hak has walked her home countless times; she would not make a fool out of herself over something so routine, even if the intensity of his gaze kindled a fire deep in her gut.
“Anytime,” Hak answered. “Maybe next time don’t drink so much and I can actually get to sleep at a decent hour.” This time Yona’s eye roll was perfectly visible, and that signature smirk lit up his face.
“Well don’t let me keep you from your warm bed,” Yona retorted with a touch of sarcasm, though that didn’t sound so bad, in truth. The air was frigid, and she could feel icy bites all along her skin. She brought her hands to her face in order to warm them, but Hak’s hands silently appeared around hers, large enough to envelope them entirely. They were also enticingly warm, though she couldn’t see how that was possible. The relief was instant, as was the violent freefall in her stomach at his touch.
As if intentionally provoking this response, he proceeded to bring her hands to his own face. Still cupped protectively around hers, he opened his hands just enough and slowly blew hot breath over her frozen fingers. The sensation made her dizzy with pleasure she didn’t know what to do with. He stayed dutifully at his task, not moving save for his eyes, which found hers over the slope of her raised arms in front of him. The freefall plunged further, sending her stomach careening as she held his gaze. The depth she saw there was intoxicating, crystal pools that seemed to reflect her own tamped-down desire.
Unhurried, he eventually lowered their hands without taking his eyes off her. His grip loosened marginally at the end of this descent, but he didn’t let go. They stayed like that for several minutes, hands clasped in front of them, eyes caught in a wordless dialogue. Yona felt like a spell had been cast, one that slowed down time and cemented her to this moment. Hak’s stare grounded her, his touch sustained her. To her amazement, she felt no nervousness or embarrassment, only certainty. This was right .
She thought she saw similar emotions playing across Hak’s features, his expression unguarded, open with want. She had never seen him look this way at anyone before, and a thrill ran up her spine as she relished the thought. God, she hoped she wasn’t imagining it.
Somewhat light-headed with the electricity coursing through her veins, she eventually broke their stare and shook her head to clear it. Daring another brief look in his direction, she gave a small but meaningful smile before turning to finally head inside.
Yet Hak did not release his grip on her. He gently tugged her back to face him, causing her to stumble over her feet and land closer than they were before. They were near enough now that she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. He was smiling softly down at her, stealing her breath from the short space between them. Slowly, he lifted one of her hands to his face again, except this time he touched it to his mouth, leaving a warm, heavy kiss across her knuckles. His eyes closed briefly with the contact, as if savoring the feel and taste of her skin.
Seconds passed that felt like minutes, and though his lips seemed reluctant to release her, Hak raised his head imperceptibly and opened his eyes. She could now clearly see what was reflected there: sincerity, devotion, adoration. Her knees threatened to crumble beneath the fervor of his unspoken pledge.
With her hand still inches from his lips and his eyes pinning her in place, Hak murmured, “Goodnight, Princess.” The warmth from his breath tickled her skin pleasantly, silent shivers spiraling all the way down her arm. Yona mustered what air she could, breathing him back into her lungs, whispering her own oath into his name.
“Goodnight, Hak.”
This time when she turned to go, her hands slipped from his without resistance. She instantly felt their absence but willed herself to take the last few steps towards her house. After fishing out the keys from her coat pocket and opening the door, she paused halfway through the threshold and looked back over her shoulder.
Hak stood resolutely, not having moved at all from his spot on the footpath. He was watching her intently, and when she turned to him, the hazy look on his face broadened with unfiltered happiness. Yona’s mouth curved upwards in response, hit with a different rush of pleasure she found was singularly caused by his smile. She brought her hand up in a timid wave, and only after seeing his own long arm raise in return did she finally step all the way through the entryway and close the door behind her.
She clicked the lock in place but remained rooted to the ground. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead and both palms against the polished wood. A ridiculous grin was spreading completely of its own accord, but she didn’t mind it. Every fiber in her body pulsed with joy that couldn’t be contained and would no longer be denied.
This , she thought, is going to be a very good year.