fragments of forever | han yujin zb1

chapter 13 : resolving conflicts

aejung finally spotted gunwook as she stepped out of the music classroom. with a sense of urgency, she approached him, gently grabbing his shoulder to turn him around.

"we need to talk," she said simply, her expression serious yet determined.

gunwook's curiosity was evident in his expression, but he nodded in agreement, signaling that he was willing to listen. aejung gestured for him to follow her, leading the way to a quiet area on the school grounds where they had shared conversations before.

"how's your day been so far?" aejung inquired as they walked, attempting to ease into the conversation.

"not bad, yours?" gunwook responded with a smile.

"it's been alright," aejung replied, the weight of their impending conversation hanging in the air.

after a moment of silence, aejung broached the topic that had been weighing on her mind.

"listen, gunwook, why were you avoiding me all morning?" she asked, her tone tinged with concern.

gunwook's expression shifted, a sheepish look crossing his face as he searched for the right words.

"i... i didn't want to make you uncomfortable," he admitted, his voice soft yet sincere.

"you? make me uncomfortable? never," aejung exclaimed, her surprise evident in her voice. but then her tone softened. "seriously, gunwook, you're my friend. you could never make me feel that way."

they began to walk together in the hallways, the rhythm of their steps echoing softly in the empty corridor.

"so, what's been on your mind lately?" aejung inquired curiously, her gaze fixed on gunwook.

he paused for a moment, considering his words carefully before responding. "honestly? you," he admitted, his voice gentle yet sincere. "i've been thinking a lot about us."

aejung looked at him, a mixture of emotions flickering across her face as she absorbed his words.

"i appreciate your honesty, gunwook. i'm just not sure where i'm at right now," aejung confessed softly, her uncertainty palpable.

"that's okay. i'll wait for you, aejung. take all the time you need," gunwook reassured her, his understanding tone offering her comfort.

he guided her back to where the twins were waiting, bidding his goodbyes once again before walking away, leaving aejung to ponder the complexities of her feelings.

"so, what was that about?" boreum asked curiously, her eyes glinting with interest.

"oh, i just asked why he was avoiding me all morning," aejung replied with a simple smile.

"if it took that long, it couldn't have been just that," beomseok teased, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he nudged aejung playfully.

aejung paused for a moment, considering her response carefully before speaking again. "we talked about us for a bit, and then he said he would wait for me until i'm ready," she revealed thoughtfully.

boreum's face immediately lit up with happiness. "aww, that's so sweet!" she exclaimed excitedly, her voice filled with genuine delight.

"maybe you should write a song about it now," boreum suggested with a playful tone, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as she glanced at aejung.

"yeah, i'll get right on that," aejung replied jokingly, her tone light as she joined in the laughter.

together, the three friends made their way to a nearby table, their laughter ringing out as they settled in to enjoy each other's company.