I promenaded towards Jongyun's house with newfound confidence, feeling a surge of determination that had been absent for so long. The air was crisp, carrying a hint of spring as I walked along the tree-lined street. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the pavement. My steps were steady, and my heart beat with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. I had made up my mind to face Jongyun, to mend the bridges I had inadvertently burned.

As I approached Jongyun's house, I noticed a familiar figure standing at the gate. It was Sooyeong. My heart sank. He was already there, standing with Jongyun, who was leaning casually against the fence. They were deep in conversation, and it was clear from their body language that they were comfortable with each other. A pang of regret washed over me. It seemed Sooyeong had anticipated my visit and was here to make sure I regretted messing with Jongyun.

"Oh. Hi, Sooyeong," I greeted him, striving to keep my voice steady and composed instead of letting my nerves get the best of me. Sooyeong didn't greet me back or even acknowledge my presence. His eyes remained fixed on Jongyun as he continued discussing something I was unaware of. It stung a bit, but I tried not to show it.

"And then they finally reached the dungeon," Sooyeong was saying, his voice animated.

"Unbelievable," Jongyun replied, his tone a mix of excitement and slight shock. His eyes widened with interest, and I could see the spark of curiosity in them.

"I know, right?" Sooyeong continued, clearly enjoying the storytelling. I waited patiently, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.

After what felt like an eternity, their discussion finally wound down. Jongyun turned and noticed me standing behind them. His face lit up with a bright smile, and he skipped towards me. "Songjae!" he exclaimed, his enthusiasm contagious. I couldn't help but smile back at him, the warmth of his greeting melting away some of my earlier anxiety.

I reached out and grabbed his hand in mine, feeling a sense of connection that had been missing for too long. "Listen. Midterms are over, and normal classes start again," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. As the words left my mouth, I felt the color drain from my face. The reality of returning to our routines weighed heavily on me, and I could see the same realization dawning on Jongyun's face. He sulked slightly, mirroring my own feelings.

"Yeah... it's time to go back to routines," Jongyun mentioned, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"And that," I muttered, almost to myself, but Jongyun heard me.

"What's 'that'?" Jongyun asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. I was surprised he had forgotten so easily the one thing that had brought us so close to each other. It was endearing to see his innocent little face tilt in curiosity. I giggled softly, finding his confusion cute.

"The club, silly," I reminded him, unable to suppress a smile.

"Oh," Jongyun visibly lit up, his eyes sparkling with excitement. It was indeed true when Sooyeong had said back in the café that Jongyun had the cutest reactions. I giggled again, this time more freely, before grabbing his wrist.

"Let's go, or the president will be onto us," I said, leading him away.

As we walked, a sense of guilt gnawed at me. I had assumed Sooyeong had traveled all the way to our campus yesterday. I had confessed my feelings to Jongyun before Sooyeong's arrival, and now Sooyeong had to wait even longer to hear Jongyun's answer. It wasn't fair, but my heart was set on Jongyun, and there was no turning back.

"Songjae!" Jongyun called my name loudly, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him, shaking away the lingering guilt. He mattered more to me than anything else.

"Read the lines with me. The festival is in a week," he said, flipping through the pages of the script in his hand. I nodded, understanding the urgency. This was a play that the drama club had decided to perform for the first time, a departure from the previous president's tradition of sticking to a single, passed-down play. The new president had sworn to use only original work, and this decision had suddenly made the drama club much more popular.

"Let's read them together-" I began, but my words were cut off abruptly.

"No time, my favorite boys. Get dressed and on stage you go," a cheerful voice called out from behind us. It was the president, already here and eager to see us in action.

I entered the dressing room first, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. After slipping into the light red gym suit, I finally exited the room where Jongyun was waiting for me. He looked up from his phone, and I could see the anticipation in his eyes. I approached him with a mischievous idea lingering in my head.

"Jongyun," I called out, trying to control my giggles. He looked up at me from his phone's screen, his expression curious.

"You done? I'll get changed then. Wait for me-" he started to say, but I pulled him closer, grabbing his wrist gently.

"Look. This scene needs us to wear casual clothes," I said, pouting slightly for effect.

Jongyun glanced at my clothes and then back at me, nodding slowly. "You go get changed then-" he began, but I wrapped my arms around his waist, careful not to touch him too much. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, just enough to tease him a little.

"Let's get changed together then?" I whispered, my voice low and playful. I could see his face heat up as he looked away from my eyes, clearly flustered.

"S-Songjae! Let me go..." he said slowly, his voice a mix of embarrassment and protest.

"I'm not holding you, love," I replied, snickering softly. He blushed even more at my words, pulling away immediately and rushing into the changing room. I slumped against the wall as he left, laughing to myself.

"Hah... Jongyun. You are so cute," I muttered, picturing his flustered face in my mind. I smiled to myself, thinking about the way he called my name, the way he stumbled at the slightest of my mischief, his bright smiles, and his excited skips. As I recollected every little detail of his demeanor, he was already standing in front of me again.

"You are acting weird," he said slowly, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and amusement. I wondered what kind of face I was making. I bet I looked silly right now, but I didn't mind it. Of course, I did want to hear it right from his mouth.

"What do I look like?" I asked him, genuinely curious.

"You look silly," Jongyun replied, his hands in his jacket's pockets. I nodded, raising my arm and resting it on my forehead, leaning my head on the wall.

"You make me silly, Jongyun," I said softly. Jongyun definitely heard me. He looked away slightly before speaking again.

"Cheesy. Let's go," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips.

I stood up immediately, dusting off my clothes. The president ignored my wardrobe mishap because he was more interested in our acting. I, for one, was much more interested in how Jongyun would act now that our bad blood was out of the way and things were much clearer between us.

We took our places on stage. The students responsible for setting up the stage sat on chairs close to the president, watching us intently, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation. I cleared my throat, ready to dive into the scene. Jongyun stood beside me, his script in hand, looking equally determined.

"...what do we do now?" I asked in a whisper, crouching behind the bedrest as the script dictated. The bed was placed backward so the audience could see us even if we were hiding behind it. Jongyun gulped, gripping onto my sleeve tightly.

"I didn't know things like that existed..." he replied, his voice trembling slightly, perfectly capturing the fear and uncertainty of the character.

I couldn't help but think how cute he looked right now. His wide eyes and the way he clung to my sleeve made my heart flutter. I had to remind myself to stay in character and not let my feelings distract me.

I nodded, exhaling heavily to convey the gravity of the situation. "That monster must never know we live here, but I guess... it's too late," I said, my voice low and filled with dread. The tension in the scene was palpable, and I could feel the audience hanging on our every word.

Jongyun's grip on my sleeve tightened, and he leaned closer, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "We have to find a way to protect ourselves," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded again, my mind racing as I tried to think of a way to continue the scene. The script called for a moment of silence, a pause to let the weight of our predicament sink in. I used that moment to glance at Jongyun, his face inches from mine. The intensity of the scene brought us closer, and I could feel the electricity between us.

"We can't stay here forever," I finally said, breaking the silence. "We need to find a way to escape."

Jongyun nodded, his eyes filled with resolve. "But how? The monster is right outside."

I took a deep breath, trying to think like my character. "Maybe there's a secret passage. In these old houses, there are always hidden doors and tunnels. We just have to find it."