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THE BEACH WAS CALM NOW, the chaos from earlier replaced by the soothing rhythm of waves rolling onto the sand. The moon hung low, casting a silver glow over the water and painting their faces in soft, pale light. Kwon and y/n sat close but not touching, both staring out at the horizon, the tension from their escape slowly giving way to an uneasy quiet.

The boy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His shoulders were tense, his jaw set, but his face was softer than usual—guarded but vulnerable. y/n sat beside him, her knees drawn to her chest, her cheek still stinging from the fight as she felt it swelling up.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the waves lapping at the shore and the distant hum of the city behind them.

Finally, the girl broke the silence, her voice quiet but firm. "That wasn't your fault, you know."

Kwon exhaled sharply, almost a laugh but too bitter to be one. "Doesn't matter. You got hurt because of me."

She frowned, turning her head to look at him. "Seriously?"

He cut her off, his voice hoarse and low. "Don't. Don't try to make me feel better about this. You could've been..." He stopped, shaking his head as if trying to dislodge the thought. "I shouldn't have let it happen."

Y/n's lips parted to argue, but she hesitated, watching the way his hands tightened into fists, the way his head hung low like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "You fought for me," she said softly. "You didn't let anything happen to me."

"Not enough," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

She sighed, leaning back on her hands and tilting her head up to look at the sky. The stars were faint, barely visible against the glow of the moon, but they were there. "You're infuriating, you know that?"

Kwon glanced at her, his brow furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're blaming yourself for something you had no control over," she said, her tone lighter now, teasing but not unkind. "You're like some tragic hero in one of those old k-dramas that I'm sure Halmoni loves."

He scoffed, the corner of his mouth twitching like he wanted to smile but didn't quite know how. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly feel heroic right now."

Y/n turned to face him fully, her cheek catching the light just enough for him to see the faint cut. His gaze flicked to it, his expression darkening again, but she reached out, touching his arm gently.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft. "I'm okay. Really."

Kwon's eyes met hers, and for a moment, he didn't say anything. He just looked at her, his gaze searching, like he was trying to find something he couldn't put into words. Finally, he sighed, leaning back on his hands beside her.

"You're stubborn," he said, shaking his head.

"Takes one to know one," she shot back, a small smile tugging at her lips.

They fell into a comfortable silence again, the tension between them easing as the waves continued to crash softly in the background.

After a few moments, the girl spoke again, her tone more serious this time. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Take everything on yourself," she said, her eyes fixed on him. "Like you have to carry the whole world on your shoulders."

Kwon didn't answer right away. He looked out at the water, his jaw tightening again. "Most of the times it is my fault," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n's chest tightened at the raw honesty in his words. She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and leaned a little closer. "Not this time, it isn't..." she said softly.

He turned to her, his eyes meeting hers. There was something in his gaze—something unspoken but powerful. "You make it sound so easy," he said, a faint, humorless smile on his lips.

"It's not," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out."

Kwon stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he looked away, running a hand through his hair. "You're too good at this," he muttered.

"At what?"

"At making me feel things I don't know how to deal with," he said, his voice low and rough.

Y/n's breath caught, her heart skipping a beat at the vulnerability in his words. She smiled softly, leaning her head on her hand as she looked at him. "Good," she said. "You could use a little emotional growth."

Kwon let out a quiet laugh, the sound surprising both of them. He turned to her, shaking his head. "You're something else," he said, his voice softer now.

"And yet you're still here," she teased, her smile widening.

He smirked, but before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

The world seemed to pause for a moment.

Kwon froze, his eyes widening as her lips brushed his skin. When she pulled back, he turned to her slowly, his expression caught somewhere between shock and disbelief.

"Y/n—" he started, but she cut him off.

"Don't get used to it," she said, though her cheeks were flushed.

Kwon stared at her for a moment longer, then shook his head, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Too late."

They sat in silence for a moment, the tension between them shifting into something softer, something warmer.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked finally, his voice quieter now.

Y/n shrugged, looking out at the water. "Felt like the right thing to do," she said, her voice light but her eyes betraying a hint of nervousness.

Kwon's gaze lingered on her, his heart pounding in a way that felt unfamiliar and a little terrifying. Slowly, he reached out, his fingers brushing against hers where her hand rested on the sand.

She turned to him, her eyes meeting his.

"Can I..." he started, then stopped, hesitating.

Y/n tilted her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "What?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away. 

She didn't.

When their lips met, it was soft and tentative at first, like they were both testing the waters. But as the kiss deepened, it became something more—something real and raw and filled with all the things they couldn't say out loud.

The kiss left them both breathless, their foreheads resting together as they smiled in the quiet aftermath. The gentle sound of the ocean surrounded them, and the world seemed to shrink to just the two of them.

Kwon tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a smirk as his eyes flickered to hers. "You taste like cola," he teased, his voice low and playful.

Y/n rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed with warmth. "Well, you taste like ego and poor decision-making," she shot back, her tone sharp but fond.

He laughed—a genuine, hearty laugh that made her stomach flip. "I'm pretty sure that's your favorite flavor," he said, grinning at her.

"Ugh, you're impossible," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Impossible and irresistible," he corrected, leaning in to brush his lips against hers again.

She wanted to argue, to roll her eyes and push him away with some biting comment, but instead, she melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck as he pulled her closer. This time, the kiss was deeper, more intense, their shared emotions spilling into the way their mouths moved against each other.

Kwon's hands slid to her waist, his fingers pressing gently against her sides as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss even further. y/n responded in kind, her hands tangling in his hair as she shifted closer, their bodies pressed together as if they were afraid of the distance between them.

The cool breeze from the ocean was a stark contrast to the heat building between them. Every touch, every kiss, every soft sound felt like a secret shared between them and the moonlit beach.

When Kwon broke away to catch his breath, his lips were red and slightly swollen, and his gaze was dark and full of something she couldn't quite name but felt all the same. "I really missed this... missed you," he said, his voice low and rough.

Y/n smirked, her hand brushing lightly against his cheek. "Does that mean you're up for checking out The Kissing Wall with me tomorrow, or is that too cheesy for you?"

"No, no yeah, I'd love to..." he murmured, his lips ghosting over hers. 

They kissed again, this time slower but no less passionate, as if they had all the time in the world to explore the connection between them. The sand was cool beneath them, but neither of them cared as the universe faded into the oblivion.

As the hours passed, they found themselves lying side by side on the beach, the stars scattered across the night sky like tiny diamonds. y/n was curled against Kwon's side, her head resting on his shoulder, their hands loosely intertwined.

The silence between them was peaceful, broken only by the sound of the waves and their steady breathing.

Kwon's voice broke the quiet, soft but filled with an underlying tension. "I got an offer," he said, staring up at the stars.

Y/n turned her head slightly, looking up at him. "An offer?"

He nodded, his jaw tightening. "From one of our sponsors. It's... a huge deal. Could solve a lot of my problems."

"What's the catch?" she asked, sensing his hesitation.

"The catch is," he said, letting out a slow breath, "I have to win the Sekai Taikai to seal the deal. If I don't... I'll be in debt. For years maybe, or days. Depending on how the rest of the dojang performs."

Y/n was quiet for a moment, processing his words. "And you're thinking about taking it?"

"Yeah," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know, though. It's a huge risk."

She propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at him. The moonlight caught the edges of his face, highlighting the uncertainty in his expression. "You like risks though," she said softly, "if you want to do this, then do it. You're not the kind of person to back down from a challenge."

He looked at her, his brows furrowing slightly. "You really think we can win?"

"I know we can win," she said, her voice firm. "You've been fighting your ass off for this. We all have. But you're... still the best."

Kwon smiled at her coyly. "Monday's matches will determine who gets into the semifinals, and I know we'll make it. You just have to trust yourself."

Kwon smiled at her coyly, his gaze steady and warm under the canopy of stars. "Monday's matches will determine who gets into the semifinals, and I know we'll make it. You just have to trust yourself."

His eyes softened as y/n said those words, her faith in him shining like a beacon. He hesitated, as if weighing her words, then let a small grin tug at the corner of his lips. "You and me on the podium?" he asked, his voice carrying a rare mix of hope and vulnerability.

She smiled brightly, the kind that reached her eyes and lit up her face. "You and me," she confirmed, her words a quiet promise of solidarity.

Without a word, he extended his hand, his pinky outstretched. "Promise?"

Her laughter was soft, almost a whisper, as she hooked her pinky with his. "I promise," she echoed. They lingered there, their fingers entwined, sealing their unspoken vow with a touch so simple yet so meaningful.

As his hand fell away, his eyes lingered on her, studying her expression as if trying to memorize every detail. "You're dangerous, you know that?" he said suddenly, his voice laced with admiration and a hint of teasing.

"Dangerous?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow at him, her lips quirking into a playful smile.

"Yeah," he said, his voice dipping low as he reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed against her skin, sending a spark through both of them. "Because every time you say something like that, I start to believe you."

Her heart fluttered, and she leaned closer, her smile tender as she pressed a soft kiss to his nose. "Good. Because you should."

He chuckled, his laughter rich and warm as he relaxed beside her. They lay there under the stars, the night wrapping around them like a cocoon. The weight of their earlier fears and doubts seemed to fade away, replaced by a quiet determination and a shared understanding.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together—hand in hand, pinkies entwined, hearts intertwined.

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