The night had started to blur into an endless cycle of “what-ifs” and “could’ve beens.”

Sowon tossed and turned in bed, phone clutched in her hand, staring at the ceiling. She could almost feel the lingering warmth of Taekhyun’s gaze, the way it had flicked over her like he knew everything. The touch of his fingers against her hair. The half-smile that made her heart skip, even though she was sure she wasn’t supposed to care.

She wasn’t supposed to be thinking about him. She wasn’t supposed to be so... affected. But when he had leaned in so close to her, as if something was about to happen—only to leave her hanging with nothing but a teasing goodnight and the memory of his lips so near, it was hard not to get lost in it.

Focus, she told herself. Stop thinking about him.

She threw her phone on the bed, sitting up. It was stupid, feeling like this. It wasn’t like Taekhyun had kissed her, or said anything particularly intimate. And yet, something about the way he held her attention made her question everything she knew about control.

The doorbell rang.

She blinked, staring at the clock on her bedside table. It was late. Her mind scrambled as she moved to answer the door, a little too quickly, still in the haze of her thoughts. When she opened it, there was no one there, just the cool night air rushing in.

A package.

She picked it up, already guessing it was something she’d ordered a while ago, but the timing felt odd. There was something off about how the evening had unfolded, like the universe was toying with her.

She walked back to her room, setting the package aside, not even interested in opening it just yet. Her thoughts were still on Taekhyun. Why hadn’t he kissed her? Was he trying to make her want him more?

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from the spiral. She glanced at the message.

Taekhyun: "Had a great time tonight. Let’s do it again sometime."

Sowon’s heart beat a little faster. It was a simple message, but the words seemed to carry weight, each letter thumping in her chest. She wanted to be nonchalant. To brush it off. But every fiber of her being was craving more. More of him. More of that smile. More of that enigmatic presence that had left her so... unsettled.

Sowon: "It was fun. Definitely would be nice to hang out again."

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She wanted to type something more. Something that showed she wasn’t just playing along, but she couldn’t bring herself to.

She couldn’t admit that a part of her wanted him to take things further. The way he looked at her—so intense, so calculating. The way his presence seemed to consume her thoughts even now, hours after their date had ended.

It was stupid. She needed to stop.

But then the memory of his hand brushing her hair back hit her again, and she couldn’t shake it. It was one small gesture, one small touch, but it was enough to set her on fire.

She leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes. Her mind was a mess. She knew she had to keep herself together. She had to stay distant. But the pull he had over her was undeniable.

Sowon shifted in bed, the cool sheets doing little to calm the heat rushing through her body. Every thought seemed to lead back to him. The way he smelled. The sound of his voice. The way he’d stood so close, his body so sure and confident, almost daring her to want more.

And then she remembered the way he hadn’t kissed her. Hadn’t crossed that line.

The ache in her chest grew, sharper now. He could’ve kissed her, but he hadn’t. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to. It was because he didn’t need to. He knew he had her wrapped around his finger already.

The thought made her skin burn, but also,just a little bit, set her free.

The phone buzzed again, and this time, she didn’t hesitate.

Sowon: "Same. Let’s plan something soon."

She threw the phone on the bed again, staring at the ceiling. The words didn’t feel like enough. Nothing she did ever seemed to make her feel in control anymore. The space between them, the quiet moments after the date, seemed to stretch out impossibly, and for the first time in a while, she didn’t mind.