Noon waited in silence for a few seconds, then a voice came from behind the door:
"Just a moment."
It was Sein's voice. It carried no particular emotion, but to Noon, it was everything—more than enough. A strange joy washed over him, mixed with an unexplainable sense of hope.
In a soft voice, he spoke while standing just outside the door:
"How are you, Sein? Sorry for showing up like this… Saya forced me to come. Not that I didn't want to, but…"
He hesitated for a moment, then added:
"Why weren't you downstairs with your family? Oh—and I just spoke to your dad a little while ago…"
He let out a quiet, uneasy sigh.
"Can you hear me, Sein?"
Her voice came through, quiet but clear.
"Yes, I can hear you, Noon."
He straightened up slightly, as if summoning his courage.
"Then… why don't you come out? If you're uncomfortable with me here, I can leave."
No response.
Silence stretched between them, each second feeling longer than the last. Noon's mind raced, conjuring the worst possible scenarios. Anxiety gnawed at him—until, suddenly, the door creaked open.
He stepped forward and gently pushed the door. As soon as his body was halfway inside, he saw her.
She was sitting on her yellow bed in a room that was neat, clean, and carefully arranged. She wore a black short-sleeved shirt and loose white pants. Her soft, black hair draped over her shoulders.
She looked beautiful—but more than anything, she looked nervous and shy.
Their eyes met for a second, and as soon as they did, Noon's face turned bright red. A strange pull tightened in his chest—something between warmth and pressure. He felt like something was reaching out to her from inside him.
And Sin—she was in the same boat. Her emotions swirled in confusion: joy mixed with anxiety, comfort tangled with unease. Seeing Noon standing in front of her like that, gazing at her in that way, made her heart pound. A tiny, involuntary smile began to form.
Neither of them could tear their eyes away from the other—until Sein finally broke the silence.
She picked up the pillow beside her and hugged it tightly to her chest. Her voice trembled, her face flushed, and her eyes darted away, refusing to meet his:
"Noon… do you love me?"
Noon had already been nervous and embarrassed beyond belief. But hearing that question—it shook him to his core. His hands trembled. His knees went weak and he nearly collapsed, barely managing to lean against the door. On instinct, he stepped backward, closed the door, and leaned against it, heart pounding like thunder.
His head spun with a whirlwind of thoughts, faster than he could handle. Heat surged through his body, and he buried his face in his hands.
And Sein? She wasn't doing any better.
The moment the words left her mouth, she buried her face in the pillow and didn't even notice he had left the room. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, breath quick and shallow, her face red like it was about to boil over.
This feeling… was entirely new.
In all her twenty-some years of life, nothing had ever shaken her like this. She had never felt drawn to boys—but she had never avoided them either. Romance was just something she read about in books, like any girl her age. It wasn't something she ever prioritized. She told herself love could wait. There was no need to rush. And so, she focused on school, on her goals, and accepted her life as it was.
But the moment she met Noon on that bus… everything changed.
All those love story heroines she could never relate to? She finally understood them—more than ever.
Sein hadn't asked that question by accident. It wasn't a slip of the tongue.
She meant every word.
She was tired of living in confusion—of thinking about Noon constantly without knowing if he felt the same way. She hated the uncertainty.
And so… she decided to break it.
She didn't know for sure if he loved her—not even seventy percent sure.
But she was willing to take the risk.
If he did love her—her heart would finally be at peace.
If he didn't—she'd end it here and move on.
She liked him. She cared about him. But she wasn't in love. Not yet.
To Sein, this question was necessary.
Because no matter what… no matter how she felt… she would never allow herself to fall for someone who didn't love her back.
She could've left it as a one-sided crush—buried it before it bloomed.
But she didn't want that.
So, she stayed upstairs, trying to mentally prepare herself.
She waited for a moment when they'd be alone.
And with a gentle push from her mother… she got her chance.
She was nervous, shy, scared…
But just as much—she was serious.
To Sein, who had never opened her heart before—not for many reasons—this moment was nothing short of epic.
Noon, on the other hand, wasn't exactly in the best shape either—not since the day he met Sein.
He had admitted to himself early on that she was beautiful. And with every meeting, he found himself happier, more drawn to her… and sadder when they had to part.
Noon was self-aware enough to recognize his own feelings. He loved Sein—or at least, he believed that was what love felt like to him.
But he had never once thought about confessing. Not seriously.
Only recently had he pushed himself to step out of his comfort zone.
And yet… what just happened had caught him completely off guard.
He had always preferred to take things slow and steady. He believed there was no need to rush.
But Sein's question… flipped everything upside down.
In an instant, all his thoughts, plans, and assumptions were tossed into chaos.
It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her he loved her…
But even the idea of saying it aloud filled him with embarrassment and tension.
And the way she asked… only made it harder.
He couldn't even tell what she was feeling anymore.
As an anime fan and a voracious reader of novels across all genres, he knew this situation could go in several directions.
Maybe she liked him too, and just wanted to confirm his feelings — that was the outcome he desperately hoped for.
Or maybe... she only saw him as a friend, and wanted to put a stop to his feelings before they grew any deeper.
That last possibility... he couldn't even bear to consider it.
If it turned out to be true, then he'd already lost — he lost the moment he ran away from the room.
His mind was racing, his embarrassment overwhelming, and his heart simply unprepared.
He wanted to run away. In fact, he had decided to… to pretend nothing ever happened.
But… he stopped.
Something deep inside him… refused to surrender.
Why am I so afraid? Noun thought.
What's the worst that could happen? That she hates me? That she distances herself from me?
Fine… let it happen.
It wouldn't be the first time...
And maybe—just maybe—if I don't do something now, I'll lose the most important chance of my life.
He had always lived by a simple philosophy:
As long as I have nothing to lose, it's okay if I don't gain anything either.
But this time—
For the first time—
He chose to break that rule.
He was ready to lose… just for the possibility—even if it was just one percent—of getting what he truly wanted.
For Sen... he was willing to take the risk.
He stood up, reached for the doorknob, and gently pushed it open.
He stepped inside…
Every fiber in his body screamed at him to go back.
But... it was impossible.
Just the chance that she might feel the same was enough to move him forward.
The idea that she could love him back… that alone was more than enough.
He walked all the way in.
Sen was still burying her blushing face in the pillow, her sleek black hair falling softly along the sides.
He approached slowly, step by step, then sat beside her in silence.
Stretching his legs out, he rested his hands between them and lowered his gaze to the floor.
A few seconds passed… then he exhaled deeply, and spoke with a soft, gentle voice:
"Sen... could you lift your head for a second?"
Sen peeked out from behind the pillow, her eyes barely visible, glancing at him shyly.
Noun smiled, then, after mustering every bit of courage he had, he said:
"…It seems I really do love you, Sen."
The moment the words left his mouth, it felt like a massive weight had lifted from his chest.
His smile widened, his gaze steadied, and a strange energy surged through his entire body.
As for Sen—
Her body trembled from the impact of the words.
She raised her face a bit more, and a completely shy expression filled her features.
Even her feet began to wiggle unconsciously, light and full of innocent joy.
She brushed the pillow off her lap and looked straight at him... then smiled.
She felt calm. No—she felt happy.
More than that… she felt at peace.
Even though she had suspected this answer… she hadn't been quite ready to hear it.
She wanted to respond, to say something back—
But the mix of embarrassment, nervousness, and joy was so overwhelming… she couldn't do anything but smile.
A strong, bright, genuine smile.
And for Noun, there was nothing else he wanted.
That smile… was everything he needed.
They sat in silence for a few more seconds, then Noun asked in a slightly awkward tone, as if he were searching for something real:
"What about you, Sen… do you love me?"
Sen immediately flustered. She had just barely regained her composure.
But she didn't want to dodge the question. She wanted to answer him.
"I'm not telling you now, obviously!"
She said it playfully, a teasing smile on her face.
Noun reacted with mock shock:
"What?! You make me confess… and then you leave me hanging, Sen?!"
He let out a small laugh, then looked over at her.
He leaned his elbow on his knee, rested his face on his hand, and focused his eyes on her.
That gaze made Sen panic again.
Maybe… she had wanted him to look at her like this before—
But not now. And definitely not like this.
"Stop looking at me like that… It's embarrassing!
If you really want to know my answer… I'll tell you after the university entrance exams, okay?"
Noun replied instantly with a gentle smile:
"Yeah… that's good enough."
Suddenly, Sen stood up, tossed the pillow aside, walked stiffly to the door, and quickly left the room.
She left Noun sitting there—
His face glowing with the happiest smile he'd ever worn.
He thought to himself:
I really have to thank Saya later… I mean it.