cherrycxsmos

My eyes widen in sheer panic. I glance around the room, hoping no one heard her, only to make eye contact with the new guy again.

Mortified, I feel my face heat up. “Pipe down!” I hiss, covering my face with my hands as Eden suppresses a laugh.

Fanning my face to cool off from the embarrassment, I sigh in relief as the attention shifts away from me. Finally calming down, I place my kimbap in my bag, unwrap my sandwich, and take a bite.

The surrounding chatter gradually fades as our professor walks in. I internally groan—this man is the definition of boring.

Setting his materials on the podium, he clears his throat. “Good afternoon, class. Today, you will begin working on a presentation. It must cover a topic we have not yet learned in this course. Since this is a beginner Korean class, I won’t require you to present entirely in Korean.

“You may choose to research Korea’s general history or focus on a specific era of the Korean kingdoms. I will assign your partners, and this project is due at the end of the semester, so be sure to work diligently.”

He then picks up his attendance sheet and begins calling out names.

I cross my fingers, silently praying not to be paired with someone who will make this project even more unbearable.

“I hope he partners us up together,” Eden whispers to me.

I shrug, already expecting the worst. “I highly doubt it.”

The professor begins reading off names in his usual monotone voice.

“Eden Yaloussi and Rylee Lambert… Lorelai Beaulieu and Leo Castillo…”

Leo Castillo? Who is that?

“…Winnie Lau and Helena Brown… I think that’s everyone. Please go ahead and break out into your pairs.” He sets the paper down and moves to the board, writing out our due date.

I glance over at Eden, who’s already packing up her things. “Do you know who Leo Castillo is?” I ask, finishing the last bite of my sandwich.

She shakes her head just as a voice answers, “That would be me.”

I look up, and there he is—the new guy. Now that he’s standing right in front of me, I realize he’s even taller than I thought. Eden, always quick to escape awkward situations, grabs her bag and shuffles away, leaving me to fend for myself.

I stand up to greet him. “Hi, I’m Lorelai.”

“Leo,” he replies with an easy smile.

I sit back down, gesturing for him to take the seat next to me. As he does, the subtle warmth of his cologne drifts toward me, and wow. It’s distracting in the worst (or best?) way.

“So…” I clear my throat, pushing past the momentary haze. “I think we should do our project on the Goryeo Dynasty. There’s a lot to cover from that period, and we could focus on one of the more well-known kings.”

Leo nods along, seemingly unbothered by the decision. I sneak a glance at him, noting the warm tan of his skin and the faint scattering of freckles across his cheeks.

“I’m free after this class if you want to get started,” he offers. “We can meet in the library.”

“That works,” I say, jotting down our topic and the due date our professor just wrote on the board.

As I start packing up, I notice Leo’s gaze wandering elsewhere. “Do you want to walk together to the library?” I ask.

He shifts his eyes back to me, then lets out a small, awkward laugh. “I thought that’s what we were going to do anyway.”

I huff out a quiet chuckle, slinging my bag over my shoulder as we make our way out of the classroom.

“Well, I didn’t want to assume,” I laugh.

The professor dismisses class, and students begin filing out. I grab my bag and turn to Leo, who’s still packing up his things.

“Ready?” I ask.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

With that, we walk out of the classroom and into the warm afternoon air, heading toward the library. The hum of student conversations fills the space around us, blending with the soft scent of magnolias and freshly cut grass.

“So… since we’re partners, I guess it’s only fair that I get to know you a little better,” I suggest, peeking up at him.

He lets out a quiet chuckle and nods. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

“Anything, really. Like, where are you from? What’s your major?”

“Hollister, California,” he replies. “I started as a Computer Science major, but I switched to International Affairs.”

“Ah, that explains why you’re in Beginner Korean,” I note with a small smile.

He hums in agreement before glancing at me. “What about you?”

“Vancouver, Washington. Business major.”

Leo nods, processing the information, and we lapse into a comfortable silence. The distant sound of birds chirping and the occasional whoosh of passing cars fill the space between us.

Five minutes later, we arrive at the library. Leo steps ahead, holding the door open for me.

“Thanks,” I murmur as I step inside.

The familiar scent of aged paper and polished wood surrounds us. I lead Leo toward a quieter section, where we find a large table with enough space to spread out our materials. I drop my bag onto the surface and pull out my kimbap.

“Want some?” I ask, knowing it would be rude to eat in front of him without offering.

He shakes his head. “No, thanks. I ate before class.”

Shrugging, I sit down and pull out my notebook and pencil. “Okay, so I know the basics of that era. Wang Geon founded the dynasty and became its first ruler. He unified most of the other kingdoms under Goryeo and introduced a lot of political reforms. That’s about it.” I twirl my pencil between my fingers and sigh.

Leo takes a seat across from me, flipping open his laptop. “Well, that’s a start,” he says. “The only ruler I really know about is Wang So—uh, Gwangjong—because of that one K-drama. Scarlet Heart, I think it’s called?”

I stare at him, my eyes widening in excitement. “Wait… you’ve seen Scarlet Heart?” I whisper.

He grins. “Yeah, my sister was obsessed with it, so I ended up watching it too.”

A huge smile spreads across my face. “Oh my God. That show ruined me. We have to talk about how one specific character was done so dirty.”

Leo laughs, leaning in slightly. “You mean—”

“Yes! Exactly.”

And just like that, we completely forget about our project, too caught up in an impassioned discussion about betrayals, heartbreak, and tragic love stories.

Somewhere in the middle of our rant, I find myself just… watching him. Noticing the tiny details I hadn’t picked up on before—the slight rasp in his voice, the way his emerald-green eyes flicker with amusement, the way his honey-colored hair catches the light.

Something warm settles in my chest.

Lorelai…

“Lorelai… Earth to Lorelai.”

A hand waves in front of my face, snapping me back to reality. My eyes widen as I jolt upright, my heart pounding.

“I—I’m so sorry. I zoned out for a second. Happens a lot… too much, if you ask me,” I mumble, embarrassment creeping over me.

Leo chuckles, shaking his head. “No worries. Let’s get back to work.”

And that’s exactly what we do.

We meet at the library almost every day, researching, writing, and slowly becoming more comfortable around each other. Somewhere along the way, the lines blur. We start spending time together even when we’re not working on the project—grabbing coffee, walking around campus, talking about anything and everything.

I start noticing the little things about him, the quirks he probably doesn’t even realize he has—like the way he tilts his head when he’s confused or how he drums his fingers on the table when he’s thinking. He tells me he doesn’t get angry easily, that patience is something he prides himself on. Over the course of a month, we learn each other’s likes and dislikes, growing closer than either of us expected.

————

And now, finally, it’s the day of our presentation.

At 6:30 AM, my alarm blares, dragging me out of sleep. I groan, forcing myself up and stumbling toward the bathroom. I move carefully—last thing I need is to stub my toe like I do every other morning.

My usual routine begins—brushing my teeth, skincare, and, for once, I have time to actually do my hair and makeup since my professor for my 8 AM class canceled. I even manage to sit down for breakfast instead of rushing to grab something on the way out.

A few hours later, I’m ready to leave. Just as I’m stepping out, Hani walks in, her face glowing with excitement.

“Well, well, well… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy,” I tease, pausing to take in her giddy expression.

“I just got an A on my European History project and an A on my Statistics and Marketing exam!” she practically squeals, flopping onto her bed.

My eyes widen. “Oh my God, congrats! You needed those to pass, right?”

She nods, sighing in sheer relief. “Yeah, now my parents won’t be on my tail about failing.”

I grin. “That’s amazing. Seriously, you worked so hard.”

“Thanks!” she beams, but then her expression shifts as she eyes me knowingly. “Eonni… you haven’t told him yet, have you?”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I let out a nervous laugh. “No… but I will. Today. After class.”

Before she can say another word, I slip out of the room, escaping before she can press me further.

The walk to class is warm and breezy, the air filled with the scent of burnt charcoal from a barbecue somewhere nearby. I mentally pat myself on the back for picking the right outfit for the weather.

By the time I arrive, students are already settling in. I step inside and spot Leo and Eden seated near the front. I wave at Leo before sliding into my seat beside Eden.

She doesn’t waste a second. “So… have you told him yet?”

I sigh, already knowing I won’t get out of this. “I’m going to tell him after class.”

She gives me a firm look. “You better. Say something before it’s too late.”

She’s right.

Before I can dwell on it, the professor walks in, setting his stuff down on the podium. “Today, we’ll begin presentations. We’ll have two pairs go today and two pairs go next class.” He glances at his list, then looks up. “First up—Lorelai and Leo. Their project is on the Goryeo Dynasty.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as Leo and I stand. He heads to the computer to pull up our PowerPoint, and I follow, taking my place beside him once it’s displayed.

“Hello, my name is Lorelai.”

“And I’m Leo,” he adds. “Our project is on the Goryeo Dynasty.”

For the next ten minutes, we present, covering key figures, major accomplishments, and political reforms. When we finish, we bow and return to our seats.

“Leo… I need to talk to you after class. It’s important,” I whisper, keeping my gaze forward.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him glance down at his phone. His expression shifts from neutral to serious. My stomach tightens as he looks at me—but I quickly look away.

Minutes later, the next pair finishes their presentation, and the professor claps his hands together. “Great job to both groups. Very informational.” He stifles a yawn. “Alright, I’ll see you all next class. Be safe.”

Students start packing up, filing out of the classroom. I watch as Leo stands, following the crowd.

Wait.

Panic flutters in my chest.

Was he leaving? Did he forget?

I gather my things, saying goodbye to Eden and a few classmates before heading toward the door.

“Lorelai!”

I freeze.

Turning around, I see Leo standing there, his expression unreadable. Anxiety floods through me, twisting in my stomach.

How am I supposed to tell him?

“You said you had something important to tell me?” he asks.

I nod, exhaling sharply. This is it.

“Yeah.”

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. Now or never.

“Leo… the time I’ve spent with you has made me the happiest person, and I just wanted to tell you that…” I swallow hard. “I like you.”

Silence.

The weight of it is unbearable.

He doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t move.

Panic sets in.

“Say something. Anything,” I plead, my confidence crumbling.

The seconds stretch on, endless and agonizing.

Then, he chuckles softly. “I was hoping you’d say that first.”

I blink. “Wait… what?”

He rubs the back of his neck, a small grin forming. “I like you too, Lorelai.”

Relief washes over me, followed by sheer happiness.

“So… does that mean we should go get coffee or something?” I ask, trying to suppress my giddy smile.

He laughs. “I’d like that.”