Even though the manga itself isn't focused much on romance, Hak and Yona's relationship seems so sacred to me, and because it's slowburn, it hits you even harder. Seeing how Hak and Yona have developed and how their relationship has come this far just melts my heart. Realizing what their relationship was like in the very beginning versus now, looking back at the start of their journey and now just makes me feel so proud and a tiny bit of nostalgic. Hak lived years of his life with an unrequited love. He was so used to it that he even buried those feelings deep down, and he was fine with everything as long as Yona is happy. He didn't even think of telling her, yet he treasured her so dearly. Since young age, she was the girl he had in his heart. Slowly through their journey, slowly but surely, Yona starts seeing Hak in a different way. She gets conscious of Hak, she gets nervous, gets jealous, etc. She is beginning to see him as more than just a childhood friend, more than her exclusive bodyguard. When she kissed Hak out of nowhere in chapter 137, THE BOY WAS FLABBERGASTED. That, and his surprised reaction when Yona says that she loves him(chapter 176) too shows how he couldn't even process it correctly in his brain. And then the reaction he had when he realized the Yona was actually jealous(chapter 177) when he said something about Ayame shows how much he didn't ever think that his feelings would be reciprocated for once in his life. The poor guy never in his life thought that the princess could share the same feelings as him. So, just knowing that Yona loved him back made him so freaking happy and he deserved it after so many years. Their relationship is shown more through actions instead of words, they don't say "I love you" to each other(aside from their confessions), yet they somehow know it inside of them. They show it in more ways like caring for each other, protecting each other etc etc. Just seeing them kiss awakens 37526272526 feelings inside of me, it feels so intimate and so precious.
