Yuna stretches, not knowing what time it is. Before opening her eyes, she realizes that she's uncomfortable and her whole body hurts. The surface is hard, even though she's partly lying on something soft. She feels a hand on her waist, so she's sure she's either sleeping with one of her sisters or... maybe with that cool guy she had so much fun with practically all night?
She opens her eyes, and the first thing that catches her attention is the white ceiling. Her head doesn't hurt, but the dryness in her mouth is unbearable. She shifts her gaze to the side and notices the toilet. Only after a moment does she realize she's lying in the bathroom, more specifically in a giant bathtub, and her companion is... Jake.
The brunette opens her eyes wider, feeling her heart race as she realizes she's half-sleeping on the man she's in love with. She tries to get up and escape as quickly as possible, but she awkwardly slides on the surface and ends up lying on top of Jake. Woken abruptly, Jake mutters under his breath that he's dying, and seeing Yuna doesn't faze him, as if he knew exactly what had happened.
"Why am I here with you?" the girl asks, still lying on him with her back. He wraps his arms around her, entirely ignoring the complicated relationship they've had since last year.
"You were so drunk, I had to take care of you. I was afraid you'd do something stupid and end up in a room with that random guy. For you, I even left that sexy blonde," he says in a hoarse voice.
That idiot again makes Yuna's heart beat faster, especially when she feels the warmth of his hands on her.
"Don't do this to me. Don't mess with my head anymore, Jake."
"I'm not messing with you. I'm just doing what my heart tells me. I want to take care of you, even though we're good friends. You won't stop me, Yuna. I care about you too much, and I don't want to lose you..." The brunette nervously swallows. "I don't even know what's going on with me. I can't figure myself out, but give me time. Let's just be ourselves like always. Give me a month, and I will understand my feelings for you."
"I don't want pity, Jake. You treat me like a friend, let it stay that way," she whispers.
"Would a friend be jealous all night, seeing you with another guy? Only when I saw you with that man did I start to realize that something's wrong with my feelings. Even though Sullyoon told me it was just a pity, that I should take care of another girl and live as usual, I couldn't. I focused on her for a short time, but I kept looking for you. When I saw you drunk, I took care of you since then. Even though your sisters kept telling me to stop messing with your head, I reassured them that I really want to protect you. I care about you, and right now, I don't even know what these feelings are. I think I need time to figure it out."
Yuna closes her eyes.
"Right now, you're giving me hope. I don't want you to hurt me when, after a month, you realize it's just friendly concern."
"Please, give me one last chance to understand this. Don't write me off because of my past behavior. Maybe this is the moment when I finally want to grow up? When would I like to focus on one woman? That I've been harboring feelings for you for so long, and that's why it always hurt me that you were unavailable? Think about it... Would I have slept with you if I only treated you as a friend? Even drunk, I wouldn't have done it unless deep inside I truly desired you all these years."
"You have to know that yourself, Jake. If you don't understand yourself, who will?"
"Give me some time, and I promise I'll get it together. I really care about you, Yuna..."
*
The first two weeks of January passed so slowly that it seemed like an eternity. Since Sullyoon woke up in Niki's arms after the New Year's Eve night, she still can't believe that this is not a dream. It's reality, and her long-time crush is now her boyfriend.
She's happy that on that night, she made the right decision and took the risk, glowing next to the once-school troublemaker.
The same can be said for Wonyoung and Sunghoon, who woke up in each other's arms in the new year, in a separate apartment where they had been hosted in Yuna and Jake's bathroom.
Their love is blossoming. They're like a couple who can't live without each other.
Now, at Sunghoon's apartment, where they're joined by his grandmother and the other friends, they laugh joyfully, reminiscing about the beginning of their relationship.
The woman hits Niki on the arm with a spoon, accusing him of being the annoying older brother who used to hurt her grandson so much.
"Now he makes it up to him, madam. He protects him with his own chest, having trouble with anyone who has a problem with Sunghoon. He's like his shield," says Jake. "He's really taken on the role of the older brother."
"It's true, I used to be a troublemaker. The whole 'Inhon' feared me," Niki says, grimacing. "Now I'm a little ashamed when I talk about it."
Sitting next to him, Sullyoon smiles at these words.
"Everyone makes mistakes when they're young," says the grandmother, along with Sunghoon and Wonyoung, placing plates of food on the table. "I also have some things behind my back when I remember my youth."
Everyone seems curious about the story.
"Grandma, will you tell us a little?" Sunghoon looks at her with surprise.
"First, let's eat, and then I'll lift the curtain of mystery for you."
The young people laugh, not believing that the woman was so cheeky during the martial law years introduced in 1980. She participated in student riots. The story becomes much sadder when she discusses how many of her friends lost their lives at that time.
Their conversations seem endless. Yuna uses the bathroom, and when she comes out, she bumps straight into Jake's arms. For a moment, they look into each other's eyes, still not knowing what's happening between them.
The blonde still can't define what he feels for the girl. He doesn't know what he wants. It's as if he's afraid to move forward, as if his life so far has been much more comfortable for him.
She, on the other hand, despite still having a weakness for him, tries to act normal around him, not having any expectations.
It's Jake. A womanizer like him won't suddenly become a meek kitten wanting to be loyal to one woman for the rest of his life.
The girl believes that the future will show who her destiny is. You can't force it, you can't put pressure on someone just because you're in love. It has to come naturally, unexpectedly.
She smiles at him, freeing herself from his embrace.
"Do you have any plans after the visit to Sunghoon's house?" she asks in a whisper. The man shakes his head, guessing that Yuna has come up with an idea. "It's Saturday, we're single, so maybe we'll go to a party? We don't need to ask those lovebirds."
Jake looks delighted. Lately, they have been acting normally towards each other, not putting pressure on themselves because they're lost in their feelings.
They both want everything to be natural, for their friendship to remain that way, even if there's something deeper between them.
"Sure. But let's not tell them about it. It will be our party."
Everyone deserves love. Some people quickly find their destiny, like Wonyoung and Sunghoon. Some people see their dream of loving someone with mutual affection come true, like Sullyoon and Niki. There are also people who have loved each other for a long time, hiding their true feelings from each other, like Yuna and Jake. There are also people whose long-lasting love remains unrequited, like in Jay's case...
Still, every person deserves happiness. No matter who they are or how many sins they have. Everyone is entitled to make mistakes. What matters is to ultimately understand that and fix the past before it's too late...