He kissed her. Not the exasperated peck on the roof. This was desperate, hungry, a confession of three years of silent, arrogant, terrified love. It tasted like rain and relief.
The real shift happened during the university entrance exams. Ha-ni, predictably, failed to get into the top national university. Seung-jo, of course, was the valedictorian. On the day of his acceptance, a popular, pretty girl from a rival school confessed to him. Ha-ni watched from behind a tree as the girl leaned in to kiss him.
“It’s a goodbye,” she said, her voice surprisingly steady. “You have Ji-soo. She’s your level. I’m… room temperature.”