“It’s Kang Biso…”
The moment that familiar name registered, my heart pounded violently—like it had been waiting for this exact moment.
I knew he’d show up eventually… but today?
I’d always figured this day would come, just not so soon. Not like this.
What do I even say to him first…?
My thoughts raced. I jumped to my feet, hastily fixing my clothes. My hands and feet were moving out of sync, completely flustered.
He hasn’t had Guiding in a while, so I’ll start with that… and then…
Just as my head filled with chaotic thoughts of Kang Biso, there was a knock at the door.
My heart dropped like a stone. I bit my lip hard.
…It’s him.
I wasn’t ready. Not in the slightest. Just the thought of seeing him again had me frozen. For now, I sat down and forced myself to straighten my back, trying to act like nothing was out of the ordinary.
“…Come in.”
“Hyung!”
Before I even finished the word, the door burst open and Kang Biso stepped inside. That familiar bright smile spread across his face as he walked toward me, as cheerful and lively as ever. I’d been worried he might be suffering from Guiding deprivation, but thankfully he looked fine—his complexion was still good.
“Have you been well? I’ve missed you so much!”
“Ah…”
“I even brought your favorite cookies and chocolates. You’ve gotta try them.”
Beaming wide enough for his dimples to show, Kang Biso handed me the shopping bags he was holding in both hands. I took them on reflex. And then I froze—completely thrown by how casually he was acting, as if that whole confession had never happened.
Not that bashfulness would’ve suited him anyway, but seeing him this unbothered made me feel ridiculous for freaking out earlier over my appearance.
Still, I forced my tone to stay neutral as I opened my mouth.
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy them. You came for Guiding, right?”
“Nope.”
“Take a se—wait, what?”
“I didn’t come for Guiding. I came because I wanted to see you.”
And then—our eyes met.
His gaze was warm, full of affection. Like a puppy looking at its owner, or Romeo gazing up at Juliet with love-struck eyes.
You can’t just drop something like that out of nowhere… That’s not fair.
My eyes flicked away before I could stop myself. Kang Biso grinned and pointed to the bag sitting on my desk.
“I’ve been wondering since I walked in—what’s that?”
That’s when I remembered the peach. The one Kim Hyun-joong had left behind. It had been sitting there awkwardly ever since, like an unwanted guest.
I wonder if Biso likes peaches…?
I hadn’t picked it out for him, but if he did like them, I wanted him to have it. I set the shopping bags down and opened the paper bag slightly so he could see what was inside.
“Do you like peaches?”
“…Are you giving it to me? I love peaches! I seriously love them!”
His whole face lit up as he eagerly took the bag. The pure joy in his expression made me feel weirdly embarrassed. I scratched the back of my head.
“I didn’t buy it. Someone else left it earlier.”
“Yeah? Then why didn’t you eat it…?”
“I’m allergic to peaches. I can’t eat them.”
“Wait, really? You’re allergic?”
At that, he immediately tucked the bag behind his back, his expression full of concern. The way he reacted made my chest tighten for some reason. I clenched and unclenched my fists, then gave him a small nod.
“Yeah.”
“Huh. I just learned something new about you.”
“…I guess you did.”
“I’ll remember that. I’ll be careful from now on. And since this peach is mine, you should eat the cookies I brought!”
He pulled a box of cookies from the shopping bag and held it out to me.
“Come on, try one.”
“But… shouldn’t we do Guiding first?”
I hesitated, but Kang Biso just smiled and shook his head.
“It’s fine. I didn’t come here today for Guiding. I came to charm you.”
“Charm me…?”
“I figured you needed some time to think. I tried to wait—I really did. But waiting’s not my style. So I thought, instead of wasting time sitting around, I’d use that time to win you over.”
Then he winked at me.
And I blushed.
Of course he could say something that bold without breaking a sweat… but why was I the one getting flustered?
I quickly averted my eyes, fumbling with the cookie box. I grabbed one, popped it into my mouth, and chewed—more for something to do than any real hunger.
Unbelievable. Seriously…
Still, as much as his bluntness overwhelmed me, I couldn’t bring myself to hate it. The way Kang Biso expressed his feelings—open, loud, and without hesitation—filled every inch of me with warmth. Like he was breathing life into parts of me I hadn’t even realized had gone cold.
And every time that happened, I’d start to wonder—maybe I did feel something for him.
But no matter how I felt, one thing always brought me back to reality: I’d have to leave him eventually.
My goal was to return to the real world.
Letting things deepen between us… it would only get in the way. I knew that. And yet, my thoughts kept circling back to him.
Meanwhile, Kang Biso, completely unaware of my inner turmoil, peeled the peach like it was no big deal and took a huge bite.
“This peach is amazing. Perfectly ripe—super sweet, too.”
A few minutes ago, I couldn’t even look at the thing without grimacing. Just knowing Kim Hyun-joong had brought it made me want to throw it out. But now… seeing Kang Biso eat it so happily, I couldn’t help but think—even that overly persistent guy had done something right for once.
—slrp
Juice dribbled down the side of Kang Biso’s lips as he bit into the peach again. Then his tongue flicked out to catch it.
Shit…
My head snapped to the side before I could stop myself.
Why the hell am I thinking about that kiss right now?
That kiss. The one that still lingered in my memory like it happened yesterday. The press of our bodies, the heat of his mouth against mine… Just remembering it was enough to set my face on fire.
Okay. No. Stop. Think about literally anything else…
My body overheated in seconds, and I was just about to start fanning myself when I caught Kang Biso staring at me, head tilted.
“Huh? Are you okay? Your face is really red.”
“…No, it’s just hot in here. I should open a window.”
I practically launched myself out of my seat and rushed over to the window. The breeze hit me like a blessing, cooling my burning cheeks.
All he’d done was eat a peach, and here I was spiraling alone. If Kang Biso ever found out just how easily he threw me off balance, I’d never live it down.
…Was I always like this?
I used to be calm. Collected. I could keep a straight face through anything. But when it came to Kang Biso, it felt like my brain went haywire, and my emotions wouldn’t listen to reason.
I barely recognized myself anymore. And I didn’t know if I should welcome that change… or reject it in pursuit of my goal.
I stood by the window until I could breathe again, then sat back down and popped another cookie into my mouth. I didn’t even register the taste—it just gave my hands something to do. Anything to keep from thinking too hard.
For a moment, silence settled over the room.
Wait… what’s he doing with his hand…?
Kang Biso’s fingers slowly reached toward me.
Maybe it was the leftover tension from earlier, but sweat began to bead in my palm. I froze in place, heart pounding.
And then—he gently brushed the cookie crumbs from the corner of my mouth.
“You had crumbs.”
His fingers lingered, almost grazing my lips like he was doing it on purpose, before finally pulling away.
God. My heart just about stopped.
I barely had time to recover before he spoke again, smiling playfully.
“You must really like those cookies, huh?”
“Huh? I mean… yeah. I guess. It’s been a while.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ll bring more next time.”
“Next time?”
I blinked, tilting my head. Kang Biso met my eyes and smiled softly. Was it my imagination, or were his cheeks a little pink too?
“Yeah. I’m coming tomorrow. And the day after that. Every day, actually—until you accept my confession. So…”
So…?
“Please don’t hate me. Like me. And… love me.”
He said it as steadily as he could, but his voice trembled ever so slightly at the end. The vulnerability in his words struck me hard—like I could feel just how much he meant them.
I wanted to say something. To respond.
But nothing came out.
The words hovered on the tip of my tongue, stubbornly refusing to take shape.
I didn’t even know what I wanted to say. I only knew that whatever I said, whatever he said next—it would change something. Shake something. Deep inside me.
“Oh, right—on my way here earlier…”
Whether it was mercy or coincidence, Kang Biso suddenly changed the subject. Like he hadn’t just poured his heart out seconds ago. The shift was so natural, so casual, it almost made me wonder if I’d imagined the whole thing.
But I hadn’t.
It was real.
And just like before, all I could do was nod along, giving him no answer. Pretending I was fine.
Time slipped by in a blur.
“…Looks like time’s up.”
I hadn’t even noticed how much time had passed. We’d talked so long that the Guiding session had ended before I realized.
“I wish I could stay longer… but I’ll be back tomorrow.”
He let out a short sigh and stood up. His every movement radiated reluctance, but we both knew it couldn’t be helped.
I stood too, ready to see him out. But just as he reached the door, he paused and turned back.
“Oh, right. Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
He hesitated. All the boldness from earlier was gone—replaced with quiet nervous energy.
“Are you free this Saturday?”
“This Saturday?”
“Yeah. If you are… would you meet me?”
“I mean, I guess I’m free. Why?”
“Because I want to take you on a date.”
His smile was so dazzling, it was almost unfair. He laced his fingers with mine, then gently lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.
His tilted eyes, the faint pink on his cheeks, the warmth of his palm against mine…
Everything about him in that moment felt like temptation itself as he whispered:
“I’ll make sure it’s even better than last time. So please… go on a date with me. Okay?”
