Man-shik sat alone in his apartment. The space felt cavernous and empty, despite the clutter he usually ignored. His eyes lingered on the couch where Chrystal used to sit, her laughter echoing faintly in his mind. He exhaled slowly, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly.

The truth he'd been avoiding all this time clawed its way to the surface: he was terrified. Terrified of screwing things up, of repeating the mistakes his father had made, of hurting Chrystal in ways he couldn't fix. Somewhere deep inside, he'd convinced himself he didn't deserve her.

"I'm not my father," he muttered under his breath, as if saying it aloud would make it true.

The thought of Chrystal moving on, of her smiling at someone else the way she used to smile at him, sent a sharp pang through his chest. He wasn't sure when she'd become the center of his world, but she had. And he was losing her because he was too much of a coward to admit it.

"No," he said firmly, standing abruptly. "Not this time."

Grabbing his phone, he scrolled through his contacts and dialed. The line rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"Man-shik," Mina said, her tone cautious. "Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be working on whatever mess you created with Chrystal?"

"That's exactly why I'm calling," Man-shik said, pacing the length of his living room. "I need your help."

Mina snorted. "You? Asking for help? Now this I have to hear."

"I'm serious, Mina," he said, his tone dropping into something more vulnerable. "I... I messed up. And I can't lose her. I need to do something big—something to show her how much she means to me."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Mina sighed. "Alright, what's your plan?"

Man-shik hesitated. "That's the problem. I don't have one. That's where you come in."

Mina let out a low whistle. "Wow, you're really desperate. Alright, Romeo, here's the deal—I'll help you, but you'd better not screw this up. Chrystal deserves someone who's all in. No half-measures."

"I know," Man-shik said quietly. "I'm all in."

"Good. Meet me at my place in an hour," Mina said, hanging up before he could respond.

An hour later, Man-shik stood in Mina's living room, a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. Mina, ever the planner, had already laid out a series of colorful sticky notes on the coffee table.

"So," she began, tapping a finger against her chin. "What's Chrystal's love language? Gifts? Acts of service? Words of affirmation?"

Man-shik blinked. "Uh... I don't know. All of them?"

Mina groaned, throwing her hands up. "Seriously? How do you not know this? You've been living with her for months!"

"I didn't think I'd need to take notes!" he shot back defensively.

"Well, you're lucky I have," Mina said, pulling out her phone. "She loves thoughtful gestures, hates anything overly cheesy, and values honesty. So, whatever you do, it needs to be personal and genuine."

Man-shik nodded, scribbling furiously in his notebook. "Got it. Personal and genuine."

"Also," Mina added, smirking, "you should probably throw in some snacks. You know how much she loves food."

The plan came together piece by piece, with Mina delegating tasks to both herself and Man-shik's friend Jun-ho, who had reluctantly agreed to help after being bribed with pizza. By the time they were finished, the three of them sat back to admire their work.

"This is either going to be the most romantic thing she's ever experienced," Mina said, sipping her coffee, "or the biggest disaster of your life."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Man-shik muttered, but his lips twitched into a small smile.

The next evening, Chrystal was sitting on Mina's couch, flipping through her phone when Mina burst into the room, looking suspiciously excited.

"Get up," Mina said, grabbing Chrystal's hand.

"What? Why?" Chrystal asked, frowning.

"Just trust me," Mina said, dragging her toward the door.

They stepped outside to find a sleek black car waiting at the curb. The driver—Jun-ho, wearing an ill-fitting suit and an exaggeratedly serious expression—opened the door for them.

"Your carriage awaits," he said with a flourish.

Chrystal turned to Mina, her suspicion growing. "What's going on?"

"You'll see," Mina said, ushering her into the car.

The car pulled up to a small, secluded park just as the sun began to set. Fairy lights hung from the trees, casting a warm glow over the scene. A small table sat in the center of the clearing, set with Chrystal's favorite snacks and a bouquet of sunflowers.

Chrystal stepped out of the car, her eyes wide. "What... what is this?"

Man-shik emerged from behind one of the trees, his hands in his pockets and a nervous smile on his face.

"Hi," he said, his voice soft.

Chrystal stared at him, her heart pounding. "Man-shik... what is all this?"

He scratched the back of his neck, glancing at the setup. "It's... well, it's me trying to say I'm sorry. For everything. For being an idiot, for pushing you away, for not telling you sooner how much you mean to me."

Her breath hitched, but she crossed her arms, forcing herself to stay composed. "And this is supposed to make up for it?"

"No," he said quickly. "This isn't about making up for anything. It's about showing you that I'm serious. That I want to be better—for you, for us."

Chrystal's defenses wavered as she looked at him, standing there with his messy hair and hopeful eyes. "Why now?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why did it take you this long?"

"Because I was scared," he admitted, stepping closer. "I've always been scared of letting people in, of getting too close. But you... you made it impossible not to care. And I can't let you go without a fight."

The sincerity in his voice broke through the walls she'd built around her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

"You're an idiot," she said, her voice cracking.

"I know," he said, smiling softly. "But I'm your idiot, if you'll have me."

She let out a shaky laugh, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

"Is that a yes?" he asked, hope flickering in his eyes.

Chrystal hesitated for a moment before nodding. "It's a maybe."

"I'll take it," he said, grinning as he reached for her hand.

As their fingers intertwined, Chrystal felt a warmth she hadn't realized she'd been missing. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something real.