"I need to tell you something..." Hana began, her voice barely above a whisper, but Seokmin didn't seem to notice, too caught up in his own euphoria.

"Me too!" he exclaimed, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Check out my new camera!" He held up the sleek device, his fingers caressing the lens with reverence.

"I've been eyeing it for weeks, and I finally splurged. Isn't it amazing?" His smile was infectious, and Hana found herself smiling along with him, her heart swelling with affection.

Seokmin's enthusiasm was palpable as he began to rattle off the camera's features, his words dripping with excitement.

"Single lens reflex, incredible image quality...if I'm lucky, I might even capture the stars!" He gazed up at the sky, his eyes twinkling with wonder, and Hana's heart skipped a beat.

She looked at him with a soft, gentle smile, her eyes filled with a deep affection. In this moment, Seokmin was radiant, his joy and passion infectious, and Hana felt her love for him swell up inside her, threatening to spill over.

She felt grateful to be a part of his life, to be the one he shared his happiness with, and she knew that this was a moment she would treasure forever.

"I wish all the blessings for Pluto," Seokmin said, his voice tinged with a mix of happiness and wistfulness. Hana's brow furrowed in confusion, her smile faltering.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Seokmin's smile broadened, but it was tempered with a hint of sadness. "A rich family has adopted him," he explained, his words sending a pang of disappointment through Hana.

Her smile vanished, replaced by a look of dismay. "You sold him?" she asked, her voice laced with disapproval.

Seokmin's smile turned sheepish, and he held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "No, I didn't sell him...they paid me," he clarified, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Hana's gaze drifted away from him, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Seokmin's voice followed her, his words tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"Anyway, I couldn't take care of him in my current situation..." His smile was sad, and Hana's heart went out to him.

As she listened to his words, Hana's mind began to wander. She had grown attached to Pluto, and the thought of him being gone was unsettling.

But what really bothered her was the nagging fear that had been lurking in the shadows of her mind.

What if Seokmin left her too, someday?

What if he turned out to be just like her parents, distant and detached?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and Hana's eyes snapped back to Seokmin's face. He was still smiling, still looking at her with that warm, gentle gaze.

But Hana's heart was racing, her mind whirling with doubts and fears. She didn't want to end up like her parents, trapped in a loveless marriage.

"Big house, people, cars, money...what if he doesn't want all of these?" Hana's voice was barely above a whisper, her gaze drifting into the distance as if lost in thought.

But as she turned to face Seokmin, her eyes snapped back into focus, burning with an intensity that made his heart skip a beat.

"Let's say...if I loved you and came with you, would you leave me?" Her voice trembled, the words spilling out of her like a confession.

"Just like him?" she added, her eyes searching Seokmin's face for reassurance.

"By saying you can't take care of me?" The question hung in the air, a challenge, a plea, and a fear all rolled into one.

Seokmin's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing as he tried to understand the connection between Pluto's adoption and Hana's probing questions.

"What's the connection between these?" he asked softly, his voice gentle, but his eyes piercing.

Hana's gaze never wavered, her eyes locked onto Seokmin's as if willing him to understand. "Responsibility," she whispered, the word hanging in the air like a gauntlet thrown.

It was a challenge, a test of Seokmin's character, and a glimpse into Hana's deepest fears.

Would he take responsibility for her heart, or would he abandon her like Pluto?

The question seemed to echo through the silence, waiting for Seokmin's response.

"You have love, but...you don't have responsibility," Hana said, her voice laced with a hint of sadness and disappointment. Seokmin's expression turned dismissive, his eyes rolling slightly as he spoke.

"Why are you taking it personally? You don't even like him," he said, his tone dripping with nonchalance.

But Hana's words cut deeper, revealing a wound that Seokmin hadn't noticed before.

"That's what I thought too...until I came here," Hana said, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to leave, but Seokmin's voice stopped her, his words echoing through the air.

"What does it mean, leaving like that!?" Seokmin asked, his voice raised in frustration, his eyes narrowing as he watched Hana walk away.

Hana took a deep breath, her shoulders squaring as she struggled to control her emotions. Her voice cracked at the end as she spoke.

"It means that I'm leaving, and I won't return," she said, the words hanging in the air like a promise, or a threat.

And with that, she was gone, leaving Seokmin standing alone, wondering what he had just lost.

A pang of heartbreak struck Seokmin, leaving him breathless and bewildered. It was as if he had lost a part of himself, a precious fragment that could never be recovered.

The weight of Hana's words settled upon him, heavy and unyielding, and he felt his chest constrict with a deep sense of longing.

In that moment, Seokmin realized that his feelings for Hana went far beyond mere affection.

He had grown to cherish her presence in his life, to rely on her quiet strength and her gentle smile. And now, with her gone, he felt lost and adrift, like a ship without anchor or compass.

As Hana stepped off the train and onto the familiar platform of Busan Station, a sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach.

The journey back had been filled with a mix of emotions, but the one that lingered most was disappointment.

She and Haneul had held onto the hope that their parents would change their minds, that they would work through their issues and come out stronger on the other side.

But as they walked through the front door of their Busan home, the reality of their situation slapped them in the face.

Hana's gaze drifted to her mother, Heejin, who stood beside her, a sympathetic expression etched on her face. Hana's eyes welled up with tears, but she bit them back, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her.

With a heavy sigh, she trudged up the stairs to her room, the weight of her disappointment threatening to crush her.

As she began to unpack, her mind wandered back to Seokmin. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had left a part of herself behind in Yongin.

The memories of their time together played on repeat in her mind, each one a bittersweet reminder of what she had walked away from. She regretted leaving, regretted not being brave enough to take a chance on him.

But the fear of ending up like her parents, trapped in a loveless marriage, had been too great to overcome.

Days passed in a blur, each one a struggle to come to terms with her new reality. Hana found herself wandering aimlessly around the house, feeling lost and alone.

And then, one evening, she found herself seated on her balcony, staring blankly at her phone. Her fingers itched to reach out to Seokmin, to see how he was doing, to hear his voice.

With a sigh, Hana picked up her phone and began to type out a message. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, the words pouring out of her like a confession.

But just as she was about to hit send, she hesitated. Her fingers hovered over the screen, her heart racing with anticipation. And then, with a swift motion, she deleted the message and set the phone aside.

The silence that followed was deafening, a reminder that sometimes, the hardest words to say were the ones left unspoken.

Weeks had passed in a haze, each day blending into the next as Hana struggled to shake off the lingering emotions that had been weighing her down.

Her heart still felt heavy, the ache of longing refusing to subside. As she walked out of her university, lost in thought, the familiar sound of a puppy's yips cut through the air, snapping her back to reality.

Her eyes scanned the crowded sidewalk, and then, suddenly, she saw him - Pluto, the playful puppy, standing on his hind legs, his tail wagging furiously as he gazed up at her.

But before she could even process what was happening, Pluto darted away, his little legs moving swiftly as he disappeared into the crowd.

Without hesitation, Hana took off after him, her feet pounding the pavement as she weaved through the throngs of people.

She followed Pluto's tiny form, her heart racing with excitement, until finally, she saw him - Seokmin, standing with a bright smile on his face, Pluto by his side.

Tears began to brim in Hana's eyes as she took in the sight of Seokmin, her heart overflowing with emotion.

She hastily removed her bag from her shoulder, letting it fall to the ground, and then, with a burst of speed, she ran towards Seokmin, flinging herself into his arms.

The impact of their collision was almost bone-crushing, but Seokmin's arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close as he absorbed the force of her hug.

Hana buried her face in his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as she inhaled the familiar scent of his shirt.

The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in the depths of their own emotions.

"Why did you come?" Hana asked, her voice trembling with a mix of emotions, her anger and frustration tempered by the relief of being in Seokmin's arms again.

Despite her words, she refused to let him go, instead tightening her grip around him, as if afraid he might vanish into thin air.

Seokmin's eyes sparkled with amusement as he gazed down at her, his smile growing wider. "Why did you come to Yongin?" he countered, his voice low and husky, his breath dancing across her skin.

Hana's tears fell harder, her voice cracking as she spoke. "Because of my ill fate, I didn't know you'd be there," she admitted, her words barely above a whisper.

Seokmin's chuckle was a low, rumbling sound, his chest vibrating against hers as he held her closer. "But I came knowing that you'd be here," he revealed, his face breaking into a radiant smile, his eyes shining with happiness.

As he spoke, Seokmin's arms wrapped tighter around Hana, pulling her into a deeper embrace. His warmth enveloped her, chasing away the chill of uncertainty, and Hana felt her heart swell with emotion.

She knew, in that moment, that she was exactly where she was meant to be – in Seokmin's arms, surrounded by his love and warmth.

"Why did it take so long?" Hana asked, her brow furrowed in a frown, but her arms still wrapped tightly around Seokmin.

Seokmin's eyes sparkled with mirth as he replied, "Because of Pluto. But I'd have come earlier if I knew you'd hug me like this." He teased, pulling her closer, their bodies swaying gently in a slow dance.

Hana's voice was barely above a whisper as she asked, "Will you go if I let you?" Seokmin's response was immediate, his head shaking in a firm denial.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, a question suddenly occurred to Seokmin. "Is this friendship?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Hana's chuckle was a low, throaty sound, and she shook her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Seokmin's gaze locked onto hers, his eyes burning with intensity. "Then...is this love?" he asked again, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hana's response was to pull out of the hug, her eyes locking onto Seokmin's. "No.." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"This is called love." She said before she cupped his cheek in her hand. Her lips brushed against his, sending a jolt of electricity through both of them.

Seokmin didn't respond at first, his body frozen in surprise, and Hana pulled back, worried that she had misread the situation.

But as she looked at Seokmin, she saw that he was in a daze, his eyes fixed on hers with a growing smile.

She waved a hand in front of his face, trying to break the spell, but he just kept staring. Hana's frown deepened, and she pinched his chest, trying to get a reaction out of him.

Seokmin's eyes snapped back into focus, and he blinked rapidly, as if clearing his head. And then, in a movement that caught Hana off guard, he reached out and wrapped his hand around her nape, pulling her back into a kiss.

This time, Hana felt the full force of Seokmin's passion, his lips moving against hers with a hunger that left her breathless.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, holding him close, while his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her deeper into the kiss.

As they finally pulled away, gasping for air, Seokmin's eyes locked onto Hana's, his gaze burning with intensity.

Without a word, he pulled her back into a hug, holding her close as if he never wanted to let her go again.

Hana felt like she was walking on air, her heart soaring with a happiness she'd never known before.

Being in Seokmin's arms made her feel safe, like she'd finally found a haven where she could be herself without fear of judgment.

She felt complete, like a missing piece of her puzzle had finally fallen into place.

As she gazed up at Seokmin, her eyes locked onto his, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She was lost in the depths of his eyes, drowning in the warmth and love that radiated from them.

But their idyllic moment was short-lived. Hana's gaze drifted away from Seokmin's, and her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing a short distance away.

Her mother, Heejin, stood with her arms crossed, a disapproving scowl etched on her face.

Her eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing as she took in the scene before her - Hana wrapped in Seokmin's arms, a look of blissful happiness on her face.

Hana's heart sank, her happiness deflating like a punctured balloon. She felt a sense of trepidation wash over her, knowing that her mother's disapproval could spell trouble for her and Seokmin.

She hesitated, unsure of what to do next, as Seokmin's arms tightened around her, holding her close as if sensing her unease.

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