Festival Night

The annual school festival was fast approaching, and the campus buzzed with excitement. Booths were being set up, decorations hung, and students rehearsed for performances. Ji-eun watched the flurry of activity with mild amusement, but her gaze inevitably wandered to Jae-min, who was helping his classmates set up a food stall.

“Are you seriously staring at him again?” Soo-jin teased, nudging Ji-eun with her elbow.

Ji-eun flushed. “I’m just... keeping an eye on him.”

Soo-jin raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. If you’re so interested, why don’t you do something about it?”

Ji-eun hesitated. She had been careful not to push Jae-min too hard, knowing how cautious he was. But Soo-jin’s words lingered in her mind as the festival began the next day.

---

The festival was in full swing by the evening. Lights twinkled in the trees, music played from the stage, and the scent of street food filled the air. Ji-eun wandered through the crowd, her heart racing as she searched for Jae-min.

She found him at his class’s food stall, flipping pancakes with a focused expression. His classmates were busy chatting with customers, but Jae-min seemed content to work quietly in the background.

“Need a hand?” Ji-eun asked, stepping up to the stall.

Jae-min looked up, startled. “You want to help?”

“Why not?” she said, slipping on an apron. “I’ve always wanted to try cooking.”

He chuckled, a rare sound that made Ji-eun’s heart skip a beat. “Alright. But don’t blame me if you mess up.”

---

They worked side by side, Jae-min patiently guiding Ji-eun as she attempted to flip pancakes. Her first few tries were disastrous, resulting in burnt edges and batter splatters. But Jae-min’s quiet encouragement kept her going, and eventually, she managed a decent flip.

“Not bad,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

Ji-eun beamed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

As the night wore on, the crowd began to thin, and Jae-min’s classmates left to enjoy the festival. Ji-eun and Jae-min stayed behind to clean up the stall. The silence between them was comfortable, broken only by the distant hum of music.

“Thanks for helping,” Jae-min said as they finished packing up.

“Anytime,” Ji-eun replied. She hesitated, then added, “Do you want to check out the festival together?”

Jae-min looked surprised but nodded. “Sure.”

---

They strolled through the festival, stopping to watch performances and sample snacks from other stalls. Ji-eun felt a warmth she hadn’t experienced in years, a sense of happiness that came from simply being with someone she cared about.

As they reached the center of the festival, Ji-eun noticed a booth offering paper lanterns. Couples and friends were writing wishes on the lanterns before releasing them into the sky.

“Let’s do one,” she said, grabbing Jae-min’s hand and pulling him toward the booth.

He blinked, startled by her boldness. “You really don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

“Nope,” she said, grinning as she handed him a marker. “Come on. Write your wish.”

Jae-min hesitated, then leaned over the lantern and began writing. Ji-eun did the same, her heart pounding as she thought about what to write. After a moment, they exchanged lanterns to see each other’s wishes.

Jae-min’s wish was simple but heartfelt: *For my family to be happy.*

Ji-eun’s wish made Jae-min pause: *To be someone worth standing by your side.*

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away. Ji-eun could see the emotions flickering in Jae-min’s gaze—confusion, curiosity, and something else she couldn’t quite name.

“Ji-eun...” he began, but his words were cut off by the sound of a countdown.

The crowd began releasing their lanterns, and Ji-eun quickly grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s let ours go.”

They released the lanterns together, watching as they floated into the night sky, carrying their wishes with them. Ji-eun glanced at Jae-min, her heart swelling with hope. She didn’t know what the future held, but for now, she was content to be by his side.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***