Desire precedes fear

He knew he had been too cold, that his words had hurt Yunna more than he wanted to admit. Now, the longing was stronger, and every second without her felt like an eternity.

Every night since then was the same. He would come home late from work, exhausted, and find Yunna in the living room. She was always sitting in the most imposing armchair, his favorite, with a book of fairy tales in her hands.

The moonlight was the only thing illuminating the space, making the scene almost magical, but at the same time unsettling.

What intrigued him even more was the way she acted. Most of the time, she was rummaging through the bookshelf they shared, rearranging or flipping through the pages as if she was looking for something. Jeon Mingi was sure she did it on purpose, as if she wanted to make him even more anxious.

When he came in, she always greeted him politely:

“You’re late today.”

“Work was heavy,” he replied, trying to sound casual.

But that was it. Her words were gentle, but there was a distance he couldn’t cross. She wouldn’t let him get close, wouldn’t give him space for a kiss or a simple touch of her hair. This made him even more restless.

That particular night, Jeon Mingi decided he couldn’t go on like this. He watched her for a few moments as she rearranged the books. The silence was thick, broken only by the soft sound of pages being turned.

“Yunna,” he finally called, his voice low but full of intent.

She turned her face, her eyes shining in the dim light.

“Yes?”

Jeon Mingi took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Jeon Mingi didn’t know exactly how to deal with Yunna’s new behavior. Despite the distance she kept during the day, there was one thing that didn’t change: the mornings.

Every morning, she kept waking him up. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but always delicate. She ran her fingers through his hair with a gentleness that made his heart ache. Those minutes were the only moments when he felt her genuine affection, as if, for a brief moment, things were the same as before.

“Good morning, Jeon Mingi,” she murmured softly, as she leaned in to get his attention.

He always wanted to hold her hand, to prolong that moment, but he knew he couldn’t. As soon as he got up, Yunna would return to her usual coldness.

What confused him even more was the way she completely changed when he brought a friend home. Yunna was polite, as always, but her indifference was palpable. She smiled and even greeted the guests, but she didn’t say a single word to him. Her silence weighed more than any argument.

Mingi knew it was his fault. He had driven a wedge between them with his own actions, and now he was paying the price for it. The problem was that every time Yunna treated him like this, he felt like he was losing her a little more.

And deep down, he knew he would need a lot more than excuses to win her heart back.

That morning, Jeon Mingi woke up to the soft touch of Yunna's fingers in his hair. He opened his eyes slowly, as he did every day, enjoying that brief moment of peace.

"Good morning, Mingi," she said, with a discreet smile.

He tried to answer, but his voice seemed stuck in his throat. He just stared at her, as if he wanted to record every detail of that moment. When Yunna got up to leave, he felt the emptiness return.

The day passed slowly, and Mingi couldn't stop thinking about her. He knew that things couldn't go on like this. With every gesture of affection in the mornings, he felt hope. But the rest of the time, her coldness tortured him.

That night, he decided to invite some friends over. It was an attempt to fill the silence Yunna left behind. Among the guests was a coworker that Jeon Mingi considered harmless, but he knew that her presence bothered Yunna.

When they arrived, Yunna welcomed them with the same kindness as always. She offered drinks, prepared some appetizers and was an exemplary hostess. But, as usual, she didn’t say a single word to Jeon Mingi. He watched her from afar, trying to understand what was going on in her head.

After their friends left, the tension in the room was almost palpable. Yunna began to collect the glasses and tidy up, while Mingi watched her in silence. He finally approached, stopping next to her.

“Why do you do this?” he asked, his voice low but full of emotion.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him sideways.

“This what?”

“You treat me like I’m a stranger. During the day, it seems like I’m nothing to you. But in the morning…” He hesitated, trying to find the right words. “In the morning, you’re so kind.”

Yunna placed the glass she was holding on the counter and crossed her arms, staring at him.

“Because I still care, Jeon Mingi.” But I don’t know if you understand what that means.

He felt the weight of her words, like a blow straight to the chest.

“I understand. And I miss that, Yunna. I miss you.”

She let out a sigh, shaking her head.

“Then why do you keep bringing other women here? You know how it makes me feel, but you pretend it doesn’t matter.”

“They mean nothing to me. You know that.” Jeon Mingi took a step toward her, desperate to close the distance between them.

“It’s not about whether they mean anything or not, Mingi. It’s about you making me feel like I’m not enough.” Her voice trailed off for a moment, but her eyes remained steady.

Jeon Mingi couldn’t answer right away. He knew she was right. And at that moment, he realized that if he didn’t change, he would lose her forever.

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