Episode 2: The Drift

The months after their promise by the river seemed like a blur, full of moments of happiness and soft laughter. So-eun held onto Joon-ho’s words as if they were a lifeline—his promise of forever was her anchor. But as the weeks passed, she began to notice a subtle change in him, a distance that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t something she could pinpoint exactly, but it felt like a shadow had cast itself over their love. The once effortless connection between them had begun to feel strained, like a thread pulled just a little too tight.

Joon-ho was still the same in many ways—quiet, gentle, and thoughtful—but there was something in his eyes that So-eun couldn’t ignore. He was more distant, his smiles less frequent, and his gaze seemed to wander, as if his thoughts were elsewhere. She tried to shrug it off, telling herself it was just a phase, maybe even a product of the stress that came with college. After all, their relationship had always been built on understanding. But even the most patient heart can’t ignore the growing silence between two people who once spoke without words.

One chilly evening, So-eun found herself sitting alone in their favorite cafe, nursing a cup of hot chocolate. She glanced out the window, watching the snowflakes fall softly to the ground, coating the world in a quiet blanket of white. It should have been a peaceful moment, but instead, her thoughts kept drifting back to Joon-ho. They had plans to meet, but he was running late again, something that had been happening more often lately. The last time they met, their conversation had felt forced, like two strangers trying to find common ground in a place they once felt at home.

Just as she was about to pull out her phone to check for any messages, the bell above the door jingled, and Joon-ho walked in. His eyes immediately found hers, but there was something different in the way he looked at her—a hesitation, a distance that hadn’t been there before.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft, almost like he wasn’t sure what to say next.

So-eun smiled, though her heart was heavy with unspoken words. “You’re late,” she teased lightly, trying to ease the tension.

“I’m sorry,” Joon-ho replied, sliding into the seat across from her. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket, and his eyes didn’t quite meet hers. “I’ve been… distracted.”

So-eun’s smile faded, replaced by a mixture of concern and confusion. She knew Joon-ho better than anyone, and seeing him like this—so withdrawn—was unsettling. "Distracted? By what?" she asked gently, trying not to sound too probing, but the worry in her voice was hard to hide.

Joon-ho paused, his eyes flickering for a brief moment as if he was debating whether to share whatever was on his mind. But then, he looked down at the table, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup. "It’s not you, So-eun. It’s just… everything. Life’s a little overwhelming right now."

So-eun felt a pang in her chest, a mix of hurt and helplessness. “I don’t understand. What’s going on, Joon-ho? You’ve been pulling away, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“I’m not trying to pull away,” he said quickly, his voice laced with frustration. “But I don’t know how to handle this. I don’t know how to handle us, to be honest.”

The words hung in the air like a thick fog, suffocating So-eun’s heart. She had always believed their love was unshakable, that no matter what challenges came their way, they would always find a way to hold on to each other. But now, sitting across from Joon-ho, she felt like the foundation they had built was crumbling. She had never imagined that their love could be something that needed fixing.

“So, what does that mean?” she asked quietly, her voice trembling. “Are we over?”

Joon-ho shook his head quickly, his eyes wide with panic. “No, no! I don’t want that. I’m just… confused. I’m trying to figure out what’s next. I’m scared of where this is going, So-eun. What if we’re not ready for this? What if we’re just… not enough?”

The words hit So-eun like a punch to the gut. She had never imagined that Joon-ho, the one person who had made her believe in forever, could doubt their love. But as she looked at him, she saw the fear in his eyes—the same fear that had been gnawing at her own heart. Maybe she had been too focused on the past, on the love they had built, to see that it was slowly unraveling.

She reached across the table, her hand trembling as she touched his. "We’ll figure it out. We always do," she said softly, her voice filled with hope, though it was laced with uncertainty.

Joon-ho looked at her for a long moment, and then, slowly, he nodded. "I hope so."

The silence between them was thick with unspoken words and unacknowledged fears. They both knew that things weren’t the same, but neither was ready to let go. For now, they were holding onto each other, unsure of what the future would bring but unwilling to face it alone.

As they sat in that quiet cafe, surrounded by the soft hum of the world around them, So-eun couldn’t help but wonder if love, as they knew it, was enough to keep them together—or if the distance between them was already too great to bridge.

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