Pick Up the Rejected Pure Love

Chapter 23: The Mirroring Technique

chapter 23: the mirroring technique

i have been studying since this morning.

given that i had to retake the college entrance exams, i really had to invest a lot of time in studying.

after lunch, when i was about to get back to my books, my smartphone buzzed with a message.

-vrrrm.

i hadn’t expected anyone to reach out to me today, but the message was from eun-ha.

“ah, that was quick.”

i had thought we would catch up on monday, but here she was, texting me now.

i swiftly unlocked my phone and read the message, only to shake my head in disbelief.

[han-gyeol, want to grab some pork cutlet tomorrow?]

hmm, is offering pork cutlet the new high schooler way of apologizing?

that couldn’t be. who apologizes with pork cutlet?

eun-ha must have come to this conclusion after some serious thought on her part.

but she decided to apologize by treating me to pork cutlet?

it was so cute that i burst out laughing without even realizing it.

“she’s too adorable.”

i quickly tapped on my smartphone screen.

[sure. what time shall we meet?]

it would be perfect if we met and apologized properly, but i didn’t expect much from eun-ha.

just the fact that she was making this effort was satisfying for me.

i was proud of her for trying, and it was also endearing.

this was how we would come to understand each other, little by little.

after all, people couldn’t change overnight.

[how about 2 p.m. tomorrow? let’s meet at sangdong station.]

[alright. so, we’re having pork cutlet for lunch, right?]

[yep!]

i wanted to extend the conversation a little more. but i suspected that eun-ha thought she had upset me, so i also wanted to tease her a bit.

as devilish as it sounded, her reaction would probably be cute, so i decided to end the conversation.

[alright then, see you tomorrow.]

smirking, i put my smartphone back on the desk.

i wanted to see eun-ha right this moment, but i decided to hold back.

at least this means she no longer found me burdensome.

i still didn’t know the depth of her feelings for me, but it felt like we had gotten a bit closer as a man and a woman.

i would confess my feelings when i think her emotions had grown to an overwhelming extent.

“ah, i really need to study.”

i still had a lot of studying to do for today, and there was also work piled up for tomorrow.

but it would all be worth it for tomorrow.

the thought of meeting eun-ha kept a smile on my face.

in the end, i put down my pencil for a moment and flopped onto my bed.

what was eun-ha thinking when she sent that message?

did she spend all of yesterday and today pondering how to phrase it?̃øv€lß1n.

just imagining eun-ha, flustered and torn about how to reach out, my heart began to pound wildly.

a sense of relief washed over me that i was making the right moves, while my feelings for eun-ha grew stronger.

“ah, my heart’s going to burst from the excitement.”

after about an hour spent lost in thoughts about eun-ha, i finally returned to my desk.

***

the next morning, as soon as i woke up, i immediately showered and changed my clothes.

i even subtly styled my hair while standing in front of the bathroom mirror.

i also considered changing up my hairstyle but didn’t want to make it too obvious.

eun-ha might think i’m mad, so maybe i should maintain a neutral expression today.

or is that too harsh? let’s just stick to the usual.

“yeah. we just had a meal; let’s have dessert at a café. you can pay there, right?”

“uh—yeah. sure.”

we went to a café and stood side by side in front of the kiosk.

i added honey bread and a blueberry yogurt smoothie, which i planned to drink, to our order list.

“what will you have, eun-ha?”

“um... i’ll have the same as you.”

“blueberry yogurt smoothie?”

“yes, that one.”

both of us knew that something remained unsaid, but for now, the unspoken words were no match for the sweet treats that awaited us.

eun-ha usually goes for hallabong ade...

could this be the mirroring technique?

or is eunha flirting with me?

nah, eun-ha isn’t the type to flirt...

why had she suddenly become so unpredictable?

“is there something on my face?”

“no, just wondering. have you ever had a blueberry yogurt smoothie before?”

“no? i just wanted to try it since you’re having one.”

“oh—okay.”

damn it. calm down, my heart.

there were bound to be countless more heart-fluttering moments ahead.

if i get like this every time, it’s going to be a tough road.

contrary to my inner dialogue, my heart was pounding quite fast.

we waited next to the counter until the drinks and honey bread were ready.

when i carried the tray filled with our ordered drinks and bread to the table, it was time to talk.

it seemed like a good moment to start a conversation, but eun-ha still appeared hesitant.

i didn’t want to be the one to break the ice first.

then, eun-ha’s small lips began to move.

“han-gyeol.”

“yeah?”

“about what you said to me on friday...”

“mhm.”

the air grew tense, both of us keenly aware that a pivotal conversation was about to unfold.

eun-ha finally broached the subject.

she looked me squarely in the eyes and, with a deadly serious expression and a heartfelt tone, apologized.

“i’m really sorry.”

“huh?”

“yeah... you’re right. i’ve been avoiding you since wednesday.”

with each word that eun-ha spoke, my heart quivered.

i hadn’t expected her to apologize so earnestly. knowing how clumsy she could be with words, i thought she would hem and haw.

“but it’s not because i dislike you or find you burdensome, like you said. to make you understand, i have to tell you the reason, but it’s a deeply personal matter, making it difficult even to share with you, who are directly involved. but really! seriously! it’s not because i dislike you or find you burdensome! we became super close as soon as the semester started, and you’ve helped me out a lot... more than anything, i don’t want to distance myself from you. i can’t tell you the reason, but these are my true feelings! but please believe me! i genuinely don’t dislike you.”

i had never seen this side of eun-ha.

not outside this novel, nor within it.

still feeling restless, still finding it hard to express her thoughts openly...

but the sight of her desperately conveying her emotions to me was incredibly beautiful.

i already thought i was head over heels for eun-ha.

i thought my affection for her couldn’t grow anymore.

but it seemed my feelings were only growing stronger the more time i spent with her.

this is a big deal.

--- the end of the chapter ---

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