Monday.

The closer it got to quitting time, the more nervous Minseo became.

6:38 p.m.

A message came from Doyoon.

[Doyoon: I'm done.]

Minseo stared at it for a moment.

[Minseo: Me too. I'll come down.]

She picked up her bag.

It was just the end of an ordinary workday, yet she felt strangely tense.

The numbers were still gone.

She met Doyoon in front of the office.

(Doyoon): “What should we eat?”

(Minseo): “Can we just walk for a bit first?”

(Doyoon): “Sure.”

They walked slowly from Samseong-dong toward Seolleung.

The autumn evening air was cool.

Normally they would have talked about work, but tonight neither of them said much.

Minseo kept looking straight ahead.

They left the main road and turned into a side street lined with restaurants.

There were fewer people here.

Minseo spoke.

(Minseo): “About what you asked me last time.”

Doyoon looked at her.

Minseo kept her eyes forward.

(Minseo): “When you asked if I liked you…”

A brief silence.

(Minseo): “I'm sorry I couldn't answer then.”

Doyoon said nothing.

Minseo took a deep breath.

(Minseo): “I do.”

Her face grew hot the moment the words were out.

But this time she didn't stop.

(Minseo): “I like you. More than I expected.”

Doyoon stopped walking.

Minseo stopped too.

She couldn't quite bring herself to look at him, so she stared into the alley instead.

(Minseo): “I think I got scared that day for no reason.”

(Minseo): “I wanted to know how you felt first.”

She gave a small, embarrassed laugh.

(Minseo): “But then I realized that wasn't the first thing I needed to know.”

Only then did she look at him.

(Minseo): “I realized I like you.”

There was no number.

She had no idea what Doyoon was feeling right now.

And somehow, that was okay.

For the first time,

she had said what she felt before knowing the answer.

Doyoon was silent for a long moment.

Then he slowly started walking again.

(Doyoon): “Want to go that way?”

It was a quieter street.

Minseo walked beside him.

A few steps later, Doyoon said,

(Doyoon): “I thought you'd rejected me that day.”

Minseo turned to him.

(Minseo): “Rejected you?”

(Doyoon): “I asked if you felt the same way and whether you liked me, and you didn't answer.”

(Minseo): “Oh…”

(Doyoon): “So I got embarrassed by myself.”

He laughed.

(Doyoon): “Then I figured I'd better keep my distance in case I was making you uncomfortable.”

Minseo laughed too.

All those days she'd spent wondering whether his number had fallen to zero or three suddenly seemed absurd.

Doyoon glanced at her.

(Doyoon): “I like you too.”

This time, Minseo stopped walking.

(Doyoon): “I'm just kind of slow.”

(Minseo): “I know.”

(Doyoon): “How do you know?”

Minseo's mouth snapped shut.

(Minseo): “…Just a feeling.”

Doyoon laughed.

Minseo laughed with him.

They started walking again.

The distance that had felt awkward only a few moments earlier disappeared with surprising speed.

The back of Doyoon's hand brushed Minseo's.

Then he took her hand.

Minseo didn't pull away.

No number appeared.

She couldn't know whether Doyoon liked her seventy percent, eighty, or a hundred.

For the first time, she wasn't curious.

Junho's number had been 100.

But Minseo's feelings for him had probably been around 3.

Doyoon's last number had been 72.

Once, she had thought even that wasn't enough.

Now she understood.

Whatever Doyoon's number was,

hers was

100.

Hand in hand, they walked through the streets of Seolleung.

They hadn't even decided where to eat yet.

They didn't know whether they would ever get married. Whether they would suit each other. Whether they would fight.

Whether they might break up someday.

Nothing was certain.

And strangely,

because it wasn't certain,

Minseo wanted to know what came next.

She suddenly remembered the question she'd asked during the temple stay.

What am I supposed to do with my life so I don't regret it when I die?

Back then, she had thought there must be some enormous answer.

Minseo squeezed Doyoon's hand a little tighter.

Maybe it wasn't enormous at all.

If you like someone, tell them. If you miss someone, go see them. If there's something you want to do, try it.

Don't avoid something just because you can't be sure.

Instead of staying still so you'll never fail, move once in the direction your heart wants to go.

Sometimes that alone was enough

to begin a day different from yesterday.

Minseo looked at Doyoon and smiled.

(Doyoon): “Why are you smiling?”

(Minseo): “No reason.”

Doyoon smiled too.

Minseo thought,

Life was already too short for love.

She had spent far too long hesitating.