Chapter Fifteen – The Confrontation
The corridor hummed faintly with the last echoes of students leaving, but for Amara and Joon-Ho, it felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of them.
Amara stood with her chest rising and falling sharply, anger burning in her veins. Joon-Ho’s silence infuriated her more than any insult ever could.
“You can glare at Daniel all you want,” she said, her voice trembling, “but you don’t get to act like you own me when you can’t even look me in the eye.”
His fists flexed at his sides, his jaw tight. Finally, his eyes snapped to hers, dark and stormy. “He’s not right for you.”
Her laugh was short, bitter. “And how would you know? You don’t talk to me, Joon-Ho. You don’t even give me the chance to decide who’s right for me. All you do is look from a distance and judge.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” Joon-Ho muttered, his voice low, heavy with something raw. “Like you’re already his.”
Amara blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sharpness in his tone. For a fleeting second, the mask slipped completely, and his jealousy bled through.
“And that bothers you, doesn’t it?” she asked quietly, stepping closer. Her anger hadn’t cooled, but now it burned with a different edge—curiosity, hurt, hope.
He said nothing, but his silence was louder than words. His eyes hardened, his shoulders tense, every line of his body screaming with restraint.
“Yes,” she pressed, her voice rising again. “It bothers you. You can’t stand seeing me with someone else, but you’d rather pretend I don’t exist than admit it. Do you have any idea how cruel that is?”
His lips parted, but the words seemed to choke him. Finally, he exhaled sharply, his control fraying.
“It bothers me,” he admitted, his voice rough, almost a growl. “I hate the way he looks at you. I hate the way he tries to make you laugh, like he’s entitled to your attention. It makes me want to—” He cut himself off, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.
Amara’s breath caught. The intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine, but her anger refused to let go.
“Then why hide from me?” she demanded. “Why make me feel like I’m nothing to you? If you hate seeing me with Daniel, then say what you really mean instead of running away!”
Joon-Ho’s chest rose and fell heavily. He took one step closer, the air between them tightening. His voice was low, dangerous, but threaded with something that felt like desperation.
“Because if I let myself say it, Amara… I won’t be able to stop.”
The words struck her like a blow, leaving her frozen in place.
Her heart pounded so hard it hurt, but the fire in her voice didn’t falter. “Then maybe you shouldn’t stop.”
For a moment, neither of them moved. The silence stretched, thick with tension, with the weight of everything unsaid.
Joon-Ho’s gaze lingered on her lips for one dangerous second—then he tore his eyes away, forcing space back between them. “It’s not that simple.”
Her throat ached. “It never is with you.”
