season 1: episode 3

Episode 3: "A Heartbeat in the Rain"

It had been a week since Ji-hoon had drawn that last sketch of Naabi—since he had captured her soul in a way no one ever had. And now, she found herself looking forward to his visits, waiting for the soft sound of the doorbell ringing as he walked in. But today, it was different. There was an air of anticipation that hung heavy in the café, something unspoken between them, something that neither of them dared to acknowledge, yet both felt.

The rain had come again, pouring heavily outside, casting a gray veil over the city. Naabi sat by the counter, her hands busy with routine, but her mind was miles away. She had never been one to get lost in thoughts about someone, but Ji-hoon had made it impossible to ignore the pull she felt toward him. His words, the way he saw her, the way he made her feel alive in a way that no one had in years—it was all too consuming.

She was wiping down the counter when the door opened, and there he was, drenched from the rain, his eyes locking with hers across the room.

Ji-hoon’s gaze softened when he saw her, the intensity of his eyes making Naabi’s heart skip. Without saying a word, he walked toward her, his hand slipping into his coat pocket. Naabi didn’t move, but her chest tightened. She could feel her heart thudding louder with every step he took.

When he reached her, he placed something on the counter in front of her. A small, weathered envelope.

“What’s this?” Naabi asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she reached for it.

Ji-hoon’s eyes never left hers. “It’s for you,” he said simply, his voice low and deliberate, like every word he spoke carried a weight.

Her fingers trembled as she tore open the envelope, pulling out a small folded piece of paper. As she unfolded it, her breath caught in her throat.

It was another sketch, but this one was different. It wasn’t of her café or a fleeting moment—it was a portrait of her, the way Ji-hoon had seen her, as if he had pulled the very essence of her being and captured it on paper. Her hair fell softly around her face, her eyes looking distant, but there was something else in the sketch. It was as if he had drawn the quiet strength in her, the vulnerability she had hidden for so long.

The sketch was raw. Honest. Beautiful.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Naabi whispered, her voice shaking as she looked up at him. “It’s incredible.”

Ji-hoon’s expression softened, a hint of something unspoken passing between them. “I wanted you to know that I see you, Naabi,” he said, his voice low, filled with emotion. “Not just the café, not just the woman behind it—but you, as you really are. I see all of you.”

Her chest tightened, her breath hitching in her throat. His words hit her harder than she expected, sending a warmth through her that left her breathless.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her fingers grazing the edges of the sketch. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Ji-hoon reached out, gently taking her hand in his. His touch was warm, sending a wave of electricity through her. She looked up at him, her heart racing as the air between them thickened with something deeper than just friendship, deeper than just admiration.

Naabi could feel the tension rising, the unspoken words building between them. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Ji-hoon’s voice cut through the silence.

“I don’t want this to be just an art project, Naabi,” he said, his voice hushed, as if sharing a secret. “I don’t want to just capture your soul with my pencil. I want to know you. I want to understand the person behind the smile, behind the café, behind the sketches.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “What are you saying, Ji-hoon?”

He took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving hers. “I’m saying that I’m not just here to draw you. I’m here because I see something in you. I can’t explain it, but… it’s there. And I want to be a part of your life, however you’ll have me.”

Naabi’s breath caught in her throat, her heart thundering in her chest. She had felt it—the connection, the pull between them—but hearing it out loud, from his lips, made it real. It made it undeniable.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stood there, caught in the silence, the rain outside a distant echo to the storm that had suddenly begun to swirl inside Naabi’s chest.

She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to respond to something so raw, so honest. But all she knew, deep down, was that she couldn’t keep pretending she didn’t feel it too.

Taking a shaky breath, she met his gaze. “I think… I think I want that too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with a sincerity that mirrored his own.

Ji-hoon smiled softly, his eyes lighting up as though a weight had been lifted. “Then let’s see where this goes.”

And with those words, the tension broke. Naabi felt something shift between them, like the first crack in a dam that had held back emotions for too long. It was fragile, delicate, but it was real.

As Ji-hoon leaned in, gently brushing his lips against her cheek in a soft, tender kiss, Naabi closed her eyes, her heart racing, her world spinning. It was as if the rain outside had stopped, and the world had faded away, leaving just the two of them—together, at the beginning of something new.

When he pulled away, his eyes searched hers with a quiet intensity. “I won’t rush you, Naabi,” he said, his voice low. “But I hope you know that I’m not going anywhere.”

Naabi nodded, her heart full, her mind racing with possibilities. She didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was exactly where she needed to be.

And as the rain poured outside, Naabi realized that she wasn’t just waiting for her dreams to come true—she was living them, one moment at a time, with Ji-hoon by her side.

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End of Episode 3.

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