Yuri hadn't been counting, in fact, she couldn't care less how many minutes had passed while she was sitting there against Johnny's apartment door with her forehead resting on her knees. The tears no longer flowed, but the sadness remained, accompanied by a feeling of guilt. She tortured herself, imagining how childish she must have acted to avoid him when she should have listened to him, wanted to listen to him, wanted to tell him how she truly felt. She was tired, but she didn't want to go back. Being there made her feel Johnny's presence, and in a way, it comforted her heart.

She was so absorbed in her own world that she barely heard footsteps approaching down the hallway. A shadow fell over the singer as a figure blocked the light from above.

"Um..." a soft voice commented. "Sorry, but... did something happen? Are you locked out? I think you confused the apartments..."

She quickly raised her head, not caring about how she probably looked like a raisin now. Her eyes widened when they met his.

"Oh, Yuri..." Johnny studied her face. "Hey, what happened? Why are you crying...?" He crouched down beside her and, concerned, gently touched her cheeks with his thumbs.

The tears came back instantly. Yuri stretched her arms and suddenly wrapped them around Johnny's shoulders in a tight hug. There was no time for him to react; she pressed her lips against his, and no words were needed for their feelings to be clearly conveyed. Surprised by the unexpected act from the singer, Johnny held her by the waist, and when their eyes met again, he chuckled awkwardly.

"What was that?" he couldn't help but smile.

"Johnny, you idiot, never ask me to find someone else again...!" Yuri's nose and cheeks were red from crying. "You said you love me, so don't give your place in my heart to anyone else...!" She squeezed his shoulders.

"Yuri, I thought you hated me now..."

She couldn't respond right away, her sobs getting in the way, so she quickly shook her head.

"Come on, don't cry..." His smile was incredibly contagious.

"I thought I'd lost you again..." She hid her face in his shoulder. "I'm scared because loving you is hard. I never know what you're thinking...!"

"Wait, what did you say?" He held her by the shoulders to pull her away briefly. "You... Say it again."

His smile faded, replaced by a look of surprise at her words. Yuri, in turn, felt embarrassed but had never felt more courageous than she did at that moment.

"I love you..."

With his right hand, Johnny tucked a strand of Yuri's hair behind her ear, and slowly he leaned in. No permission was needed; he just kissed her again, now with tenderness and calm, savoring every second it lasted. There was a feeling between them that neither had felt in a long time. But it was different, stronger, and more comforting. The fear disappeared, and the worries no longer bothered them like they had moments ago. Their lips pressed against each other in a warm and cozy waltz until Johnny separated them to observe the singer's face.

"What's wrong?"

Clumsily, she smiled, embarrassed by the intensity in his gaze.

"You're so beautiful." The kiss was now placed on the girl's forehead. "If I had known it would be like this, I would have done this sooner." He smiled broadly. "And sober..." he murmured with a low laugh.

That was enough for Yuri to hide again in Johnny's shoulder as she hugged him; it was too embarrassing to look at him now.

"Hey, I want to see your face... What are you ashamed of?"

"It's different to face the person we really like after a kiss. Ah, don't make me say these embarrassing things...!"

"Me? You're the one who came to my door in the middle of the night to say these cheesy things..." He blew out a laugh. "You wanted to seduce me, huh? Eh... What were you thinking, you little naughty one?"

She stood up, her cheeks reddened, wanting to retort, but she hadn't thought of that before and could only stammer and cover her face with her hands.

"Calm down, I'm just kidding..." He also stood up. "But if you want, I want to."

"Stop thinking about this nonsense...!" She pinched Johnny's cheek hard. "I thought you had left, and I got home too late to come earlier, that's all!"

"Ah...!" He made a face of pain. "Okay, okay, I believe you, but shhh...! You'll wake up the neighbors..." He put his finger to his lips.

"Oh! Wait... Why are you going back to your apartment at this hour?" She let go of his cheek.

"I forgot to grab the clothes from the dryer and Jinwoo's toys from the chest."

"What? But you..." She became concerned. "Johnny, were you really going to leave...?"

He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand.

"Yes and no...?" He pouted briefly. "The apartment is still mine, but I'll be gone for a few days."

"Where are you going?"

"Jinwoo is still very young, and he no longer has his father's influence in his life. Don't you think it's wrong to keep him away from his mother too? I still worry about what the media will say if they find out everything about my family, but he's just a boy. That's why I decided to spend a few days at my mom's house so we can all be together, try to be a family again. But at the end of the month... " He smiled slightly. "I'll be going to Australia."

"Where...?" She ended up holding her breath, fighting not to show her feelings.

"My mom suggested it. It wasn't a good idea at first, considering how she gave me the tickets..." He sighed. "But putting that aside, my dad is there. He decided to stay at the family vacation house for a few months and called me during dinner asking me to visit him. It's been a long time since I've seen him, and the last time we didn't part on good terms... You must be imagining how complicated my family is, right?" He chuckled softly.

"No, I mean, a little, yes..." She forced an upbeat expression. "But you'll be able to make things right with your dad. That's good, right?"

"Yes..." He raised an eyebrow, staring at the singer.

Yuri smiled, but behind that smile was the overwhelming desire to beg him to stay by her side and not leave. She pressed her lips together, trying as hard as she could not to show her true feelings. She had confessed, and he had reciprocated, so why would he abandon her again?

"Hey, hey..." He touched her shoulders. "I'm not leaving, it will only be a few days." He smiled. "I promised Jinwoo I wouldn't leave him alone again. I would never break my promise, so we'll stay at my mom's house until the end of the month, and I'll come back here when I'm back in Korea." He caressed her hair. "I won't leave you, I just confirmed that I love you, why would I do that?"

She bit her lip as she heard his words.

"I'm going to miss you..." She lowered her head, embarrassed.

Johnny could swear his heart was about to jump out of his chest at that moment. He quickly approached and gently kissed the singer's cheek. As soon as he had her attention again, he lovingly placed small kisses all over her face.

"My Yuri is so cute." He smiled widely. "I'm going to miss you too." He raised two fingers. "We still have two weeks, it'll be fine. So let's make the most of our time together while we can, okay?"

She nodded.

"But we have to be careful..." she murmured, still blushing from his words. "My manager will kill us if she finds out we're... Ah!" She stopped herself from finishing.

"What?"

Her face was a mix of embarrassment and confusion.

"We're what?" Johnny laughed. "Were you going to say we're dating?"

Teasing Yuri was so fun that Johnny found himself considering it might become his new hobby.

"So, are we dating now?" He continued. "Come on, Yuri, if you don't tell me what you want, I won't know." He crossed his arms.

"You're loving messing with this, aren't you?" She poked his ribs hard.

"Ah!" He laughed, covering his stomach with his hands. "It was just a joke, no need to get so mad." He stuck out his tongue.

"Hmph..."

"So... Do you want to date me?" He simply asked.

She measured him, looking for the certainty that he was serious now.

"Stop with the jokes." She pouted.

With a mischievous smile, Johnny trapped her against the wall with his arms. The lack of space made her embarrassed, but his seductive expression kept her captivated in his gaze, secretly wishing he would continue whatever he was planning to do.

"I asked if you want to date me." He touched her chin. "Come on, yes or no?"

Her mind told her to run, but her heart just wanted her to kiss him right now. With some, but not too much, hesitation, Yuri tilted her head and gave him a long peck on the lips.

"Yes... I want to." She blushed slightly.

Johnny couldn't be happier in that moment, and if he could, he would take her inside his apartment to talk more, but it was late, she looked tired, and he still needed to go back to his mom's house.

Yuri, by her own choice, helped him pack the last of his clothes and accompanied him to the elevator. She never thought she would hate saying goodbye, even if it was just for them to go sleep. She wanted to spend more time with him, to make up for the hours she had avoided him and the years she had spent nurturing her love while thinking it was hatred.

"I'll call you later, you better answer this time." He made a face. "It hurt to be ignored like that, you know?"

"I'm sorry..." She smiled. "I promise I'll answer and reply to all your messages from now on."

"Hm..." He pouted.

"What's wrong?"

"Goodbye kiss." He stayed pouting. "I want one."

She laughed as she brought her face closer to his and gave him a peck.

"Is that all?" He looked disappointed.

"If you want more, come get it tomorrow." She laughed. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Ah, I think I just fell in love all over again."

"Stop it, and go, it's late...!"

They said goodbye with laughter and warm hearts. For a long time, they both lived with regrets from the past and rejections from life. They had felt excluded and abandoned for a long time. However, if anyone asked them now, they would definitely say they wouldn't change a thing about what had happened to them."I'm going to miss you..." She lowered her head, embarrassed.

Johnny could swear his heart was about to jump out of his chest at that moment. He quickly approached and gently kissed the singer's cheek. As soon as he had her attention again, he lovingly placed small kisses all over her face.

"My Yuri is so cute." He smiled widely. "I'm going to miss you too." He raised two fingers. "We still have two weeks, it'll be fine. So let's make the most of our time together while we can, okay?"

She nodded.

"But we have to be careful..." she murmured, still blushing from his words. "My manager will kill us if she finds out we're... Ah!" She stopped herself from finishing.

"What?"

Her face was a mix of embarrassment and confusion.

"We're what?" Johnny laughed. "Were you going to say we're dating?"

Teasing Yuri was so fun that Johnny found himself considering it might become his new hobby.

"So, are we dating now?" He continued. "Come on, Yuri, if you don't tell me what you want, I won't know." He crossed his arms.

"You're loving messing with this, aren't you?" She poked his ribs hard.

"Ah!" He laughed, covering his stomach with his hands. "It was just a joke, no need to get so mad." He stuck out his tongue.

"Hmph..."

"So... Do you want to date me?" He simply asked.

She measured him, looking for the certainty that he was serious now.

"Stop with the jokes." She pouted.

With a mischievous smile, Johnny trapped her against the wall with his arms. The lack of space made her embarrassed, but his seductive expression kept her captivated in his gaze, secretly wishing he would continue whatever he was planning to do.

"I asked if you want to date me." He touched her chin. "Come on, yes or no?"

Her mind told her to run, but her heart just wanted her to kiss him right now. With some, but not too much, hesitation, Yuri tilted her head and gave him a long peck on the lips.

"Yes... I want to." She blushed slightly.

Johnny couldn't be happier in that moment, and if he could, he would take her inside his apartment to talk more, but it was late, she looked tired, and he still needed to go back to his mom's house.

Yuri, by her own choice, helped him pack the last of his clothes and accompanied him to the elevator. She never thought she would hate saying goodbye, even if it was just for them to go sleep. She wanted to spend more time with him, to make up for the hours she had avoided him and the years she had spent nurturing her love while thinking it was hatred.

"I'll call you later, you better answer this time." He made a face. "It hurt to be ignored like that, you know?"

"I'm sorry..." She smiled. "I promise I'll answer and reply to all your messages from now on."

"Hm..." He pouted.

"What's wrong?"

"Goodbye kiss." He stayed pouting. "I want one."

She laughed as she brought her face closer to his and gave him a peck.

"Is that all?" He looked disappointed.

"If you want more, come get it tomorrow." She laughed. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Ah, I think I just fell in love all over again."

"Stop it, and go, it's late...!"

They said goodbye with laughter and warm hearts. For a long time, they both lived with regrets from the past and rejections from life. They had felt excluded and abandoned for a long time. However, if anyone asked them now, they would definitely say they wouldn't change a thing about what had happened to them.