Seong-je

The door slammed shut behind him. Geum Seong-je stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, wearing that expression that mixed annoyance with pride. You were sitting on the sofa, arms crossed, not even looking at him.

"Are you going to keep making that face?" he asked in a low voice, as if the situation were a simple misunderstanding.

"It's not a face. It's reality," you replied without looking up.

He snorted, walking towards you with slow steps.
—Look, it's not what you think. It was a mistake, okay? Just one. It doesn't mean anything.

"A mistake you chose," you said harshly, looking up.

For the first time, her confidence wavered. She swallowed, looking away, but a second later she flashed that lopsided smile again, as if she could still control the situation.
—Come on, you know that nobody matters to me like you do.

The silence grew heavy. You didn't give in, you didn't move. That smile of his slowly faded. He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated, and finally took another step, leaning towards you.

—Tell me what you want me to do. Hm? Say it.

You didn't answer. And that's when the unexpected happened: Seong-je literally swallowed his pride and knelt before you.

"Look at me," his voice cracked, though he tried to keep it steady. "I know I'm an idiot. I know I screwed up... but I'm not going to lose you over this."

His hands rested on your knees, not daring to touch you completely, as if he was afraid you would push him away.

"Tell me I still have a chance, even a tiny one. I'm not going to let it go," she whispered, her eyes shining with a mixture of stubbornness and desperation.

And for the first time, Geum Seong-je didn't seem like the arrogant, self-assured guy he always was. Instead, he seemed like someone who, even on his knees, was trying to offer you the crumbs of remorse he had so that you would forgive him.