A soft, radiant smile spread across her face, filled with wonder and certainty.
"So this is what being in love feels like," Elena thought, giggling softly to herself as the realization settled in her chest.
There were still many things she didn't fully understand, questions without neat answers, but her new friends had unanimously advised her not to rush.
Love, they said, was not something to be forced or dissected until it broke. It was something to be lived, step by step, allowed to unfold at its own pace.
Elena liked that idea.
For the first time in days, she found herself genuinely looking forward to seeing Jin Di again. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, and tell him clearly, without confusion or hesitation, that she loved him.
Then a small thread of insecurity crept in, winding itself around her heart.
They hadn't seen or spoken to each other in so long. What if things had changed? What if he didn't feel the same anymore?
Her eyes sharpened with sudden resolve.
