Chapter 30: Quiet Moments
The night felt softer than usual.
Lucia noticed it as soon as she stepped into Jin's apartment. The lights were dimmed, not dramatically, just enough to make the space feel calm. A small speaker sat on the windowsill, low music humming gently in the background. The city outside was still awake, but distant—muted, like it knew not to interrupt.
"You've changed the vibe," Lucia said, slipping off her shoes.
Jin smiled. "Too much?"
"No," she said honestly. "It's nice. Peaceful."
He nodded, relieved. "I needed quiet tonight. Thought you might too."
She did.
They sat on the floor near the window, backs against the couch, knees bent. Jin handed her one earbud while keeping the other for himself.
"Trust me," he said. "This song feels like… breathing."
She pressed play.
The music was slow, gentle, full of warmth. Not sad. Not loud. Just present.
Lucia closed her eyes.
For a while, they didn't talk.
They didn't need to.
After the song ended, Lucia smiled. "Okay. That was actually perfect."
Jin chuckled. "Told you."
She leaned her head back against the couch. "I don't usually listen to music like that."
"I know," he said. "That's why I wanted to share it."
She glanced at him. "You notice things."
He shrugged lightly. "I try."
That answer stayed with her.
They took turns playing songs—some old R&B favorites of Lucia's, some Korean indie tracks Jin loved. He explained lyrics slowly, carefully, while she teased him about dramatic melodies.
"This song sounds like someone crying in the rain," she said.
"It's emotional," he defended.
"It's dramatic."
He laughed. "You love it."
She smiled. "Maybe a little."
At some point, Jin stood up and brought back two mugs of tea. He handed one to her without asking how she took it.
Honey. Just like always.
Her chest warmed.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"You're welcome."
They sipped slowly, shoulders occasionally brushing. Each touch was small. Natural. Comfortable.
Lucia realized she wasn't tense. She wasn't waiting for something to happen.
She was just… there.
Later, they started talking about childhood memories.
"Did you ever get in trouble for talking too much in class?" Lucia asked.
Jin laughed. "Constantly. My teachers used to move my seat every week."
"I knew it," she said, pointing at him. "You look like a quiet troublemaker."
"What about you?" he asked.
She smiled. "I pretended I wasn't listening, but I always was."
"That explains a lot."
They shared inside jokes—references to the baking challenge, the grape notes, the first time they bumped into each other at the fair.
Lucia laughed so hard at one point she had to wipe her eyes.
"I don't laugh like this with many people," she admitted.
Jin looked at her, expression soft. "Me neither."
Silence settled between them again—not awkward, not heavy.
Comfortable.
He leaned his head back against the couch. "Do you ever think about how weird it is… that two strangers can slowly become this?"
She nodded. "Yeah. And how it doesn't feel rushed. Or forced."
He smiled slightly. "Just… intentional."
One grape at a time.
Lucia shifted slightly, her knee brushing his. She didn't move away.
Neither did he.
Their closeness wasn't loud or obvious. It was quiet. Intentional. Safe.
She realized something important then.
This intimacy—the sharing, the laughter, the stillness—it felt deeper than anything physical ever had.
No pressure.
No expectations.
Just presence.
As the night grew later, Jin yawned softly. "We should probably sleep."
"Probably," Lucia agreed, though she didn't move right away.
They stood slowly, lingering for a moment near the door.
"Tonight was nice," she said.
He nodded. "Yeah. It really was."
They stood there, close but not touching, the space between them charged with unspoken emotion.
Not longing.
Not urgency.
Just warmth.
"Good night, Luce," he said gently.
"Good night, Jin."
She stepped into the hallway, heart full.
As she walked back to her apartment, Lucia smiled to herself.
Love didn't always shout.
Sometimes it whispered.
Through shared songs.Through inside jokes.Through quiet moments that asked for nothing—but gave everything.
And with Jin, those quiet moments were becoming her favorite part of everything.
One grape at a time. 🍇✨