Sunoo
"Oh, come on, you don't mean that." He frowns and crosses his arms while I lean on the couch, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Oh yeah? Watch me do it for real-"
"Y/N, I'm not kidding." I gulp at the tone of his voice. He's mad.
"Well, I'm not kidding either. I don't mind failing." I really don't. My parents are too busy with their work and the only thing that would catch their attention is their beloved daughter failing.
Failing isn't a word that exists in this darn family, but I'll be the one introducing it.
"But I mind." He raises his voice and I stand up, approaching him. "You don't think about me?"
"Do you have anything to do with this? This is my own life, my own problems-"
"Yeah? Then what about me? I've been dreaming of going to college with you and now you say you're going to fail on purpose?"
You tighten your jaw. "I never said I wanted to go to college, you can go alone-"
"I can't!" He yells, and you freeze. His eyes are red and glistening and it makes you gulp. "I don't want to! Because I love you and I want to do this with you!"
His words hit me like a sudden gust of wind, knocking the breath out of me. I stare at him, his vulnerable expression etched with pain and desperation. For a moment, I'm at a loss for words.
The reality of his feelings sinks and I realize how selfish I am. My decision is not just about me, it's about the impact it will have on those who care about me. And the person standing in front of me, pouring out his heart, is the one who loves me most.
My hardened facade begins to crumble as I reach out and gently touch his cheek. "I'm... sorry. I didn't know."
He grabs my hand, holding it against his cheek. "Please... I want us to be together. I want to look to my side and found you there. I want to be with you, Y/N. Don't give up on me."
Jungwon
"Where have you been?" Jungwon stops you at the entrance of the school, concern etched across his face. You sigh, looking away, your heart heavy with guilt.
"I've been sick." You lie, hoping you can get out of the situation. But he grabs your hand and pulls you with him to a quiet corner.
"Your mother said you didn't want to see me."
You swallow hard. "It's none of your business."
The hurt in his eyes is evident as he tries to make sense of your response. His voice remains calm, but there's a hint of sadness in it.
"Y/N, we've always been honest with each other. I care about you, and your well-being is my concern. Please, talk to me. Let me understand what's going on."
You can tell he's frustrated from the way he's holding your wrist. "Why do you even care? It's not like we'll be friends forever-"
"Y/N!" He raises his voice and you look away.
"How can you think that our friendship doesn't matter? You mean the world to me, and I thought I meant something to you too."
A surge of emotions washes over you, overpowering your pride and pushing aside the barriers you've erected.
Tears well up in your eyes as you turn to face him, finally letting him see the vulnerability you've been hiding.
"I'm sorry, okay?" Your voice trembles with regret as you meet Jungwon's gaze, your tears silently streaming down your face. "I never meant to hurt you or make you doubt our friendship. I... I've been going through a lot, and I didn't know how to handle it."
He reaches out, gently brushing away your tears with his thumb, his touch warm and comforting. "I understand that you've been struggling, but shutting me off like this will not make things better. I want to be there for you."
You nod, your voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry, I don't want to lose y-you."
His eyes soften. "You won't lose me, Y/N. I care about you too much to let that happen. But we need to be open and honest with each other. That's how we can truly support one another."
Niki
"What are you looking at?" You roll your eyes and he scoffs.
"Me? Looking at you? You wish."
"You think this is some kind of joke?" Niki's voice grows sharp, tinged with bitterness. "You think I poured my heart out to you just to be ridiculed? Is that how little you think of me?"
Your initial defiance wavers as you see the pain etched across Niki's face.
"I didn't mean it like that," You mutter, your voice softening with remorse. "It's just... it's hard for me to process this all at once. I never knew you felt this way."
Niki lets out a bitter laugh, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And why would you? I've spent so long keeping it hidden, pretending that my heart doesn't ache every time I see you with someone else. But I can't do it anymore. I had to let you know."
The anger had shifted into a fragile dance of vulnerability and confusion.
"You can't dismiss this, Y/N. Don't you see? I'm pouring my soul out to you, baring everything, and all I get in return is you making fun-?"
"I'm not making fun of you!" You raise your voice and he freezes. "I'm sorry if it seemed that way, I never intended to belittle your feelings or make light of what you're going through. It's just... I never expected this. And it caught me off guard."
"Why would it take you off guard?" He mutters.
"Maybe because I've liked you for so long and never believed that you'd ever love someone like me?"
The room falls into a heavy silence as his gaze searches your face, searching for any hint of deception. But all he finds is sincerity.
"You... you like me?" Niki stammers, his voice barely above a whisper.
You nod, smiling bitterly before he runs to you, wrapping his arms around your figure.
Feeling the warmth of Niki's embrace, you wrap your arms around him, holding him close.
"I never thought... I never allowed myself to hope that you could feel the same way. It seemed too good to be true."
