"Do you think you can help me get her number?" Jake asks while the two of you are sprawled across the living room floor, textbooks, and notes scattered around you. It's a typical evening, studying together after a long day of classes.
You pause, looking up from your notes. He looks at you with a hopeful expression and you dread the idea of rejecting his request even if it breaks your own heart.
You can feel your heart sink as you meet Jake's hopeful gaze. His question catches you off guard, and for a moment, you struggle to find the right words.
Swallowing hard, you offer a gentle smile, trying to buy yourself a little time. "What do you want me to do?"
Jake lets out a relieved sigh, clearly appreciating your willingness to at least consider his request. "Well, you know how to make people comfortable so I thought you could help."
You sigh, biting your bottom lip to stop yourself from revealing too much of your pan and jealousy. "Do you have any classes together?"
He pauses, leaning back on his chair while staring at you with an unreadable expression. "She's in my psychology class, and I've seen her at the campus art gallery a few times."
"Maybe you can talk about art. Since you've seen her at the gallery, you could ask her about her favorite artists or if there's a particular art piece that stood out to her."
"Yeah?" He folds his arms over his chest and frowns. "Aren't you happy for me?"
Your heart skips a beat at his question. "What? What makes you think that?" you manage to ask, trying to sound genuinely curious while internally fighting your emotions.
"I don't know, it's just... you seem a bit distant about this whole thing. I thought you'd be excited or something."
"No, of course, I'm excited for you. You're going to meet her and potentially date her. That's cool." You say, forcing a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes.
Jake's frown lessens slightly, but he still seems uncertain. "Are you sure? You've been acting a little off since I mentioned her."
You shift uncomfortably in your seat, feeling like you're caught in a spotlight. Then you let out a nervous laugh and say, "Honestly, I think I'm just being silly. It's not every day my best friend starts getting close to someone new, so I guess I'm just adjusting."
"You don't have to worry, okay? You're still my best friend, and that won't change. And who knows, maybe you'll like her too once you get to know her."
You nod and give him a faint smile. Days pass and Jake manages to get Yoona's phone number, making you feel worse and worse. You've met her once, she's beautiful, funny, and everything that you're not feeling right now – confident, secure, and at ease with yourself.
The green monster of jealousy gnaws at you, making it hard to focus on anything else. You start distancing yourself from him and finding excuses to spend less time together.
So, one day, he stands at your door and you take a deep breath, avoiding his eyes. "What's wrong with you?" You hear him say while you fidget with the edge of your shirt.
"What do you mean?" You reply, your voice slightly shaky as you glance up at Jake.
"You're avoiding me." He crosses his arms, his tone a blend of exasperation and worry. "It's been two weeks and you're barely around anymore."
"I'm not avoiding you, Jake, I'm just busy." He sighs, looking around with his tongue pressed against his cheek.
"Busy? Really? Because it seems like you've been going out of your way to avoid me."
"Do you expect me to be by your side 24/7?" you snap, your frustration coming through in your tone. The words hang in the air, and you immediately regret your outburst.
He frowns, taken aback by your harsh tone. "Well, I'm sorry for being a nuisance to you. You've been acting like being around me is some sort of chore."
"That's not what I-"
"You can't spare even a minute to talk to your so-called best friend?" He looks at you and you look down, trying not to let your anger overwhelm you. "You know what, never mind. Maybe I was wrong about us being best friends. Clearly, I don't matter as much as I thought-"
"You have a girlfriend now-"
"She's not even my girlfriend!" He corrects you, his voice slightly raised as he interrupts. "We're just getting to know each other, and you're making all these assumptions!"
"She will be! Don't you understand? It's not the same as before! The two of you will spend all this time together, and I'll just be left behind!" You blurt out, your voice laced with hurt and frustration.
Jake's expression shifts from confusion to realization. He takes a step closer to you, his eyes slightly wide. "Wait, Y/N... are you jealous of Yoona?"
The tears well up in your eyes and you hide your face in your hands, completely overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that has been building up inside you. Without hesitating, he pulls you into his embrace while you cry on his shoulder.
The feeling of his hand gently stroking your hair brings you comfort and soothes your troubled heart. "I was scared that you'll start neglecting me so I avoided you first because I thought I won't fit in your life the same way a-anymore."
Jake's grip on you tightens, and he pulls back slightly to look you in the eyes. "Sunshine, look at me."
"N-no..." You shake your head but the next thing he does is pull you inside the house, closing the door before he makes you sit on the couch and kneels in front of you. "Don't look at me, I'm embarrassed."
"No, I should be the one who's embarrassed because I'm about to confess something I should have told you earlier." He says and you look at him, letting his thumb wipe away your tears gently. "I've been an idiot, right? Trying to move on with someone else knowing that you're the only one my heart has ever truly belonged to."
Your heart skips a beat while his words sink in. "Jake..."
"I thought by distracting myself with someone new, I could move on from what I thought was just a crush. But the truth is, the more I tried, the more I realized that my heart wasn't really letting go." He smiles a little as he looks down, intertwining his fingers with yours. "You're the one who's had my heart all along. See? Even our fingers fit together perfectly."
Your heart is about to burst out of your chest. You've waited for this moment, and now that it's here, you can hardly believe it.
"I'm sorry I made you cry, sunshine. You're the most precious thing to me, and I never wanted to be the reason behind your tears." He kisses your forehead, smiling softly. "So what are we now?"
"Friends to lovers?" You say and he pauses, his smile widening.
"That's why you like reading friends-to-lovers novels? Life imitates art?" He tilts his head and kisses your knuckles while his fingers remain entwined with yours. "Whoever's writing our story is doing a pretty good job, don't you think?"
You lean into his touch, feeling the warmth of his hand in yours. "It's better than any book I've ever read."
