kpop Girl Groups X Reader

We cant be friends • KGE

Male Reader X Kim Ga Eul (IVE)

Genre: Angst

Words: 718
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The autumn leaves of Gaeul-dong, a poetic allusion to Kim Gaeul's own name, rustled under a sky fading into the cool hues of early evening. Seoul was a city that never truly slept, but in this brief intermission between day and night, it seemed to hold its breath. In the heart of the city, Kim Gaeul stood before the window of a quaint second-floor café, her gaze lost in the collage of orange and red foliage that lined the streets below.

Y/n, however, had his eyes fixed on the papers scattered across the table, his hand moving in a relentless dance across his sketchpad. He was a burgeoning artist, his soul spilled into ink and watercolor, but of late, his muse had been as tumultuous as the winds that heralded winter's approach.

"You haven't said a word since we sat down," Gaeul's voice cut through the silence, a hint of frustration lacing her usually gentle tone.

"It's nothing," Y/n muttered, not looking up from his work.

Gaeul sighed, "It's not nothing. You've been... distant. Ever since the gallery opening last week."

The gallery opening—a showcase of young, emerging talent—had been a triumph for Y/n, but a fissure in their relationship. A journalist had misconstrued Gaeul's role in Y/n's life, painting her as a mere groupie in an article that had gone viral among Seoul's art circles.

"I didn't think you'd understand me," Y/n finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The way they talked about you, about us... How could you ever even try?"

"Because I know you," Gaeul retorted, "I know your heart, Y/n. But you're letting their words become this... monstrous fire between us."

Y/n dropped his pen, meeting her eyes for the first time that evening, "I don't wanna argue, Gaeul. I just... I thought I'd rather die than see you hurt because of me, because of this stupid fame."

"You think I care about that?" Her voice wavered, "I care about us, Y/n. But it feels like you're pushing me away."

"I don't know how to fix this," he confessed, his hands clenching into fists.

"Maybe we don't need to fix anything. Maybe we just need to let this story die, as you put it," Gaeul said, her voice a mix of sadness and resolve.

Y/n's gaze fell again, "We can't be friends, not with all this tension. But I'd like to just pretend, for a moment, that everything's okay."

Gaeul took a deep breath, the air heavy with unspoken words, "You cling to your papers and pens, Y/n, but I'm here, waiting for you to look at me the way you used to."

"I'm afraid," he admitted, "Afraid that if I let you in again, you'll see how much you mean to me and you'll run away."

"That's my decision to make, isn't it?" Gaeul challenged, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I've been waiting for your love, and I'll continue to wait. Because despite it all, I believe in us."

Y/n's hands relaxed, and he tentatively reached across the table, offering his palm to Gaeul. She met him halfway, their fingers intertwining with a cautious hope.

"We sit in silence, but it's not uncomfortable. It's just... us," Gaeul whispered, her thumb stroking the back of his hand.

Y/n chuckled, a short, disbelieving sound, "You got me misunderstood, Gaeul. Here I thought I was protecting you, but it seems you're the one protecting me."

"It's not about protection, Y/n. It's about being there for one another, even when the night feels endless," she replied softly.

They sat together, the world outside continuing its relentless march, as they found a fragile peace within the bubble of their intertwined fingers. The monstrous fire that had threatened to consume them now flickered weakly, a testament to their resilience.

"We can't be friends," Y/n echoed her earlier words, a bitter acknowledgment of the complex threads that bound them.

"But I'd like to just pretend," Gaeul finished for him, a delicate smile curving her lips.

As the café began to fill with the murmurs of the night crowd, Kim Gaeul and Y/n remained in their quiet corner.