𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞; 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭
𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴; 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣.
romance, comedy, drama
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"You don't understand, because if I spend any more time with...
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Sunghoon & Nari
The group boarded the bus in Milan, heading toward Venice. The seats were spacious, giving them plenty of room to relax and talk. Moon Nari found herself sitting next to Bora, while Jake and Sunghoon settled in across from them. The excitement of being in Italy buzzed through the air as their classmates filled the seats around them.
As the bus rumbled to life, Sunghoon suggested they play a game to pass the time. "How about Never Have I Ever?" he proposed, earning nods and cheers of agreement.
Sunghoon uncapped a few beer bottles and poured the golden liquid into plastic cups. He handed one to each player: Bora, Jake, Iseul (a girl known for her obsession with Sunghoon), Aera (another girl with a crush on Sunghoon), and finally, Nari. When he offered her a cup, she declined politely. "I don't drink," she said, her voice firm but gentle.
Iseul and Aera exchanged judgmental looks, but Sunghoon just smiled and poured juice into a cup for her. "No problem, Nari. Here you go," he said, handing it to her with a reassuring wink.
Jake kicked off the game with a grin. "Never have I ever... peed in public."
Laughter erupted as people either took a sip or laughed at the confessions around them. Bora was next, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Never have I ever... drunk so much I forgot what happened the night before."
The group chuckled, and several took a drink. Then it was Iseul's turn. "Never have I ever... kissed someone," she said, her eyes flicking to Sunghoon.
As the game continued, Nari felt increasingly out of place. She hadn't experienced any of these things. The laughter and shared stories made her feel more like an outsider with each round. Finally, she decided she'd had enough.
"I'm going to sit somewhere else. I'm tired," she said, standing up. Sunghoon gave her a sad look and tried to convince her to stay, but she shook her head and moved to an empty seat near the front of the bus. She could still hear their laughter and banter from where she sat, wishing she could be a part of it.
Nari stared out the window, lost in thought. This wasn't the first time she had felt left out. In school, there had been countless moments when she felt like an outsider looking in. There was the time when she wasn't invited to Bora's big birthday party, even though the whole class was there, or when she overheard classmates making plans right in front of her, not bothering to include her. No one liked "perfect" Nari, the girl who never stepped out of line.
She thought this trip would be different, a chance to break free from her parents' expectations and experience life on her own terms. But here she was, feeling the same loneliness she had felt back home. The trip wasn't off to the start she had hoped for.
As she watched the Italian countryside roll by, Nari couldn't shake the sense of isolation. She wanted to be part of the group, to laugh and share stories. But she didn't know how to bridge the gap between who she was and who they were.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ
By the time they made it to their pit stop, night had fallen. The bus was filled with the soft hum of sleeping passengers, the excitement of the day giving way to exhaustion. Moon Nari slipped out quietly, making her way to the restroom and then to the small store nearby to buy a bottle of water.
As she stepped out of the store, she was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. Looking to her right, she saw Sunghoon leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers. Their eyes met, and after a moment's hesitation, Nari walked over to him.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hey, Quark Nari," he greeted her with a warm smile, surprising her with how comfortable it felt.
"I didn't know you smoked," she remarked, eyeing the cigarette.
"Huh, weird. I thought you would've noticed since I probably reek of it," he replied, grinning.
She laughed softly. "No, no, you smell almost sweet."
He chuckled at her comment, taking another puff. The scent of the smoke reached her, making her scrunch her nose. Seeing her reaction, Sunghoon extended the cigarette toward her. "Want to try?"
Nari stuttered and declined, "No, no."
"Yeah, yeah, I thought so," he said, his tone teasing but kind.
Feeling a sudden urge to break out of her shell, Nari reconsidered. She never did anything daring; maybe this was her chance. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to try," she thought. As Sunghoon was about to take another drag, she took the cigarette from his hand and brought it to her lips.
The bitter, strong taste hit her instantly, and she pulled it away, coughing hard. Sunghoon laughed, watching her struggle. "How do you inhale that stuff?" she managed to ask between coughs.
"It's an acquired taste," he said, still laughing. "You're a brave one, Quark Nari."
"Thanks, I guess," she replied with a smile, feeling a mix of embarrassment and pride.
After her coughing fit subsided, they made eye contact and burst into laughter under the starlit sky, in a random town in Italy. For a moment, there was no worry about the future, no thoughts of the past—just the shared, carefree company of each other.
"See? That wasn't so bad," Sunghoon said, still chuckling.
Nari smiled, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. "Yeah, maybe not," she admitted.
They stood there for a while longer, the night air wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. "You know, Nari, it's nice to see you doing something for yourself," Sunghoon said, his tone gentle. "I always thought you were too hard on yourself."
Nari looked at him, surprised by his sincerity. "Really? I thought you all just saw me as the perfect, boring girl."
Sunghoon shook his head. "Not at all. You're smart and dedicated, but there's more to you than just that. I'm glad you came on this trip."
She felt warmth spread through her chest at his words. "Thanks, Sunghoon. It means a lot to hear that."
"Anytime," he said, his eyes twinkling. "So, how does it feel doing something for yourself for once?"
"It feels... freeing," she said, thinking about it. "Like I'm finally stepping out of a cage."
"That's good. You deserve to feel free," he said softly.
They shared a comfortable silence, looking up at the stars. Nari felt a sense of camaraderie growing between them, a budding friendship that made her feel less alone.
"Ready to head back?" Sunghoon asked after a while.
"Yeah," Nari replied, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.
As they walked back to the bus, side by side, Nari couldn't help but feel that this trip was going to be different. It was the beginning of something new, something she had been yearning for without even realizing it. Sunghoon's presence was comforting, and for the first time, she felt like she belonged.
