inseparable︱𝐉𝐉𝐊 ✓

❥ 𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

꧁‿︵‿︵♥‿︵‿︵꧂

JJ - 18

Jieun and I tried to act normal in the weeks after that night in the kitchen, but it felt like we were constantly tiptoeing around each other. Our conversations had forced laughter and awkward silences, and every shared glance seemed burdened with the memory of what we almost did. It was like we were both scared to admit how things had changed.

She became distant, her usual teasing had changed into politeness that made my chest ache. Even when we did talk, it felt like she was holding something back, her eyes wary and guarded. I tried to pretend like everything was fine, but the strain was obvious. We avoided being alone together, and when we were, it was agonizing.

Yoojung, my girlfriend, was another problem. She never noticed the tension between Jieun and me, and her presence only strained things. Jieun was reluctant and cool whenever she was around, her smiles all fake ones.

My 18th birthday was weird. The house was full, though it didn't feel the same as the other ones. I should have felt happy, but all I could think about was how distant my sister had been.

When she handed me her gift—a watch I had mentioned wanting months ago—I had been taken aback by the thoughtfulness. However, the hug that followed was different. It was quick, almost superficial.

Despite everything, I missed her terribly. I missed our late-night talks, our jokes, our playful teasing, and the way she could always make me laugh. The distance between us was suffocating, and I longed for the days when things were simpler before everything had gotten so complicated. It was hard to focus on anything else, and I was constantly thinking about her, even when she was right there in front of me.

One evening, I was sitting in the living room when she came home from a date with a guy she had been seeing. She looked different—more grown-up, and maybe a little sad. She didn't say much, just mumbled a quick "good night" before heading upstairs.

I watched her go, and part of me was glad she was seeing someone, hoping it might distract her from the same thing I was trying to deal with. But another part of me felt an intense pang of jealousy.

It wasn't just that Jieun was dating someone—it was that she was going on her first real date, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. The guy seemed decent enough; just the thought of her being with someone else killed me. I hated the way my mind would wander, picturing them together, wondering if he made her laugh like I used to, if he noticed the little things about her that I always did.

If he had kissed her the way I taught her to.

As I sat in the living room that night, the TV on but my mind elsewhere, I replayed the last few months in my head. Every moment seemed to blur together—our awkward exchanges, the fake smiles, and the silent, stolen glances. Yoojung had been a distraction, a way to try and forget about everything, but it hadn't worked. If anything, it had only made things worse.