LET THE WORLD BURN || P.SH X K.SN

F O U R T E E N

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE PAST WE HATED

'PARK SUNGHOON'

Sitting across from Sunoo, I could tell something was up. He had this giddy look on his face, practically buzzing with excitement, and that always meant one thing: news that I probably wasn’t going to like. I tried to focus on my meal, pretending I didn’t notice the way he was squirming in his seat.

"Guess what?" Sunoo blurted out, his voice full of excitement.

I raised an eyebrow, hoping it was something harmless, but deep down, I had a feeling it wasn’t. "What?" I asked, bracing myself. Please don’t let it be what I think it is.

"Eun-suk asked me out!" Sunoo practically squealed, his eyes lighting up like a kid who just got asked to prom by his crush.

Immediately, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. My smile faltered, and I had to quickly plaster on a fake one before Sunoo noticed. "Oh… that’s… great. Congratulations, bitch, I’m so happy for you!" I forced out, trying to match his excitement. But inside, I was seething, the jealousy swirling in my chest like a storm I couldn’t control.

Sunoo started talking about Eun-suk, his words blending together as I tried to process the news. Eun-suk. Of all people, it had to be him. My mind raced, a familiar frustration building up. I was jealous. Again. But this wasn’t anything new—it was always like this. Every single time Sunoo got close to someone, every time he found someone new to date, it was like a knife to my gut. And I hated it. I hated how I felt, hated that I couldn’t just be happy for him like a best friend should be. But the truth was, I didn’t want to be just his best friend. I wanted to be more. I had always wanted more.

But what could I do? Sunoo wasn’t mine. He was just my best friend, and that was the most infuriating part of it all. No matter how much I wanted him, no matter how many times I’d imagined us being together, that wasn’t the reality. I was stuck on the sidelines, watching him fall for other guys while I smiled through the pain.

Sunoo kept talking, going on about how sweet and thoughtful Eun-suk was, but I could barely hear him. All I could think about was how this was just like the last time… and the time before that. I felt my hand tighten around my fork as I forced myself to nod and smile at the right moments, pretending like I cared about what he was saying.

After we finished our meal, I drove him home. He was still talking about Eun-suk when I dropped him off at his place, waving as he disappeared through his front door. As soon as he was gone, I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. I needed a drink.

I ended up at a bar, sitting alone at the counter. The bartender gave me a sympathetic nod as I ordered something strong, and I downed the drink as soon as it was placed in front of me. The alcohol burned, but it didn’t do much to numb the ache in my chest. I stared into the glass, swirling the liquid around as my thoughts drifted back to Sunoo. To Eun-suk.

“It’s fine,” I muttered to myself, leaning my elbows on the counter. “They’ll break up soon. They always do.”

I had been through this before—this was nothing new. Eun-suk was Sunoo’s fifth boyfriend. The fifth one I’d had to watch him fall for, the fifth one I had to pretend to be okay with. But none of the others lasted. Sunoo’s relationships always ended in disaster, and I’d been there to pick up the pieces every single time.

I couldn’t help but think back to his first boyfriend. The one who… I winced, remembering the day we found out he’d jumped off the school rooftop. That memory still haunted me, still left a pit in my stomach whenever I thought about it. Sunoo had been devastated, and I hadn’t known how to help him then, other than just being there.

And then there was the one who cheated on him with the most popular girl in school. I remembered how Sunoo had cried that day, how he had crumpled into my arms, completely broken. I wanted to kill the guy for hurting him like that, but instead, I’d held Sunoo close, promising him that everything would be okay, even if I didn’t believe it myself.

Now, here I was again, stuck in the same cycle. Sunoo was happy—at least for now—and I was left feeling like an outsider in his life. But I told myself it was okay. This relationship would end, just like the others had. And when it did, I’d be there for him again, just like always.

Maybe then… maybe he’d finally realize that I was the one who had been by his side through it all. Maybe, after all the heartbreak and all the tears, Sunoo would be mine.

WHO WANTS SMUT IN THIS BOOK? IDK HOW I WILL WRITE THAT BUT I WILL TRY