s.jy || falling for the starboy.

chapter 19: he'll make this work

first person pov.

another day at university, and as i walked out of the lecture hall, i felt the familiar weight of exhaustion settle on my shoulders. classes had been dragging, and with the looming shadows of the dispatch article, i tried to push my worries aside.

jiah walked beside me, her phone in hand, scrolling through social media. her energy always seemed to lift my spirits, and today was no different.

“hey, restroom stop?” jiah nudged me, a playful grin on her face.

“sure,” i replied, grateful for the distraction.

we headed to the nearest restroom, and as jiah ducked into a stall, i stood in front of the mirror, retouching my makeup. my hands trembled slightly as i applied some setting powder and lip gloss.

i couldn’t shake the nervousness from earlier, especially with the recent rumors swirling around.

as i finished, the restroom door swung open, and two girls entered. i recognized one of them—mihee. she often hung around with a group of sophomores, but she was just a freshman.

my heart dropped as they walked toward me, their expressions unreadable.

“oh look, if it isn’t the mystery girl,” mihee said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

i blinked, caught off guard. “what do you mean?”

“don’t play dumb,” mihee shot back, stepping closer. “we know you’re the secret girlfriend. it’s pretty obvious, right? the photo might’ve been taken down, but people remember what they saw.”

i could feel heat creeping up my neck. “i’m not sure what you’re talking about. besides, you shouldn't jump to conclusions based on rumors.”

ah-soo, the other girl, snorted. “rumors? please. do you really think we don’t know how to connect the dots?”

mihee pushed my shoulder lightly, and instinctively, I took a step back. “so, how does it feel to be the girlfriend of a k-pop idol? or are you just another fling?”

before I could respond, the sound of a stall door swinging open cut through the tension, and jiah burst out, eyes blazing.

“are you two still stuck in high school or something?”

jiah’s voice was sharp, and she strode over, placing herself between me and the girls. “freshmen, right? figures. only freshmen would have the guts to pull some high school drama in a university restroom.”

mihee crossed her arms, glaring at jiah. “who are you?”

“harin’s friend,” jiah replied confidently. “someone who actually cares about people, unlike you two wannabe mean girls.”

ah-soo scoffed. “what, are you her bodyguard now?”

“oh please,” jiah sneered.

“harin’s strong enough to stand up for herself, but she shouldn’t have to deal with pathetic bullying from a couple of jealous girls. if you’re really fans, then stop acting like insecure schoolgirls and respect his decisions. and don’t go around cornering people in restrooms like it’s some teen drama. grow up.”

the girls shifted uncomfortably, clearly taken aback by jiah’s assertiveness. “we’re just—”

“just what? bitter?” jiah interjected, her voice calm but cutting. “if you’re really engenes, then you should support your bias's personal life. get a grip. do you even call yourselves fans?”

they shot me one last glare before muttering under their breaths and leaving, and as soon as the door closed behind them, I turned to jiah, my heart racing.