Tales Of The Heart | (G)i-dle

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞

The cafe buzzed with the usual Saturday morning crowd, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the chatter of friends and the gentle clinking of spoons against mugs. I sat at my usual corner table, nursing a latte and watching the world go by. It was a scene I'd grown accustomed to, a comforting routine that masked the turmoil brewing within me.

Junho, my best friend Nicha's boyfriend, was supposed to join me. He'd been acting strangely lately, distant and preoccupied, but I'd chalked it up to stress from his new job. Nicha, however, had been unusually quiet, her usual vibrant energy replaced by a somber stillness.

"Hey Miyeon," Junho's voice startled me. He slid into the seat across from me, a hesitant smile on his face. "Sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare."

"No worries," I replied, forcing a smile. "What's going on with you? You seem… off."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just… I'm not sure how to say this, but I think I need to talk to Nicha."

My heart sank. This was it. The moment I'd been dreading, the moment I knew was coming but hoped wouldn't.

"About…?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"About us," he said, his eyes meeting mine. "About how I feel."

I knew what he was going to say. I'd seen the way he looked at Nicha, the way his eyes softened when he smiled at her. The way he held her hand, his touch lingering a beat too long.

"Junho," I started, my voice trembling, "I… I understand. You've been with Nicha for a long time, and you've grown close. It's only natural to…"

"No, Miyeon," he interrupted, his voice laced with a newfound intensity. "It's not just that. I love her. I really do. But… I think I'm in love with you."

The words hung in the air, thick and heavy, suffocating me. I felt my breath catch in my throat, my chest tightening with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Junho, you can't be serious," I managed to say, my voice barely audible. "Nicha is your girlfriend. You've been together for years."

"I know," he said, his eyes pleading. "But I can't help it. I've tried to fight it, but I can't. I've been in love with you since the moment we met, Miyeon. I just… I thought it was just a crush, something that would pass. But it hasn't. It's only grown stronger."

I stared at him, my mind racing, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had just been unleashed. I knew Junho had always been drawn to me, but I'd never imagined it would turn into this.

"What about Nicha?" I asked, my voice a mere whisper. "What are you going to do about her?"

"I need to talk to her," he said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I owe her that. But I can't keep pretending anymore, Miyeon. I need to be honest with myself, and with her."

I couldn't bring myself to respond. My mind was a jumbled mess, my heart a tangled knot of confusion and pain. I loved Nicha, truly loved her, and the thought of her getting hurt by this was unbearable.

But I couldn't deny the truth either: I loved Junho, too.

"I… I need some time to think," I finally said, my voice cracking. "I need to figure out what this means, what I even feel."

"I understand," he said, his voice soft. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait."

He left the cafe, leaving me alone with my thoughts, my latte growing cold in my hand. I watched him walk away, his figure disappearing into the bustling street, and a wave of despair washed over me. I knew this was just the beginning, the first domino in a chain of events that would irrevocably change our lives.