best worst match ➵ park jongseong

chapter 10

Chapter Ten: "End of the Beginning"

Aeri's POV

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The day we finish the project is... strange. There's this weird finality in the air, like we're both standing on the edge of something and neither of us wants to be the first to step back. And for some reason, the thought of not working with Jay anymore feels like a punch to the gut. Which is ridiculous because that was the whole point, right? Finish the project, get the scholarship, go our separate ways.

But as we tidy up the last few supplies at the community center, it's hard to ignore the knot in my stomach.

"Well," I say, trying to sound casual as I stack the leftover posters. "I guess... that's it."

Jay nods, a strange expression on his face, and for a second, he almost looks disappointed. But then he grins, his usual cocky smirk returning. "What, gonna miss me already?"

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "In your dreams, Jongseong."

He laughs, but it doesn't reach his eyes. There's something off about him, something I can't quite place. I know him well enough by now to see he's holding back, that he's frustrated about something, and it's starting to drive me insane.

Before I can say anything, he shoves his hands in his pockets, glancing at the door. "Well, congrats, I guess. May the best person win the scholarship."

"Oh, I will," I say, raising an eyebrow, hoping to lighten the tension, but he doesn't even crack a smile. Instead, he nods curtly and heads toward the door without another word.

It's like all the closeness we've built over the past few weeks just evaporates, leaving a silence that feels way too heavy.

---

The next few days are torture. I keep expecting a message from him, a sarcastic text or even a dumb meme-anything to break the silence. But it doesn't come. Jay, the guy who used to spam my phone with the most ridiculous comments, is suddenly radio silent.

I'm not exactly proud of how often I check my phone, waiting for some sign that he hasn't just... forgotten about everything. That he hasn't just moved on, like all those late nights working together, all those shared laughs and accidental moments meant nothing.

Then, I finally get a text from him. I practically drop my phone in my rush to read it, only to feel my stomach sink when I see what it says.

Jay: "Congrats. Heard you won the scholarship."

My heart skips a beat. I did? I... won? But then, before I can even process it, anger flares up.

Me: "That's it? 'Congrats'?"

I stare at the screen, willing him to answer, my hands shaking with frustration. After a few minutes, his response finally comes through.

Jay: "What else is there to say? You won. Isn't that what you wanted?"

I don't even think; I just go. I throw on a jacket, grab my keys, and before I know it, I'm standing outside his apartment, knocking on the door. He opens it, looking completely shocked to see me, and for a second, I'm almost too mad to even speak.

"What is your problem?" I demand, crossing my arms as I glare at him.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "My problem? I don't have a problem, Aeri. You won, okay? You got what you wanted."

"Don't act like this doesn't matter to you!" I snap, my voice louder than I intended. "You've been acting weird ever since the project ended. Like none of it meant anything. And I know you better than that."

He looks away, his jaw clenched. "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe we shouldn't know each other this well."

There's a silence, tense and charged, and I can feel my heart pounding. All I want is for him to just say something real, to stop hiding behind this wall he's put up. Because I know he feels something-I've seen it in the way he looks at me, in the way he laughs when we're together.

"Why are you being like this?" I ask, my voice softer now, almost pleading. "I thought we were... I don't know, friends at least."

He scoffs, finally looking back at me, and there's a flash of something raw in his eyes. "Friends? Aeri, I can't just be your 'friend.' You know that."

My breath catches. "Then what are we, Jay?"

He stares at me, and for the first time, he looks genuinely vulnerable, like he's fighting some internal battle he knows he's going to lose. "We're... something else. Something complicated and stupid and completely messed up. Because every time I'm around you, I can't think straight. And now that you've won, I feel like I'm supposed to just... let go. Move on."

Without thinking, I step closer, reaching out to grab his arm. "So don't let go. Who cares about the scholarship? This-whatever this is-matters too, doesn't it?"

For a second, he just looks at me, eyes wide and unguarded. And then, before I can overthink it, he pulls me in, our lips crashing together in a way that's both unexpected and desperate, like we've both been holding back too long.

It's messy, our hands tangled, our breaths ragged, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry because, somehow, this feels right. It feels real.

When we finally break apart, he presses his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed. "You're so infuriating, you know that?"

I laugh, feeling a strange mix of relief and disbelief. "You're the one who's been ignoring me."

"Because I didn't want to lose," he murmurs, his voice barely a whisper. "Not just the scholarship. But... you."

We stand there in silence, our hands still intertwined, the weight of his words settling between us. And I realize that, despite everything, this isn't the end. It's just the beginning of something messier, more complicated, and definitely not what either of us planned.

But right now, with his hand in mine and the faintest hint of a smile on his face, I think maybe it's enough.

End of Chapter Ten