Epex Oneshots (short stories) /imagines

Ayden- I don't want to be friends anymore

Ayden had known Y/N for almost his entire life. From the sandbox days when they were three, they'd been inseparable. Ayden could still remember the first time they met — Y/N with messy pigtails and an ice cream cone, her face smeared with chocolate. She had grinned at him, offered him a lick of her cone, and from that moment on, they'd been best friends. For Ayden, there had always been something more there, a feeling he'd carried for a decade. But he never dared to say anything. Why ruin something so perfect?

But now, with Baekseung in the picture, things were complicated.

Baekseung was one of their close friends, too. He was funny, smart, and annoyingly good-looking, and he'd started hanging around them more often. Ayden noticed the way Baekseung looked at Y/N sometimes, the little glances he stole when he thought no one was watching. It made Ayden's heart clench, that gnawing feeling of jealousy he'd managed to keep at bay for years growing harder to ignore.

It didn't help that Y/N seemed oblivious to it all. She laughed at Baekseung's jokes, texted him often, and even started inviting him along to things she and Ayden used to do alone. Ayden told himself he was overreacting, that it was nothing. But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that he might be losing her.

One chilly autumn afternoon, the three of them were hanging out at the park, sitting on the swings they used to play on as kids. Ayden watched Y/N, her cheeks pink from the cold, laughing at something Baekseung had said. He tried to join in, but he could feel himself slipping away, unable to shake the tension building in his chest.

"Are you okay, Ayden?" Y/N asked, turning to him with a concerned smile.

"Yeah," he replied, forcing a grin. "Just tired, I guess."

Baekseung nudged him. "Long night of studying? Or maybe you're just jealous I'm funnier than you."

Ayden laughed, though it came out hollow. "Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Baekseung."

They sat in silence for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words. Then, Baekseung cleared his throat. "Hey, Y/N, there's this movie I was thinking of seeing next weekend. Would you want to come? Just the two of us?"

Ayden felt his stomach drop. He looked away, pretending to be engrossed in the autumn leaves scattered across the ground, hoping Y/N wouldn't see the hurt in his eyes.

"Oh," Y/N said, blinking in surprise. She glanced at Ayden, and he forced himself to look casual, like it didn't matter. "Sure, Baekseung, I'd love to."

Baekseung smiled, and Ayden's heart sank even further.

That night, Ayden lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Ten years of friendship, of feelings he'd hidden, of moments he'd cherished. He'd always thought he'd have time, that one day he'd tell her how he felt when it felt right. But what if he'd waited too long? What if Baekseung was stepping in where Ayden had hesitated?

The next day, Ayden decided he couldn't keep pretending. He needed to do something before he lost his chance entirely. He texted Y/N, asking her to meet him at their favorite spot by the river after school.

When he arrived, Y/N was already there, sitting on the bench with her hands tucked into the sleeves of her sweater. She smiled as he approached, and for a moment, his heart softened, the familiar warmth of her presence calming his nerves.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, scooting over to make room for him.

Ayden took a deep breath, his heart racing. "I, uh... I wanted to talk to you. About... us."

Y/N looked at him, her expression open and curious. "Us?"

Ayden nodded, struggling to find the right words. "We've been friends for a long time, Y/N. Like, ten years. And... you're important to me. Really important."