A few days after their nostalgic trip to London, Yn, Summer, and Gio were back in Madrid, each carrying a new sense of purpose. For Yn and Gio, the return to Atletico’s training ground felt like coming back to a second home, and for Summer, it was a comfort knowing that Yn was building a strong support system here.
As the weeks rolled into months, Yn and Gio found themselves growing into a powerful forward partnership on the field. Every game seemed to bring them closer, not only as teammates but as friends. By January, Yn had scored 17 goals in 15 games, and Gio was right behind her with 15. Their synergy was making headlines, as Atletico climbed the league standings and their matches became must-watch events.
On the morning of the first of January, Summer woke up slowly, feeling a familiar warmth beside her as Yn slept peacefully. She smiled, carefully reaching over to grab her phone, not wanting to wake Yn just yet. As she scrolled through her notifications, her heart froze. A news article with a photo immediately caught her attention.
The headline read: “Atletico Stars Yn and Gio Spotted Sharing a Kiss in Madrid!” Underneath, the article detailed the supposed sighting with a blurry but unmistakable photo of Yn and Gio on what looked like a Madrid street, leaning close. They weren’t exactly kissing in the photo, but the angle made it seem almost like they were.
Summer’s chest tightened as she stared at the photo, her mind racing with questions. She knew Yn had a close bond with Gio, but this? This wasn’t something she’d anticipated.
Carefully, she placed her phone down and nudged Yn awake. “Hey, Yn. I… I need to talk to you about something.”
Yn opened her eyes, looking a bit groggy but giving Summer a sleepy smile. “What’s up? Happy New Year, by the way.”
Summer took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “I just saw something… on the news. About you and Gio.”
Yn’s smile faded, her brows furrowing. “What did it say?”
“It said you two were seen together in Madrid… and there’s a photo of you both. It looks like you’re… close, really close.” She hesitated, not wanting to jump to conclusions but needing to understand. “Were you two… kissing?”
Yn’s face fell as she sat up, running a hand through her hair. “Oh, Summer. I… I’m so sorry. I should have told you.”
Summer’s heart sank. “So, it’s true?”
Yn looked away for a moment, gathering her thoughts, then looked back at Summer with remorse. “It happened, yes. But I swear, it was a one-time thing. We had gone out to celebrate after a big win, had a few drinks, and… we got caught up in the moment. It was stupid and reckless, and I wish I could take it back.”
Summer took a shaky breath, trying to process what Yn was saying. “Why didn’t you tell me? You know how much I care about you. I would have preferred to hear it from you instead of seeing it in some news article.”
Yn nodded, guilt washing over her face. “I know. I messed up. I didn’t want to hurt you, so I thought if I just… ignored it, it would go away. But that’s not fair to you. I should’ve been honest.”
Silence filled the room as Summer stared at the covers, feeling a mixture of betrayal and sadness. She had trusted Yn completely, and this was a bitter pill to swallow.
Yn reached for her hand. “Summer, please believe me—it was a mistake. I don’t feel that way about Gio. You’re the one I want to be with. You mean everything to me, and I never want to risk losing you.”
Summer looked into Yn’s eyes, searching for sincerity. She could see how genuinely sorry Yn was, and part of her wanted to forgive right then and there. But the hurt lingered.
“Yn… I just need to know that I can trust you. I don’t want to feel like I have to look over my shoulder or wonder if something like this will happen again,” she said softly.
Yn nodded, her eyes pleading. “You have my word, Summer. I will never let something like this happen again. I’m so sorry I hurt you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to rebuild that trust.”
Summer took a deep breath, letting Yn’s words sink in. Finally, she squeezed Yn’s hand, her heart softening a bit. “I’m not saying it’s easy to forget, but… I want to believe you, Yn. I know how much we’ve been through, and I don’t want to throw that away over one mistake.”
Yn’s face lit up with relief. “Thank you, Summer. I promise you’ll never have to question me again. I’m all in, and I want to make things right.”
Summer gave her a small, tentative smile. “Alright. But we’re going to take it one step at a time, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Yn agreed, squeezing Summer’s hand back. “One step at a time.”
They sat together quietly, leaning against each other, as the first light of the New Year filtered through the window.
