kissing booth | yejisu oneshot

kissing booth

Jisu had been pacing back and forth in her room for almost an hour already, her thoughts torn between two options—stay at home or attend the school festival.

She’d already downed two glasses of water—a habit she had whenever she was nervous or deep in thought. If the sun wasn’t high in the sky, she might have reached for whiskey instead.

Stupid Yeji, she thought, grabbing her car keys. Jisu had always skipped college festivals, figuring she’d had enough of them in high school. She much preferred staying in bed, catching up on shows she'd missed. This year, however, was different.

Just the other day, Yeji had surprised her with the news that she’d be volunteering to run the kissing booth with Ryujin. “All the proceeds are for charity,” she’d explained with a proud smile. It was a very Yeji thing to do—yet, a kissing booth? Jisu felt conflicted; the thought of her best friend kissing others stirred feelings she wasn’t sure she should have. Was she even supposed to feel this way?

Yeji was the clingy type—the kind of friend who’d plant kisses on Jisu’s cheeks or forehead whenever she sensed she was feeling down. But now, thinking about it, the way they treated each other didn’t seem like the typical friendship anymore. Jisu was almost certain they’d already crossed the line friends were supposed to stay within. However, no one addressed it; she felt as though they were in a never-ending push and pull.

As Jisu pulled into the campus parking lot, she was greeted by the lively energy of the festival. Music and laughter filled the air, and the campus buzzed with people. The enticing aroma from food stalls wafted around her, offering everything from fried dough to savory treats.

As Jisu maneuvered through the crowd, she soon spotted the kissing booth. The stall was adorned with typical heart-shaped decorations and twinkling fairy lights. Two long lines snaked in front of it—one for Ryujin and the other for Yeji, she assumed. Yeji wore a bright smile, but a flicker of strain lingered in her eyes as she leaned in to plant a quick kiss on the cheek of yet another eager participant.

As Jisu approached, she noticed Yeji’s enthusiasm starting to wane, no one but her would see that subtle change.

“Jisu! I didn't think you’d show up!”  Yeji exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as soon as she spotted her. She waved enthusiastically, ignoring the line in front of her.

“Hey”, Jisu replied, smiling at the older’s enthusiasm. “Looks like you’ve got quite the line here.”
She glanced at the long line of participants, then back at Yeji, who seemed genuinely thrilled to see her.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy” Yeji said, glancing towards the crowd, and then, a sudden playful grin on her face “I mean, who wouldn’t want a kiss from me?”

Jisu chuckled, though the thought of Yeji kissing others stirred an uncomfortable feeling she tried hard to mask. “Yeah, seems like everyone wants a chance,” she said casually.

Yeji laughed, looking at her with eyes Jisu can’t figure out. “You should at least try it out. It’s all for a good cause! I’ll even put you on priority”

“Maybe later,” Jisu said, trying to gauge Yeji's energy. Yeji shrugged it off, an unreadable expression in face.

Jisu decided to act unfazed as Yeji leaned in to plant a kiss on another participant’s cheek. The crowd cheered, and Yeji laughed along with them, though to Jisu, it felt more like a performance than real enjoyment.

After a few minutes, Jisu looked away, finally admitting to herself that she felt jealous. Her feelings for her best friend were deeper than she’d realized. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion nearby, pulling her attention back to the crowd.