The sun barely rose the next morning when my alarm went off. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my heart heavier than it had ever felt. I didn't know what was worse pretending I was okay or knowing today might change everything.
Because today... Haeun was going to confess to Seo Yewang.
I moved through my morning routine like a ghost. Shower. Uniform. Light makeup. Toast and milk I barely touched. When I stepped out the door and locked it behind me, I paused. The air was cool, but the sky looked promising. Clear. Blue. A day that deserved joy...just not mine.
I walked slowly, headphones in, letting my playlist play in the background like white noise. The closer I got to the school, the more nervous I felt. It wasn't even my confession, yet my hands were cold.
When I entered the classroom, Yewang was already in his seat, gazing out the window. He looked peaceful, as if the world didn't weigh on him the same way it did on me. But when he turned and caught my eye, he smiled - and in that smile, my entire world flickered for a moment.
"Morning," he said softly.
"Morning," I replied, sliding into my seat.
I could feel Haeun's eyes on us from across the room. I didn't dare look back. I didn't want to see what she might be thinking.
---
By lunch, I had no appetite. I sat with Haeun under the tree in the schoolyard, poking at the rice in my lunchbox. She was bubbling with nervous energy, biting her lower lip and twisting the hem of her sleeve.
"I think I'm gonna do it today," she whispered.
I looked up. "Today?"
She nodded. "After school. I already texted him. He said he'd meet me by the basketball court."
My stomach flipped. I forced a smile.
"That's good," I said. "You're really brave."
She grinned nervously. "Not really. I'm terrified. What if he says no? Or worse... what if he already likes someone else?"
I wanted to tell her the truth. I wanted to say, What if that someone else is me? But I stayed silent. She was my best friend. My only real friend. And I didn't want to be the villain in her love story.
After school, I watched her walk toward the basketball court from the second-floor window. Yewang wasn't far behind. My heart thudded in my chest as I watched them talk. I couldn't hear anything, but I didn't need to.
Haeun stood straight, speaking quickly, hands clenched nervously.
Yewang listened.
Then... he smiled softly, shook his head, and said something.
Haeun stood frozen. She nodded, gave a small bow and then turned and walked away. I ducked from the window, unsure if she had seen me.
I didn't know what I felt. Relief? Guilt? Maybe both.
---
That evening, I got a message.
Haeun: "He rejected me."
I stared at the text for a long time, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Me: "I'm so sorry... Are you okay?"
Her reply came after a long pause.
Haeun: "Yeah... It hurt. But he was kind. He said he doesn't want to date anyone right now. That he's not ready."
Me: "At least he was honest."
Haeun: "Yeah. I'm glad I told him. I'd rather know than keep hoping for nothing."
That last line stayed with me all night.
I'd rather know than keep hoping for nothing.
---
The next day, I found myself on the rooftop again during lunch, half expecting Yewang not to show up. But just like always, he came with banana milk in hand, hair tousled from the wind.
"You saw?" he asked without looking at me.
I froze. "Saw what?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie. You were watching."
I looked down, embarrassed. "Yeah... I saw."
He nodded, leaning against the railing. "I didn't mean to hurt her."
"I know," I said quietly.
He glanced at me. "It's hard, you know. Everyone has expectations. People assume things about me all the time. Like I'm some prize to be won."
"You're not," I said before thinking. "You're just... you."
He looked at me, and for a moment, something unspoken passed between us. His eyes softened.
"That's why I like talking to you, Yena," he said. "You don't treat me like I'm someone I'm not."
I held my breath.
Did he just say he liked talking to me?
"I'm glad," I whispered.
A breeze swept over us, and the rooftop fell into a quiet calm.
And just like that, the space between us grew smaller not physically, but emotionally. We weren't just two classmates anymore.
We were something else now.
---
