Let's Not Falling In Love (1st Book) (FIXED)

Smile

Should I give up or wait?
​Ever since I started living with the girls, I was grateful to finally forget you for a while. As long as I didn't see you, my mind stayed quiet, drifting along with the flow of my own life. But why did you have to become an actress? Now I see your face everywhere—on TV, on brochures, flyers, social media... You make it so hard for me to forget you.
​I just don't know how to give up.
​The girls were gathering around the couch, listening to the soft, sad song floating out from behind the closed bedroom door.
​"It’s been five days since she last left her room," Momo said with a slight frown, her eyes fixed on Jeongyeon's door. "She just stays in there, singing that same song over and over."
​"It’s silly how dramatic she's being," Nayeon chuckled, leaning back. "Just because she saw her favorite actress kissing someone on screen?"
​"That’s love, Unnie," Mina said quietly.
​"It isn't logical," Nayeon argued. "How can you fall in love with an actress like that? She should fall for someone right here instead. Someone like me."
​Momo rolled her eyes. "As if."
​"What? I’m serious!"
​"That’s even less logical," Momo said dryly. "The age gap between you two is way too wide."
​"Age is just a number," Nayeon replied proudly. "Besides, I’m an expert. I’d make her happy."
​"An expert in what?" Sana asked, playing innocent.
​"Don't act like you don't know," Nayeon teased. "Underneath that sweet face, your mind is always in the gutter."
​Mina furrowed her brows, genuinely confused. "But Jeongyeon is a girl. Since when did any of you start liking girls?"
​"Since we met her, I guess," Momo said simply. Sana and Nayeon nodded in agreement.
​"What about you?" Momo asked, turning to the youngest. "Don't you like her too?"
​"Hmm? I... I don't know," Mina hesitated.
​"Aha! One rival down!" Nayeon cheered.
​"I said I don't know yet," Mina corrected her gently.
​"Right, right," Nayeon pouted, realizing her odds hadn't actually improved.
​It was nearly five in the afternoon, and the golden dusk was settling over the city when the doorbell rang.
​"Huh? That's odd," Momo murmured. "No one ever visits us at this hour."
​"I'll get it," Sana said, standing up.
​She opened the door, froze, and gasped. "Unnie! Unnie, come here!"
​"What is it, Sana-ah?" Nayeon called out, hurrying over with Momo and Mina right behind her.
​They all stopped in their tracks. Standing at the threshold was a girl wearing a black cap, an oversized hoodie, denim jeans, and sneakers. Even in such simple clothes, her presence was striking.
​"Hi," the girl said, gently lifting her cap. "I'm Bona. Does Yoo Jeongyeon live here?"
​Nayeon stared in disbelief. How could a famous actress end up at their doorstep asking for someone as ordinary as Jeongyeon? "Uh, yes... she's in her room. Should I go get her?"
​"Yes, please," Bona smiled softly. "I came to see her."
​"Okay..." Nayeon muttered, a slight pout forming on her lips as she turned toward the hallway. She couldn't wrap her head around it—the very idol Jeongyeon had been moping over was standing in their living room. How did they even know each other?
​She pushed open the bedroom door without knocking. "Yoo Jeongyeon!"
​Jeongyeon sat up abruptly on the edge of her bed. "Good grief! Can’t any of you knock?"
​"There's someone here for you," Nayeon said, crossing her arms.
​"Who?" Jeongyeon asked, not looking up from her phone.
​"Bona. She’s waiting by the door."
​Jeongyeon paused, looking up with a skeptical frown. "Are you pulling my leg?"
​"Do I look like I’m joking?" Nayeon replied, annoyed.
​"You look like you're on your period," Jeongyeon cracked a weak joke.
​"Whatever. I'll bring her in," Nayeon said, leaving the door slightly ajar.
​"Yeah, yeah, sure." Jeongyeon flopped back down onto her mattress, returning to her phone game.
​A moment later, Nayeon returned with Bona and the rest of the girls crowding behind her. "Look at this couch potato... Yoo Jeongyeon, get up!"
​"What now?!" Jeongyeon groaned without moving. She was in a ridiculous position—feet propped up against the headboard, wearing broken eyeglasses that were slipping right off her nose.
​"She’s really here," Nayeon insisted.
​"Stop messing with me," Jeongyeon muttered. "How would a famous star end up here? Let me finish this level."
​Nayeon sighed. All of us are practically swooning over her, and she’s lying there playing games like a total fool.
​"Jeongyeon-ah," a soft voice called out.
​Jeongyeon froze. She knew that voice—it was a sound she had replayed in her mind a thousand times. Am I dreaming? She pulled off her broken glasses and rubbed her eyes. It wasn't a dream.
​She slowly stood up, a genuine, radiant smile breaking across her face.
​She's never smiled at us like that, Nayeon thought bitterly from the doorway.
​"I missed you," Jeongyeon whispered, pulling Bona into a tight embrace.
​A series of fake coughs echoed from the hallway as the other girls tried to break the sudden tension. Jeongyeon reluctantly loosened her grip, shooting the group a sharp glare before taking Bona's hand and pulling her inside, shutting the door firmly behind them.
​"I get it now," Momo said quietly as they retreated to the living room. "I know why she’s always so distant with us."
​"Why?" the others asked.
​"Because we're simply not on her level," Momo sighed dramatically.
​"Poor us," Sana whimpered, and the four of them ended up in a comical group hug on the couch.
​Inside the room, an awkward quiet settled between them. Jeongyeon sat on the edge of the bed, unable to take her eyes off her guest.
​"Stop staring at me like that," Bona said with a quiet laugh.
​"Your hair..." Jeongyeon reached out gently, trying to bridge the distance between them. "You've changed it a lot. Is that okay for your work?"
​"You've changed too," Bona noted, looking at her carefully. "It was brown when we were in high school. Now it's gray."
​"Does it suit me?" Jeongyeon asked.
​"Hmm. And you look cute in those broken glasses," Bona said, lightly resting a hand against Jeongyeon's cheek.
​"How did you find out where I live?"
​"Jimin told me. He called my manager and said you were living in Seoul now."
​That idiot, Jeongyeon thought affectionately. He can be so annoying, but he comes through when it counts.
​Her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. Speaking of the devil.
​"It's Jimin," Jeongyeon said. Bona nodded, letting her take it.
​Jeongyeon stepped slightly to the side. "Yo, bro?"
​"You owe me big time," Jimin's voice came through the speaker. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to track down her manager and convince her to visit?"
​"Yeah... thanks, man," Jeongyeon said, her voice softening.
​"Have fun. I gotta run, Seulgi's calling," he said, hanging up.
​Jeongyeon set her phone down and turned back to the girl on her bed. "Jiyeon-ah..."
​"That sounds so strange," Bona chuckled softly. "It's been forever since anyone called me Jiyeon."
​"Right. Bona, then." Jeongyeon moved closer, her tone shifting into something deep and earnest. She leaned in, her eyes searching Bona's. "Ever since you left, there hasn't been a single day I didn't miss you."
​She pulled Bona into another embrace, holding her as if she might vanish.
​"No one else has ever held a place in my heart like you do. You're the only one. I love you."
​This was the moment she had waited years for. Jeongyeon leaned in and kissed her tenderly. The world outside seemed to fade away as she gently guided Bona back onto the bed.
​Bona’s hands slid up into Jeongyeon’s hair. For a few brief seconds, their rhythm was effortless and familiar. Jeongyeon shifted, trailing soft kisses down to her jawline, then her neck—
​"Jeongyeon... wait."
​Bona pushed gently against her shoulders, halting her. Jeongyeon pulled back, searching her face. "You're still as beautiful as the day you left," she whispered softly. "Don't worry... I've grown up. I won't ever treat you the way I used to."
​She leaned down to kiss her again, but Bona firmly pushed her away.
​Jeongyeon blinked, caught completely off guard as they both sat up. "What's wrong? Don't you love me? Didn't you come here so we could fix things?"
​Bona let out a small, faint laugh. "Is that really what you thought?"
​"What do you mean?"
​"Since we parted ways, I've had a lot of time to reflect," Bona said, looking down at her hands. "I realized I made a mistake back then. I thought what I felt for you was love, but it wasn't. It was just comfort. I was comfortable with you, and because we had been together for so long, I got jealous whenever someone else had your attention."
​She finally looked up, her gaze steady, almost detached. "I came here today to give you closure, Jeongyeon. Stop blaming yourself, and please... stop waiting for me. I'm grateful for how things turned out—parting ways allowed me to pursue my dream as an actress. You need to find someone who actually deserves your heart. You need to accept this: I never truly loved you."
​Jeongyeon felt the air leave her lungs. "Jiyeon... please." She reached out, grasping Bona's hand. "I know you don't mean that. You're lying."
​"I'm not lying," Bona said softly, pulling her hand free.
​"Please... don't leave me again," Jeongyeon pleaded, trying to pull her into a wrap-around hug from behind.
​Bona gently but firmly unclasped Jeongyeon's arms, stood up, and walked out of the room without looking back. Jeongyeon rushed out after her, unwilling to let her slip away a second time—but by the time she reached the front door, Bona’s car was already pulling out into the evening street.
​Inside the back seat of the car, hidden behind tinted windows, Bona buried her face in her hands as tears finally streamed down her cheeks.
​This is for the best, she thought to herself. I can't risk my career, and I can't keep giving you false hope.
​"You made the right choice, Bona-ssi," her manager said quietly from the front seat.
​Back at the dorm, Jeongyeon stood alone near the driveway, staring at the empty road.
​You never loved me. Thank you for saying it out loud... so I can finally stop pretending you did.
​It's over. I don't have to wait anymore. I don't have to play the part of the devoted fool. I am free.
​A faint, bittersweet smile crept onto her lips, even as heavy tears spilled over her eyelashes and ran down her cheeks. She drew a deep, ragged breath.
​"I think... I need some fresh air," she murmured to herself. Wiping her face with the back of her sleeve, she turned and walked down the street into the cool night air.
​Up at the window, four sets of eyes watched her disappear around the corner.
​"Is she going to be okay?" Momo asked, her voice laced with genuine concern. "Where is she going?"
​"She's Yoo Jeongyeon," Nayeon said smoothly, trying to reassure the others as much as herself. "She's tough. She just needs a minute. She'll be back soon."
​Nayeon judged her by her sharp jawline, her boyish charm, and her cool demeanor—assuming those traits meant she possessed a hardened heart.
​She was wrong.
​Midnight came and went, and the room remained empty.
​"Unnie, shouldn't we go look for her?" Mina asked, her voice trembling. "What if she isn't as strong as we think? What if... what if she does something terrible to herself because of what happened?"
​"Minari, don't say things like that, you're scaring me," Nayeon said, her composure cracking. She grabbed her phone and dialed Jeongyeon's number for the twentieth time, listening to the agonizing rings go straight to voicemail.
​Biting her nails in the quiet apartment, Nayeon stared at the screen, her heart sinking deeper with every passing minute.
​Please... just pick up the phone.