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

The shadows between them

The tense atmosphere between the girls had finally settled into its usual rhythm. Mina and Sana agreed to let the past go, realizing that if anyone was to blame, it was Chaeyoung.

​Mina had been completely in the dark about Chaeyoung’s relationship with Sana. They had never shown it around her—or perhaps Chaeyoung had simply made a habit of avoiding her whenever either of them asked to introduce him to their friends.

​Sana had met Chaeyoung during their freshman year at the same university. He was a Fine Arts major; she was in Performance Arts. What started as a blind date quickly turned into a string of one-night stands, which eventually blossomed into an official relationship after a few more meetings.

​Yet, just a week after making things official with Sana, Chaeyoung began dating Mina. Though they belonged to different majors, they shared an elective painting class. He found that Mina shared his perspective on art, and drawn to her quiet charm, he soon confessed his feelings.

​Sana was the first to discover that Chaeyoung was two-timing her with Mina. Rather than causing a scene, she chose to step back. She let him stay with Mina and kept her past with him a secret. She couldn't bring herself to break Mina’s heart—not when she knew this was Mina's very first love.

​Sana hid her aching heart behind bright smiles and frequent laughter. No one noticed the mask she wore—until Jeongyeon, blurted out her true thoughts in a moment of drunkenness. That single moment shifted something inside Sana. Her gratitude gently bloomed into love for Jeongyeon. Even something as simple as Jeongyeon holding a cup of iced Americano looked effortlessly cool in her eyes.

​As for Mina, she had never imagined falling for another girl. She tried to deny it at first, but the feeling soon grew too heavy to hide.

​Jeongyeon’s softest gestures and clumsy silliness slowly won her over. In truth, Mina was relieved to learn that Jeongyeon wasn't quite a typical girl—or, as Jeongyeon herself put it, she was a girl with a penis. When Jeongyeon kissed her back that night, hope surged through Mina. Overwhelmed with excitement, she let slip words she never should have said.

​Mina was deeply crushed when she discovered that Jeongyeon didn't believe in love. It felt as though Jeongyeon had lifted her up only to drop her into an abyss, only to pull her back up again. To make matters worse, she discovered that her ex-boyfriend had been with Sana. Mina wasn't jealous of the past; what hurt was that her best friend had kept such a secret from her.

​Both girls loved Jeongyeon—they really did. But ever since the incident involving Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon had begun putting up walls. She constantly avoided standing near them, rarely made eye contact, and whenever Sana tried to touch her, Jeongyeon subtly pushed her away.

​In truth, Jeongyeon believed Sana and Mina were merely using her to escape their lingering feelings for Chaeyoung. They don't love me, she thought bitterly. I'm just an obsession to them. It’s all fake love.

​Part II: My Idiot

​Jeongyeon sat on a bench outside her classroom, waiting for her midterm results. Even though classes were over and winter break was approaching, she had come to campus just in case she needed to sign up for remedial exams.

​She sat alone, flipping through an economics textbook near the faculty office, when she spotted Nayeon walking out. Her lecturer was clutching a stack of files so high it completely blocked her vision, making every step a struggle.

​Jeongyeon looked away, burying her face back in her textbook as if she hadn't noticed Nayeon’s struggle. But a moment later, a heavy thud echoed down the hallway.