strawberries and cigarettes

"Because strawberries don't stay sweet forever"

Y/n who's four years younger than Kim Sunwoo, never thought she'd see Sunwoo again-not after he graduated and left their small town behind with all the coolness of a mystery novel's final chapter. He was the guy everyone whispered about in high school-the one the star soccer player, a kind-hearted senior, and a smirk that meant trouble. She was just a freshman then, awkward and unnoticed, except by him-once, fleetingly.

Four years later, he's back. Different, yet the same. Less cocky, more quiet. Still dragging smoke between his fingers like it's the only thing keeping him grounded.

Y/n, now 18, is working part-time at the local café before heading to her first year at community college. She finds herself crossing paths with Sunwoo more often than she expects. A late-night run-in at the gas station. A shared bench at the park. A silence that says more than it should.

Sunwoo's return isn't glamorous. He's restless, stuck between chasing dreams in the city and caring for his mother who's gotten sick. Y/n asks him why he smokes so much, and he says, "Because strawberries don't stay sweet forever."

They start spending warm, slow afternoons together-her telling him about her hopes, him trying not to break under the weight of his regrets. Their relationship becomes a gentle ache, full of unsaid things and quiet almosts.

Sunwoo knows he shouldn't fall for someone with so much ahead of her. Y/n knows she shouldn't wait for someone still figuring himself out. But there's a beauty in their in-betweenness. In shared ice cream cones, mixtapes passed through car windows, and secret glances when no one's watching.

Their love isn't loud. It's soft, bittersweet, and burning slow-like the last drag of a cigarette, or the way strawberries taste when summer's almost over.

!! THIS IS FICTION NOTHING SAID IS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHARACTERS OR PLACES! READ FOR ENTERTAINMRNT PURPOSES !!