You were never strangers, never lovers—just two people who almost had everything. ⋆
includes 🍊 ༝ angst • right person, wrong time • emotional realism • bittersweet ending ꩜
Nobody ever tells you that almosts hurt longer than breakups. At least breakups have a date. A reason. A conversation you can replay until you’re sick of it.
The funny thing is, if someone asked how you met Juhoon, the story wouldn’t sound romantic at all.
It started because your best friend was late.
She dragged you to one of CORTIS’s open rehearsals because Martin had invited her after they’d become friends through mutuals. You didn’t even want to go. You spent twenty minutes complaining that you’d rather be home watching mukbangs on tiktok .
“You’ll survive two hours,” your friend laughed.
“I’m billing you if I die of boredom.”
Just not for the reason she thought.
The practice room wasn’t glamorous.
Half-empty water bottles.
Sweatshirts thrown over chairs.
Music cutting on and off every thirty seconds while James argued with the choreographer over an eight-count.
Martin was the first one to notice you.
“your friend finally brought you,” he smiled. “She talks about you every day.”
You liked Martin immediately because he never tried too hard. He had that neighborhood-boy energy that made conversations feel easy.
Juhoon, on the other hand…
He nodded once before walking back toward the mirrors.
“He’s quiet,” Martin whispered.
“He gets worse around new people.”
“I don’t think that’s physically possible.” juhoon
Martin nearly choked trying not to laugh.
That was the first time Juhoon smiled at something you said.
Even if it wasn’t to you.
You didn’t become friends overnight.
For the first month, the two of you probably exchanged less than thirty sentences.
Most of them were things like—
Just two people constantly ending up in the same room because Martin kept inviting everybody to eat after practice.
James joked that Martin collected people the way kids collected Pokémon cards.
“If someone makes eye contact with him once,” James said, “they’re suddenly at dinner.”
“I like having people around.”
“You say that like it’s a crime.”
“It kind of is.” james joked
The friendship happened quietly.
Juhoon started waiting whenever you were still tying your shoes after everyone else had already walked outside.
He’d hand you your charger because you forgot it.
You’d bring him iced coffee without asking because you memorized his order after seeing him buy the same drink every rehearsal.
Neither of you acknowledged any of it.
One night, practice ended close to midnight.
Nobody could agree on anything.
While they argued in the parking lot, you and Juhoon wandered toward the convenience store across the street.
Neither of you spoke for almost five minutes.
“You don’t mind silence.”
“I think people are scared of it.”
That was probably the longest conversation you’d had.
About absolutely nothing.
It somehow became your favorite memory.
your friend noticed before you did.
“I buy everybody coffee.”
“You’ve bought James coffee twice.”
“You’ve bought Juhoon twenty-three.”
Nothing officially happened.
People started pairing you together naturally.
“Did Juhoon already leave?”
they started assuming you’d show up if Juhoon was already there.
Like something that had all the time in the world.
Which was exactly why neither of you rushed it.
Then life started moving faster than either of you expected.
the boys schedule exploded.
Months where Juhoon barely slept more than four hours.
Your dream internship in another city actually accepted you.
You stared at the email for ten minutes before calling your best friend .
“You don’t know what happens with him.”
Martin was the first person you told.
He didn’t even pretend to be excited.
“You’ve both been pretending time wasn’t real.”
You finally told Juhoon the night before your flight.
Just outside the studio after practice.
Everyone else had already left.
Just two people realizing they had waited too long because they’d assumed there would always be another month.
Another walk to the convenience store.
“I kept thinking I’d tell you when things slowed down,” he admitted.
For the first time since you’d met him…
Juhoon reached for your hand.
Just enough for your fingers to touch.
The words were almost quiet enough to miss.
“I think I’ve known for a while.”
He smiled, but it looked tired.
“I was hoping timing would fix itself.”
People always ask if you’ve spoken since then.
Martin still sends pictures of everyone eating together.
James still randomly calls just to complain about practice and gossip for thirty minutes before hanging up without saying goodbye.
Every few months, one of you reacts to the other’s story.
Because sometimes loving someone isn’t the difficult part.
Meeting them at the version of life where love can actually survive—
That’s the impossible part.
And years later, whenever someone says, “Everything happens for a reason,”
you still think about the boy who always waited while you tied your shoes…
and wonder if maybe the only reason some people come into your life is to teach you that the right person can still arrive at the wrong time.
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