mya

And by then, it was already too late.

The first thing you saw every morning was Kim Nakyoung—well—technically, it was a photograph of Kim Nakyoung.

The framed picture sat on your desk beside a stack of unfinished assignments and half-empty coffee cups. The edges of the frame were chipped from years of being moved around, but you could never bring yourself to replace it.

The photo had been taken when you were thirteen.

You and Nakyoung stood shoulder-to-shoulder at a middle school festival, grinning so hard your cheeks looked painful.

Back then, everything had felt simple.

Back then, Nakyoung was just Nakyoung.

Your best friend.

The girl who stole your snacks.

The girl who texted you at three in the morning because she'd found a stray cat.

The girl who somehow became part of every important memory in your life.

Nothing more.

Nothing complicated.

Nothing dangerous.

You stared at the photograph for another second before sighing heavily and dropping your head against your desk.

"You're hopeless."

The words slipped from your mouth before you could stop them.

The room remained silent.

Outside your apartment window, the early September sunlight spilled across the Seoul University campus. Students wandered between buildings carrying backpacks and iced coffees, enjoying the first few weeks of the semester.

Your senior year.

The final year.

The year that was supposed to be about graduation, internships, and figuring out what came next.

Instead, your biggest problem was that somewhere over the summer you'd accidentally developed a massive crush on your best friend.

A crush that showed absolutely no signs of disappearing.

A knock sounded against your front door.

Three quick taps.

You immediately recognized the pattern.

Nobody else knocked like that.

You stood and opened the door.

Sure enough, Kim Nakyoung was standing there.

And suddenly breathing became a little harder than it should have been.

Her dark hair fell messily across her forehead, clearly the result of rushing out of bed fifteen minutes ago. An oversized black hoodie hung loosely from her shoulders, sleeves covering half her hands.

A canvas tote bag rested against her hip.

She blinked at you.

"You look terrible."

You frowned.

"Good morning to you too."

"It's eleven-thirty."

"Exactly."

Nakyoung nodded seriously.

"So you've had plenty of time to stop looking terrible."

You groaned.

She smiled.

A small one.

The kind she reserved for people she trusted.

The kind that always made your chest feel strangely warm.

And that was the problem.

Everything she did made your chest feel strangely warm now.

"Move."

Nakyoung stepped around you and entered the apartment like she owned it.

Which, honestly, wasn't far from the truth.

You'd been best friends for nearly ten years.

By now she knew where you kept everything.

Including the emergency ramen stash hidden above the refrigerator.

"Don't touch those."

"I'm touching them."

"Nakyoung."

"I'm hungry."

"Then buy your own."

She turned around.

The pout that immediately appeared on her face was so dramatic it would've been funny if it wasn't so adorable.

You hated how adorable it was.

Really.

You did.

"You're impossible."

"That's not what Hyungseo says."

"Your sister also enables you."

"Because she loves me."

"Unfortunately."

Nakyoung gasped.

Actually gasped.

A hand flew to her chest.

The betrayal.

The audacity.

The dramatics.

You couldn't help laughing.

And for a moment, everything felt normal again.

The way it always had.

Easy.

Comfortable.

Familiar.

Then Nakyoung looked at you.

Really looked at you.

And your stomach dropped.

"What's wrong?"

You blinked.

"Nothing."

"You've been weird."

"I'm not weird."

"You stared at me for like ten seconds when you opened the door."

Your soul left your body.

"Did not."

"You did."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Nakyoung crossed her arms.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

You recognized that expression immediately.

It was the same expression she wore whenever she was trying to figure out a difficult guitar riff or catch someone lying.

Which was unfortunate because you were definitely lying.

A lot.

Mostly to yourself because if you admitted the truth? If you admitted that every time she smiled your heart felt lighter or if you admitted that hearing her laugh was becoming your favorite sound. And if you admitted that sometimes you caught yourself wondering what it would feel like to hold her hand, then everything would change.

And you couldn't risk that, not with Nakyoung.

Never with Nakyoung.

By evening, Seoul University's campus was alive with excitement—strings of lights illuminated the outdoor stage set up near the student center, music drifted through the warm autumn air and students crowded around food stalls and club booths while laughter echoed across the quad.

Tonight was one of the university's annual welcome concerts.

Which meant The Gladiators were performing.

The moment you'd arrived, Sohyun had spotted you.

Unfortunately.

"You came early."

"I always come early."

"Exactly."

Beside her, Xinyu sipped her drink and Mayu looked up from her phone.

All three wore identical expressions.

The kind that made you nervous.

"What?"

Sohyun grinned.

"You know who else comes early?"

You already hated where this was going.

"No."

"You."

"That's literally what you just said."

"To see Nakyoung."

You groaned loudly.

Mayu laughed.

Xinyu looked entirely too entertained.

"Can we not do this?"

"We absolutely can."

"I hate all of you."

"No you don't."

Unfortunately, Sohyun was correct.

The lights dimmed, the crowd erupting, and then they appeared.

The Gladiators.

Kai immediately launched a drumstick into the air, earning cheers from nearby students, Jooyeon slung his bass over his shoulder with effortless confidence, Yizhou settled behind her keyboard, Lily stepped up to the microphone, and then Nakyoung walked onto the stage.

The applause somehow grew louder.

You understood why.

She had a presence that was impossible to ignore, not because she demanded attention but because attention naturally gravitated toward her.

The stage lights reflected against the silver rings decorating her fingers as she adjusted her guitar strap.

She looked calm, focused, and comfortable, like she belonged there and maybe she did.

The opening notes rang out and the audience screamed.

Your heart skipped.

Throughout the performance, Nakyoung moved with practiced ease.

Every chord.

Every solo.

Every smile she exchanged with the other band members.

You'd seen her perform countless times.

Yet somehow you still couldn't look away.

Halfway through the set, she glanced toward the audience.

Toward you.

Her eyes found yours instantly.

As if she'd been looking.

As if she always knew exactly where you were.

Then she smiled, just a little, but it was enough.

Enough to send warmth rushing through your chest.

Enough to make your heart forget how to function.

Enough to make you realize you were in serious trouble.

Because best friends weren't supposed to feel like this.

Were they?

After the concert, you found her backstage. The room buzzed with excitement as students congratulated the band.

Lily accepted compliments with ease, Kai was loudly recounting a moment from the performance, Jooyeon had already located food, somehow.

Meanwhile, Nakyoung sat on an equipment case, wiping sweat from the back of her neck with a towel.

The moment she saw you, her face softened.

There it was again, that expression.

The one nobody else seemed to notice.

The version of Kim Nakyoung hidden beneath the cool exterior.

The sensitive girl who cared more deeply than she let anyone see.

The girl you'd somehow fallen for.

"You came."

You laughed.

"Of course I came."

A small smile appeared, the kind that looked almost shy and for some reason, that felt far more dangerous than the confident smiles she wore on stage.

She handed you a bottle of water.

Already opened because she knew you struggled with bottle caps and because she'd known for years.

The simple gesture made your chest ache.

"Good show?" she asked.

"You were amazing."

The compliment slipped out before you could stop it.

For a second, Nakyoung froze.

Then she looked away.

A faint pink tint crept across her ears.

And suddenly the lead guitarist of one of the most popular campus bands looked oddly flustered.

Cute.

Painfully cute.

Your heart suffered immediate damage.

"You always say that."

"Because it's true."

Her lips pressed together.

A tiny pout forming.

As if she didn't quite know what to do with genuine praise.

You smiled despite yourself.

God.

You were doomed—completely, utterly, and hopelessly doomed.

And the worst part?

You had absolutely no idea that Kim Nakyoung was beginning to feel exactly the same way.

⊹₊⋆.˚୨୧⋆.˚₊ ⊹

If someone had asked Kim Nakyoung when exactly she started liking you, she wouldn’t have been able to answer. 

Not because she didn’t know, but because admitting it would mean acknowledging that she’d been completely, undeniably screwed for a very long time, 

Maybe it had started during year of university. 

Maybe it had started years before that. 

Or maybe it had happened so gradually that she never noticed until one day she found herself saving a seat beside her in every lecture hall. 

Checking her phone for your texts. 

Looking for you first in every crowd. 

Wanting to tell you everything. 

And wanting to know everything. 

Whatever the answer was, one thing remained painfully clear, you had become the center of her world without her realizing it. 

And now? 

Now she had absolutely no idea what to do about it. 

The morning sunlight spilled across Seoul University’s central courtyard—students filled nearly every table and bench scattered around the area, some rushing between classes while others usually enjoyed the unusually pleasant summer weather. 

Nakyoung sat on one of the stone planters bordering the courtyard, her guitar case rested beside her with one earbud hung loosely from her ear and the other had been abandoned somewhere in her hoodie pocket. 

She wasn’t actually listening to music, she was actually waiting, specifically, she was waiting for you. 

Your morning lecture ended in ten minutes, then the two of you were supposed to grab lunch together before her afternoon band rehearsal. 

A completely normal arrangement, one you’d been doing for years. 

Nothing special. 

Nothing that made her check the time every thirty seconds. 

Absolutely nothing. 

“You’re staring at the humanities building again.” 

Nakyoung didn’t look up, “No, I’m not.” 

“You’re literally staring at the humanities building Nak.” 

“I was thinking.” 

Sohyun leaned against the planter beside her, carrying an iced coffee. 

“Thinking about Y/n?” 

Nakyoung finally glanced at her and the look she gave Sohyun would’ve terrified most people though Sohyun only grinned. 

“Good morning to you too.” 

Nakyoung sighed because unfortunately, Sohyun knew everything or at least enough. 

The discovery happened last semester after Nakyoung had accidentally spent twenty minutes talking about how cute you looked wearing glasses and Sohyun had never let her recover. 

“You know,” Sohyun said casually, “for someone who hasn’t confessed yet, you’re awfully possessive.” 

“I’m not possessive.” 

“You got upset because Mayu borrowed Y/n’s jacket.” 

“She stretched it.” 

“She wore it for ten minutes.” 

“She stretched it.” 

Sohyun laughed so hard that she nearly spilled her drink while Nakyoung crossed her arms in annoyance, mostly because Sohyun wasn’t entirely wrong. 

A few minutes later, students began pouring out of the humanities building and Nakyoung immediately spotted you. 

Of course she did. 

She always did when it came to you. 

You emerged through the main doors laughing about something with a classmate and the sight instantly softened her expression. 

There you were—safe, smiling, and beautiful, causing her stomach to do that annoying thing again. 

The thing it always did around you. 

Then someone stepped into your path and Nakyoung’s expression changed. 

“Oh.” 

Sohyun followed her gaze, “Ah.” 

Kim Gaeul, fourth-year dance major. She was popular, pretty, confident, and the kind of person who could start a conversation with literally anyone. 

Gaeul smiled at you and you smiled back which immediately made Nakyoung dislike this interaction—a lot—not that she was jealous. 

She wasn’t. 

Definitely not. 

Absolutely—

Gaeul reached out, lightly touching your arm, and Nakyoung nearly snapped her water bottle in half at the sight causing Sohyun to look over at her and then immediately burst into laughter at her friend’s jealousy. 

“Oh my god.” 

Nakyoung ignored her, her eyes remained fixed on the scene unfolding across the courtyard—you and Gaeul continued talking and laughing, Gaeul tucking her hair behind her ear as you laughed again. 

Nakyoung hated how much she noticed every second feeling unnecessarily long. 

Then Gaeul leaned slightly closer, close enough that something unpleasant twisted inside of Nakyoung’s chest, a feeling she recognized immediately. 

Jealousy, pure and awful, jealousy. 

“Oh, this is bad.” 

Nakyoung shot Sohyun a glare, “What?” 

“You like her so much.” 

“I don’t.” 

“You look like you’re about to challenge Gaeul to a duel.” 

Nakyoung looked away as Sohyun gasped dramatically. 

“Oh my god, you’re actually jealous.” 

“I’m not jealous.” 

“You’re pouting.” 

“I’m not.” 

“You absolutely are.” 

Nakyoung immediately touched her lips and Sohyun doubled over laughing. 

“Kim Nakyoung, you are so gone.” 

“Be quiet.” 

“No.”

“Please.” 

“No.” 

Nakyoung considered pushing her into a fountain. 

Across the courtyard, your conversation with Gaeul finally came to an end. The older girl smiled brightly then said something that made your face heat up. 

Nakyoung narrowed her eyes, “What did she say/” 

“How would I know?” 

“What did she say?” 

Sohyun laughed, “You sound like someone’s girlfriend.” 

Nakyoung nearly choked. 

“Don’t say that.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because it’s weird.” 

“It would be less weird if you just confessed.” 

Nakyoung stared at the ground because therein lay the problem itself, confessing. 

The idea alone made her stomach twist, not because she was afraid of rejection—okay—partially, because she was afraid of losing you. 

You weren’t just her crush, you were her person. 

Her favorite person. 

The one constant in her life, and if confessing ruined that? 

No. 

She couldn’t risk it. 

Not yet. 

The second you noticed her sitting by the courtyard planter, your entire face lit up. 

And there it was, the thing that always destroyed Nakyoung’s resolve. 

You smiled differently around her, warmer and softer, like seeing her made your day better. 

Which only made everything harder. 

You hurried over, “Sorry! Professor Lee kept us late.” 

Nakyoung shrugged, “It’s fine.” 

“Have you been waiting long?” 

“No.” 

“She has.” 

“Park Sohyun.” 

“What?” Sohyun asked innocently, “You’ve been here for twenty-five minutes.” 

"Park Sohyun."

"And she kept checking the time."

"Park Sohyun."

"And staring at the building."

"Park Sohyun."

You laughed.

The sound immediately eased something tight in Nakyoung's chest.

A feeling she hated and loved, at the same time.

Your attention shifted toward her.

"Ready for lunch?"

The question was simple.

Ordinary.

Yet somehow Nakyoung found herself smiling, a real smile, the kind she didn't show often.

"Yeah."

Then she stood, and before she could stop herself, her eyes drifted toward the direction Gaeul had disappeared.

The jealousy returned immediately, petty, irritating, and embarrassing.

You noticed.

"Everything okay?"

Nakyoung blinked.

For a second she considered lying.

Instead she looked away.

"Who was that?"

You tilted your head.

"Who?"

"The girl you were talking to."

"Oh."

A grin spread across your face.

"A little curious, are we?"

Nakyoung's ears immediately turned a disastrous shade of red. 

Sohyun saw it happen, unfortunately.

The older girl slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, completely failing to contain herself. 

You looked between them confused at what you had missed while talking to Gaeul. 

Nakyoung wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

"What?" you asked.

"Nothing," Sohyun answered instantly.

"It's definitely something."

"Nothing at all."

Nakyoung shot Sohyun a look that promised violence though Sohyun only grinned, completely unbothered and entirely too pleased with herself, as the three of you headed toward the student center for lunch, Sohyun couldn’t stop thinking one thing. 

The two of you were hopeless, absolutely hopeless, and the only people on campus who didn’t realize they were in love with each other…were the two of you. 

There were very few people in the world capable of making Kim Nakyoung nervous—her professors didn’t, performing in front of hundreds of students didn’t, job interviews didn’t, public speaking didn’t, and even angry customers at her part-time job didn’t. 

But her older sister? Kim Hyungseo was terrifying, not because she was strict, intimidating or particularly scary. 

No. 

The problem was that Hyungseo knew her too well, far too well, which meant she could take one look at Nakyoung’s face and immediately figure out exactly what was wrong. 

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened. 

The band’s rehearsal room occupied the basement level of the university’s music building; the space wasn’t particularly impressive. The walls were covered in faded posters from past performances, extension cords stretched across the floor, and someone—probably Kai—had abandoned three energy drink cans near the drum kit. 

Still, it was theirs. 

A second home. 

A place where countless hours had been spent practicing, arguing, laughing, and occasionally threatening Jooyeon whenever he ate someone else’s food. 

“That was flat.” Lily pointed accusingly. 

Jooyeon looked offended, “I wasn’t even singing.” 

“Your vibe was flat.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“No idea.” 

Yizhou snorted from behind her keyboard and Kai nearly dropped a drumstick from laughing. Normally, Nakyoung would’ve joined in but instead, she sat on a stool near her amplifier, absentmindedly strumming the same chord for what had to be the twentieth time. 

“Nakyoung.” 

No response. 

“Nakyoung.” 

Nothing. 

“Kim Nakyoung.” 

Still nothing. 

Jooyeon picked up a water bottle, then threw it. The bottle smacked directly into Nakyoung’s shoulder causing her to jump and snap out of her trance. 

“What?” 

The entire room stared at her. 

“You’ve been playing the same chord for five minutes,” Lily said, looking at the short haired girl skeptically. 

“No, I haven’t.” 

“You absolutely have.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

Kai pointed out dramatically, “She’s in love.” 

Nakyoung nearly dropped her guitar as the three others erupted into a fit of laughter, Yizhou laughed so hard she had to remove her glasses. 

Jooyeon immediately pointed at Nakyoung, “It’s Y/n!” 

“It is not.” 

“It absolutely is.” 

“Is not.” 

“Is too.” 

“She’s doing the thing.” Lily says bluntly, causing everyone to turn toward her in confusion. 

“The thing?” Yizhou asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion. 

“The thing where she denies something that’s obviously true.” 

“That’s fair.” 

“Very fair.” 

Nakyoung buried her face in her hands, because this was why she hated her friends. 

An hour later, rehearsal finally ended. Everyone had begun packing up equipment when the music room door opened and a familiar voice echoed through the room. 

“Why does it smell like twenty people fought a war in here?” 

Nakyoung immediately recognized it, Hyungseo. 

Her older sister stepped inside carrying a paper bag from a nearby cafe, despite having graduated nearly two years ago, she still visited campus frequently. Mostly because she enjoyed bothering Nakyoung and because several of her friends still attended the university. 

“Oh, thank god.” Jooyeon said dramatically. “Please help us.” 

Hyungseo blinked, “What happened?” 

Kai threw an arm around her shoulders, “Nakyoung’s in love.” 

Once those words left the drummer's mouth the room exploded into chaos again. 

“Kai!” 

“It’s true.” 

“He’s not wrong.” 

“Nakyoung likes Y/n!” 

The chanting began immediately, mainly Kai and Jooyeon singing while Lily and Yizhou were both amused at the drummer and bass guitarist’s childish behaviour. 

Hyungseo stared at the two boys, then slowly turned toward her younger sister. “Oh.” 

Nakyoung froze, because that single syllable alone was dangerous, very dangerous. 

But it was also because her older sister had the exact same expression she wore whenever she figured something out and judging by the smirk forming on her face, she’d figured something out. 

“Out.” 

The five musicians blinked in confusion, staring at the older woman quietly. 

“What?” 

“Out.” 

“Why?” 

Hyungseo smiled sweetly, “I want to speak with my sister.” 

The band immediately scattered, making Nakyoung roll her eyes at her four friends. 

Cowards. 

Within thirty seconds, Nakyoung found herself completely alone with Hyungseo which was somehow worse. Much worse as her older sister sat down beside her, silent and waiting. 

Nakyoung hated waiting, especially when Hyungseo was doing it because she knew exactly what came next. 

“You like Y/n.” 

The younger girl groaned, “Please don’t.” 

“You do.” 

“Please.” 

“You really do.” 

“Unnie, please.” 

Hyungseo laughed, the sound was warm and familiar, not teasing or mean, just amused. 

“When were you planning on telling me?” 

“I wasn’t.” 

“That’s concerning.” 

“I’m serious.” 

“So am I.” 

Nakyoung sighed heavily, her gaze shifting down toward her guitar, wanting to look at anything to avoid eye contact and to avoid this conversation. 

Unfortunately, her older sister wasn’t going to let her escape. 

“How long?” 

The twenty-three year old girl hesitated, “A while.” 

“A while meaning?” 

“...” 

“Nakyoung.” 

“...maybe since last semester.” 

Hyungseo stared, “Maybe?”

“Okay, longer.” 

“Thought so.” 

Nakyoung groaned again, as the silence that followed felt strangely comfortable around the two sisters. Hyungseo had always been easy to talk to, even when the conversations were embarrassing. 

Eventually, her sister nudged her shoulder lightly. 

“Have you told her?” 

Nakyoung immediately looked up, horrified. “No.” 

“Why?” 

“Why?” 

“Yes.” 

Nakyoung stared at her as if the answer should’ve been obvious because it was. 

“She’s my best friend.” 

Hyungseo’s expression softened instantly, the joking disappeared. “I know.” 

“If I tell her and she doesn’t feel the same way—” 

“You think you’ll lose her.” 

Nakyoung looked away, because that was exactly it. 

People talked about rejection like it was the worst possible outcome but for Nakyoung, it wasn’t. 

Rejection would hurt. 

Of course it would. 

But losing you? Losing movie nights, late night phone calls, lunches together, the way you always texted her good morning, and the way you smiled when you saw her. 

Losing all of that? 

That terrified her more than anything. 

“I can’t.” Her words came out quieter than intended. 

Hyungseo was quiet for a moment then, “Nakyoung.” 

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you something?” 

“What?”

Her sister smiled, a small one, knowing and dangerous. 

“When was the last time Y/n looked at you the way she looks at anyone else?” 

Nakyoung frowned, “What does that mean?” 

“It means exactly what I said.” Hyungseo said, standing up and gathering her bag while still smiling. “Nakyoung, I’ve met Y/n many times and trust me,” 

The twenty-seven year old woman headed toward the door, “Nakyoung?” 

“What?” the younger woman asked, looking over at the door. 

Her older sister’s grin widened, “I don’t think you’re the only one with a crush.” 

And then she left, just like that, leaving Nakyoung completely frozen in place because surely, surely Hyungseo was wrong, right?

Meanwhile, several buildings away, you sat in the university library pretending to study. 

Pretending, because every few minutes your attention drifted away from your textbook and toward your phone. 

Specifically toward your messages with Nakyoung, the most recent text sat at the open on the screen. 

Nakyoung: rehearsal sucks today

A smile tugged at your lips. 

Y/N: tell jooyeon to stop bullying everyone 

Almost immediately she responded back. 

Nakyoung: impossible

Nakyoung: he’s impossible 

You laughed softly, ignoring the strange warmth spreading through your chest and ignoring how everyone seemed increasingly convinced you were in love with your best friend. 

Because that would be ridiculous, right?

…Right? 

Unfortunately for both of you, almost everyone else had already figured it out and they were getting increasingly tired of waiting. 

⊹₊⋆.˚୨୧⋆.˚₊ ⊹

The annual Autumn Festival was one of the biggest events Seoul University hosted every year.

The campus transformed overnight—colorful banners hung between buildings, student organizations lined the walkways with booths and activities, and music drifted through the crisp autumn air from multiple stages scattered across campus.

The scent of fried food and sweet pastries lingered everywhere while students crowded every corner of the university.

For most people, it was exciting but for Nakyoung, it was rapidly becoming a nightmare.

Not because of the festival itself but because of Kim Gaeul.

Again.

“I hate her.”

Sohyun nearly dropped her drink.

Across the table, Mayu choked on her food, Xinyu looked up from her phone and Lily immediately perked up.

“Oh?”

Nakyoung glared, “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Whatever you’re about to say.”

Unfortunately, Lily grinned.

Jooyeon grinned too, Kai looked delighted and Yizhou looked exhausted.

Business as usual.

The group sat together near one of the festival food courts while students moved around them in waves.

And unfortunately, you were currently nowhere to be found.

Which meant the conversation had turned against Nakyoung.

Again.

“You don’t hate Gaeul.” Sohyun said, smirking. “You hate the fact that she likes Y/N.”

Nakyoung crossed her arms, “I don’t care.”

The entire table laughed.

She hated them.

Actually hated them, especially because nobody believed her.

Not even a little.

The truth was, Nakyoung cared, far more than she wanted to admit because for the last week, Gaeul had somehow appeared everywhere.

The library, the student center, the courtyard, the café near campus and every time Nakyoung saw her, she seemed to be talking, laughing, and smiling at you.

And every single time, something unpleasant twisted in Nakyoung’s chest.

Jealousy wasn’t an attractive emotion.

She knew that and she hated feeling it, hated how irrational it made her and hated how possessive it made her.

Most of all, she hated that she didn’t have any right to feel that way.

You weren’t her girlfriend.

You weren’t hers.

You were free to date whoever you wanted and that thought alone made her stomach hurt.

“There she is.” Kai pointed and everyone turned.

Nakyoung’s heart immediately betrayed her.

You were walking toward them carrying two drinks.

The moment your eyes found her, you smiled.

A genuine smile— warm, bright and effortless—the kind that always made something inside her soften.

“Hey.”

You handed her one of the drinks.

Her favorite.

Without asking.

Because you already knew.

Because you always knew.

Nakyoung accepted it quietly.

“Thanks.”

You sat beside her.

Close enough that your shoulders brushed.

A completely normal thing.

A thing you’d done a thousand times before.

Yet somehow it felt impossible to ignore.

“You’ve been busy all day.”

Nakyoung shrugged, “Band stuff.”

“Liar.”

She looked at you.

You pointed, “You’ve been avoiding me.”

The accusation caught her off guard.

Your expression softened, concern replacing amusement.

“Nakyoung?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

Because if she stopped saying it, she might say something else.

Something dangerous.

Something she couldn’t take back.

Luckily, before the conversation could continue, a familiar voice interrupted.

“Y/N.”

The entire table went silent, every single person, including Jooyeon. Which was impressive because Jooyeon was rarely silent.

Slowly, painfully slowly, Nakyoung turned around and there stood Kim Gaeul.

You smiled politely.

“Hey.”

Gaeul returned the smile, she looked nervous.

Which immediately caught everyone’s attention, especially Nakyoung’s and the guitarist felt her stomach sink.

Somehow she already knew where this was heading and judging by the expressions around the table everyone else knew too, except you, unfortunately.

Gaeul rubbed the back of her neck the  looked directly at you, “I was wondering…”

Uh oh.

Sohyun physically stopped chewing, Kai leaned forward, Lily’s eyes widened.

And Jooyeon whispered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Oh my God.”

Gaeul took a breath, “Would you like to go out with me sometime?”

Silence.

Complete silence.

The sounds of the festival suddenly felt distant, muted almost, like someone had turned the volume down on the entire world.

Nakyoung stared and her chest tightened, painfully.

She had imagined this moment before, a hundred times, maybe even a thousand times but imagining it and actually seeing it were two very different things because now it was real.

And all she could think was, Of course Gaeul liked you.

How could she not?

You were kind, funny, beautiful, the type of person people naturally gravitated toward and the type of person that people fell in love with.

Including her, especially her.

For a brief second, your eyes widened in surprise, then you looked uncertain and confused, as if you hadn’t expected the question. 

The sight should’ve comforted Nakyoung.

Instead, it somehow made things worse because she couldn’t sit there anymore, couldn’t listen or watch, not when every emotion she’d spent months burying threatened to surface.

So before anyone could stop her Nakyoung stood and walked away.

“Nakyoung!”

She ignored it.

“Nakyoung!”

Faster.

She walked faster.

The festival sounds faded behind her as she crossed campus, past the student center, the library and past groups of laughing students.

She didn’t stop until she reached one of the quieter garden paths near the music building.

Only then did she finally slow down.

Only then did she realize her hands were shaking.

“Damn it.” Her voice cracked and she squeezed her eyes shut.

This was ridiculous.

Pathetic.

She was twenty-three years old, not a teenager having her first crush.

So why did it hurt so much?

Why did it feel like her chest was splitting open?

Footsteps approached.

Familiar footsteps.

“Nakyoung.”

Her heart immediately recognized your voice.

Of course it did.

She kept facing away as you stopped beside her, concern filled your expression.

“What happened?”

Nothing.

Everything. 

You. Me. Us.

“I said I’m fine.”

“You stormed off.”

“I’m fine.”

“Nakyoung.”

You stepped closer.

The concern in your voice only made everything worse because you cared.

You always cared, even now.

Even when you didn’t know why she was upset.

You cared.

And Nakyoung was suddenly so tired—tired of pretending, tired of hiding, tired of swallowing every feeling, tired of watching you smile at other people and tired of pretending she wasn’t completely in love with you.

“Nakyoung…”

“Why did you follow me?”

You blinked.

“What?”

“Why?”

The question came out sharper than intended.

Your brows furrowed.

“Because you’re upset.”

“So?”

“Because you’re my best friend.”

The words hit harder than they should have.

Best friend.

Right.

Just your best friend.

Nothing more.

And suddenly something inside her snapped.

Months of bottled-up feelings.

Months of jealousy.

Months of frustration.

Months of fear.

All of it spilled over.

“Do you have any idea how hard this has been?”

You froze.

Nakyoung laughed bitterly, the sound barely resembling a laugh at all.

“Every day.”

She looked away, unable to meet your eyes.

“Every single day.”

“Nakyoung…”

“You talk about other people.”

Her voice shook.

“You ask me for dating advice.”

You looked stunned.

“You tell me about people flirting with you.”

Realization slowly began crossing your face but Nakyoung couldn’t stop anymore.

Not now.

Not after holding everything in for so long.

“You smile at me.”

Her voice cracked.

“You look at me like I’m your favorite person.”

Tears threatened to form, embarrassing, she hated crying.

Especially now.

“And then you act like none of it means anything.”

Your eyes widened.

“Nakyoung—”

“I’m tired.”

Finally, she looked at you.

Really looked at you.

And for the first time since she’d met you she let every wall fall.

Every defense.

Every carefully hidden feeling.

Every secret.

“I’m tired of pretending that I’m not in love with you.”

The moment the words left Nakyoung’s mouth, she wanted to disappear, not metaphorically, but literally. 

The ground could open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole and she would gladly accept it because after months of hiding, pretending and convincing herself that she could live with being just your best friend, she finally said it out loud. 

I’m tired of pretending that I’m not in love with you. 

The confession lingered in the cool autumn air as neither of you moved, the distant sounds of the festival seemed impossibly far away now like they belonged to another world. 

Nakyoung couldn’t read your expression and that somehow terrified her more than outright rejection. 

You were staring at her, completely frozen, eyes wide and lips slightly parted as if your brain had stopped functioning. 

Which, admittedly, wasn’t helping. 

The silence stretched, one second, two…five…ten, every second felt like an eternity. 

Nakyoung’s stomach dropped further and further. 

Right, of course, this had been stupid. 

She should’ve kept her mouth shut. 

She shouldn’t have said anything or gotten upset to begin with, but how could she have possibly just sat there watching Gaeul ask you out? 

“I’m sorry.” 

The words escaped before she could stop them. 

Immediately, your eyebrows shot upward. “What?” 

Nakyoung looked away, humiliation crawling beneath her skin, “I shouldn’t have said that.” 

“Nakyoung—”

“You can forget it.” 

“What why?” 

“I mean it.” 

“You literally just confessed.” 

“Exactly.” 

You stared at her though her attention was on the ground as you stared at her some more. 

“Nakyoung.” 

The warning in your voice made her reluctantly look up, “What?” 

For a moment, neither of you had spoken. 

Then, you stepped closer to her. 

“You absolute idiot.” 

Nakyoung blinked, “…What?”

Now she was genuinely confused as she stared at you. 

Your face was red, not and embarrassed or awkward shade of red, but the kind of red someone got when they were emotionally overwhelmed. 

The kind she’d seen exactly once before when you’d cried after graduating high school.

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve spent months acting weird.”

You took a step closer.

Months?

Nakyoung’s brain snagged on that word.

Months?

“You kept avoiding me.”

Another step.

“You got jealous every time someone talked to me.”

Another.

“You stared whenever you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Nakyoung felt herself growing warmer.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I noticed.”

The answer came immediately, without hesitation and without thought, as if it were obvious.

Your eyes softened and suddenly Nakyoung felt very, very nervous.

“Nakyoung.”

Her name sounded different when you said it, gentle and careful, like you were holding something fragile.

“You really didn’t know?”

“…Know what?”

A laugh escaped you, soft, disbelieving, yet almost fond, and somehow that terrified her even more. 

“God.” You shook your head, “You’re impossible.”

Now she was definitely confused.

“Y/N.”

“You really didn’t know.”

“What are you talking about?”

Your eyes met hers, directly.

And for the first time all evening, you smiled, a tiny smile.

The kind that belonged only to her.

The kind she’d been in love with for years.

The kind that always made her feel like she was standing too close to a fire.

“Nakyoung.”

Her heartbeat sped up.

“You’ve been my favorite person since we were thirteen.”

Nakyoung froze.

“You’re the first person I call when something good happens.”

The world narrowed.

“You know everything about me.”

Her throat felt tight.

“You know what coffee I order.”

Everything else disappeared.

“You know what movies make me cry.”

The garden path.

The trees.

The distant festival.

Gone.

Nothing existed except you.

“And every important memory I have somehow includes you.”

Nakyoung’s eyes stung unexpectedly.

Your own were suspiciously bright.

“Do you know how frustrating it’s been?”

“What?”

“I’ve been in love with you for months.”

The words hit like lightning.

For a second she genuinely thought she’d misheard.

Months?

Months.

Months?

“I—”

“You kept smiling at me.”

You pointed accusingly.

“And then acting like it meant nothing.”

Nakyoung’s mouth opened.

Then closed.

Then opened again.

Nothing came out.

You laughed.

A little watery.

A little emotional.

“Amazing.”

“What?”

“We’re both idiots.”

The statement was so objectively true that Nakyoung almost laughed.

Almost.

Instead she stared.

Because there was only one thing her brain could focus on.

One thing repeating over and over.

I’ve been in love with you for months.

You loved her.

You.

Loved.

Her.

The realization left her completely speechless, which was apparently enough to concern you.

“Nakyoung?”

Nothing.

“Nakyoung.”

Still nothing.

“Nakyoung!”

Finally she blinked.

“Oh.”

You stared.

“Oh?”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry?”

“I think my brain stopped working.”

That earned an actual laugh, a real one, the sound immediately eased something inside her chest.

The same way it always had.

Only now? Now everything was different because she knew and you knew.

And neither of you had to hide anymore.

The realization felt strangely overwhelming.

For years, she’d convinced herself this could never happen.

That the best she could hope for was staying by your side.

Being your best friend.

Being enough.

Yet somehow—somehow—you were standing here looking at her like she hung the moon and she didn’t know what to do with that.

“Say something.”

You sounded nervous now.

Which was honestly adorable.

Nakyoung smiled, small at first, then bigger and then impossibly soft, the kind of smile she rarely showed anyone.

The kind reserved for you. 

Always you.

“You like me?”

You immediately groaned, “Oh my God.”

“You like me.”

“Kim Nakyoung.”

“You actually like me.”

You slapped a hand over your face, “I take it back.”

Nakyoung laughed, the sound was bright and genuine.

For the first time in days, weeks, months even, she felt light like she could finally breathe.

Then your hand lowered and suddenly both of you were smiling—the same smile, look and feeling.

A decade of friendship lingering beneath it all, comfort, trust and home.

“Nakyoung.”

“Hm?”

You stepped closer, close enough that she could see every detail of your face and close enough that her heart immediately began misbehaving.

“I need you to understand something.”

Her breath caught, “What?”

You smiled, slowly and beautifully, the kind of smile she’d spend the rest of her life remembering.

“If Kim Gaeul had asked me out a hundred times today—”

Nakyoung felt herself tense.

You noticed and your smile widened.

“I still would’ve chosen you.”

Something inside her completely melted.

Gone.

Finished.

No recovery possible.

“You really are cheesy.”

You laughed, “You’re smiling.”

“I am not.”

“You are.”

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are.”

“I am not.”

You reached forward.

And before Nakyoung could react, you took her hand. The contact was simple, innocent and yet somehow it felt monumental because this wasn’t accidental, casual or friendship, not anymore.

For a moment neither of you spoke, just stood there beneath the golden autumn sunlight, hands intertwined and smiling like fools.

And after ten years of friendship, after months of longing and after countless missed opportunities, Kim Nakyoung finally realized something.

Falling in love with her best friend had been terrifying.

But being loved back?

That was the easiest thing in the world.

Behind a nearby hedge, hidden from view, Sohyun lowered her binoculars.

Beside her, Hyungseo sighed.

“They finally did it.”

Lily wiped away an imaginary tear, “I’m so proud.”

Jooyeon nodded solemnly, “It only took forever.”

Kai high-fived Yizhou.

And somewhere in the distance, completely unaware they were being watched by half the people in their lives. 

You and Nakyoung remained exactly where you belonged.