#sohyunfluff

The bright blue gates of our school were already in sight when a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Younghyu—" and as soon as I turned toward it, "OMG! What happened to you?" It was Nakyoung, her eyes wide with shock. I guess my sleepless state was more obvious than I thought.

"Nice to see you too, Naky," I huffed.

She walked closer, her expression shifting from surprise to concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing my face and tilting it side to side to get a better look.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" I mumbled as she manhandled my face, inspecting every unwanted blemish and dark circle. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in almost two weeks."

Being the studious, type-A person she is, Nakyoung is always prepared. She let go of my face and started digging through her purse, finally fishing out a box of pimple patches. "At least cover up your 'new friends,'" she teased, handing me the box. She pulled me toward a nearby bench and started applying them for me, trying to make me look at least half-presentable, even if I ended up looking like a sticker book.

When she was done, we made our way to the auditorium. We were a few minutes late, and the professor was already stepping up to the podium when we slipped in. They didn't seem to mind, so we found a couple of empty seats near the back, pulled out our laptops, and settled in to take notes on anything that might show up during exams week.

The professor launched into a lecture about the discovery of the Maiasaura and how it proved maternal instincts in dinosaurs—something researchers previously thought didn't exist, since they assumed dinosaurs were solitary creatures. It should have been fascinating. It was fascinating. But as the professor droned on, their voice started to fade, becoming muffled, like I was listening from underwater. My breathing grew heavy, and my eyelids felt like they were made of lead. I fought to stay focused, but it was a losing battle. Soon enough, I gave in. My head dropped, the professor's voice melted into a low hum, and darkness took over. Sleep had finally consumed me.

Then she appeared.

Everything was hazy, but I could clearly make out a figure looking directly at me. A woman. The first thing I noticed was her warm smile—the kind that could light up an entire city. Then, her beauty marks, perfectly placed under her eyes, on the bridge of her nose, and on her left cheek, as if a celestial being had carefully mapped them to help her guide wayward travelers like me. But what truly captivated me were her eyes: dark, dreamy, warm, and calming, yet with a hint of mischief. They felt like a gentle ray of sun breaking through a cold, barren field.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my side. I didn't know what it was at first, and it persisted, but the beautiful woman in front of me was enough of a distraction that I barely noticed. But the pain kept coming, sharper each time, until it became unbearable. Then, fluorescent lights flooded my vision, and reality came crashing back. I was in the auditorium. The shooting pain in my side? Nakyoung, pinching me, trying to wake me up.

"Ow! What the hell is wrong with you?" I whispered angrily, my head still groggy from the remnants of the dream.

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong with me'? You literally slept through the entire lecture!" Nakyoung scolded, her voice low but sharp.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around. The lights were on. The room was nearly empty, and the professor was packing up at the front.

"Wait, it's over?" I asked, dazed.

"Yes! And. You. Slept. Through. It!" She punctuated each word with another pinch to my side.

"Ow, okay, okay! Stop!" I stood up, rubbing the sore spot.

"Now come on," she said, the tone of the lecture–lingering in her voice. "It's almost noon. Let's go get lunch."

The walk from the auditorium was uneventful—Nakyoung and I fell into our usual rhythm of conversation. But as we walked, my mind kept circling back to the woman in my dream. Her dark eyes, like black holes pulling me in. The way they seemed to both drown me and let me breathe at the same time. Her star-like beauty marks lingered behind my eyelids, and I couldn't shake them.

Then my vision blurred. Everything started spinning. I ignored it at first, but it only got worse. Finally, I called out, "Hey, Naky." I rubbed the side of my head as we passed through the university gates. "I think I'm gonna skip lunch. I really need to crash."

Concern flashed across her face, and she pulled me aside. "Are you sure you're okay? It's not like you to skip a meal."

I huffed, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll be fine. I just really need sleep."

She studied me for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright. But text or call me if you need anything, or if something happens, okay?"

I nodded and pulled her into a quick, friendly hug. She hugged me back, and we said our goodbyes.

The walk back to my apartment was quiet, and I was grateful for it. People I knew gave polite nods or soft waves, and I returned them in kind. But the lack of sleep was catching up fast. My eyes were watery and sore, my steps sluggish, my breathing heavy. And then something strange happened.

As I struggled to lift my feet off the ground, a familiar figure stood out among the handful of people passing by. When I glanced over, I saw those eyes again—the woman from my dreams, standing right there on the sidewalk. I froze, rubbed my eyes, and when I looked again, she was gone. A jolt of panic shot through me, and suddenly I was wide awake. "Okay," I muttered to myself, picking up my pace. "I definitely need more sleep."

The rest of the walk passed in a blur. Every step was fueled by a mix of purpose and unease. Finally, the faded blue paint of my apartment complex came into view, and relief washed over me.

As soon as I opened the front door, I heard the faint sound of a drama playing in the living room. "Hey, you're home early," my roommate Giselle called out. "Did class end early or something?"

"No, just dead tired," I mumbled, kicking off my shoes.

She paused the TV and padded over to the doorway, her face scrunching with concern. "Whoa. I know school's been hectic, but not this hectic. Seriously, are you good, bro?"

I managed a weak nod and a small smile before heading to my room. When I opened the door, my bed welcomed me like an oasis in the desert. I collapsed onto it, letting the comfort of my pillow and sheets pull me under.

This time, the dream was different. Still hazy, but clearer than before. Tangible. Like I had some control over everything—except for her.

It was a sunny afternoon in a park. Birds sang, children laughed, and the sun's warmth hit just right. I was sitting alone on a bench under a big oak tree when she appeared. She wore a sundress paired with a cardigan, a purse hanging from her shoulder, and she was carrying two cups of 자몽에이드(Grapefruit Juice). She was sunshine personified.

She approached my bench and asked if she could join me. I agreed immediately. She set the drinks down between us, condensation pooling on the wood, and pulled out her phone. Watching her up close, I noticed that rare quality about her—the way she made life look easy. She smiled as she scrolled, until her screen lit up with a notification. Her face went blank, like someone had flipped a switch and plunged the room into darkness.

I decided to break the ice.

"So," I said, nodding at the drinks, "do you often drink two grapefruitades at the same time?"

She glanced at me, then at the cups, and let out a huffed laugh, a little embarrassed. "Oh, no. Turns out my date would rather block my number than drink these with me."

My stomach dropped. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. If I'd known, I would've—"

She waved her hands, cutting me off. "No, no, it's fine. Really."

A beat of awkward silence passed. I thought that was it, but then—

"Do you want the other one?" She held out the cup, her finger leaving a faint smudge on the frosty plastic. When I hesitated, she tilted her head. "Come on. It's way too sweet for one person anyway."

I was caught off guard, but when I looked at her, she was already smiling—not the kind that lights up a room, but the kind that creases the corners of her eyes. The kind that says she knows something about the world, and it's not all bad.

"Thanks." Our fingers brushed as I took the cup, and for a second, the ice between us melted.

"Guess I'm your rebound date now," I said, immediately wanting to punch myself.

But she laughed. "I guess you are."

We laughed together, the sound mingling with the birdsong.

"I'm Younghyun, by the way." I reached out my hand.

She looked at it, then took it. "S—un!"

I frowned. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"It's S—un!" she repeated, but her voice came out warbled, distorted.

Then everything started to fizzle. The trees, the grass, the people—all dissolving. She remained, but a void was consuming the park, swallowing everything into darkness.

And then, like a bolt of lightning, I was awake.

I was back in my room, staring at the ceiling, the remnants of the dream already slipping away. I dragged a hand down my face, scrubbing away the clinging traces of sleep. Fumbling around on my messy sheets, I found my phone under my pillow and checked the time. I slept for twelve hours. Skipped lunch and dinner.

I decided to call Nakyoung, partly to make up for bailing on her earlier. I scrolled through my contacts and found her number. The phone rang for a while, but she didn't pick up. It was past midnight—she was probably asleep.

I got out of bed and decided to head to the convenience store down the street. Maybe some ramyeon and microwaved kimbap would hit the spot. As I padded through the apartment, I saw Giselle asleep on the couch, her phone still in her hand, looping the same short video over and over. I gently took the phone, turned it off, and draped a blanket over her before heading out.

The streets were quiet at this hour. The walk was peaceful, the cold night air a relief after being cooped up for so long.

The bright lights of the convenience store were already in sight, but something else caught my attention: steam rising from a small tteokbokki stand on the sidewalk. The scent triggered an immediate growl from my stomach. Fresh, piping hot tteokbokki sounded way better than microwaved food. I glanced at the store and noticed they also sold 마약김밥 and ice-cold grapefruitade. Perfect.

As I approached the stand, a sweet old lady greeted me with a warm smile. "Oh, young man! Good evening. What can I get for you?"

"Good evening, Halmeoni!" I said, matching her energy. "Can I have one tteokbokki and five kimbaps, please?"

She got right to work, scooping a generous portion of tteokbokki onto a plate and arranging the kimbaps neatly. "Enjoy!" she said, sliding the plate toward me.

"네, 잘 먹겠습니다.(Yes, I will eat well.)"

I was about to take my first bite when I heard footsteps approaching the stand, accompanied by a voice that sounded strangely familiar. "Halmeoni! One tteokbokki and three kimbaps, please!"

I turned to look, and my body froze.

It was her. The girl from my dreams.

My chopsticks slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the tray.

"Oh? Sohyun-ah!" the old lady said, her face lighting up. "It's so late! I thought you already had dinner?"

While they chatted, I sat there, stunned. Am I still asleep? No. I definitely woke up.

Sohyun's voice pulled me out of my daze as she pointed at my fallen chopsticks. "Hey, I think you dropped these."

I looked down, embarrassed, but before I could reach for them, Halmeoni handed me a fresh pair with a knowing smile.

I took a bite of my food, trying to compose myself. Sohyun sat down beside me and, to my surprise, tried to start a conversation.

"You're not a regular here, are you?" she asked.

My mouth full of tteokbokki, I could only manage a derpy, "Huh?"

She let out a breathy laugh and repeated herself.

I swallowed quickly. "No, actually. I didn't even know this place existed."

"Yeah, not many people do," she said, nodding. "It's either too late at night, or they just go for the convenience store food."

I nodded and kept eating, the silence between us a little awkward. But she broke it easily.

"I'm Sohyun, by the way." She extended her hand.

I stared at it for a second, then shook it. "Younghyun."

"So, what brings you here tonight, Younghyun?" she asked, chewing thoughtfully.

I gestured vaguely with my chopsticks. "This was one of the only places open this late. It was either this or pre-packaged food."

She hummed in understanding, popping a piece of kimbap into her mouth. We ate in comfortable silence for a moment, the only sounds were the gentle bubbling of the tteokbokki and the distant hum of a streetlight.

But I couldn't shake the feeling. The way she tilted her head when she chewed. The way her beauty marks caught the faint glow from the stand's hanging lamp. It was her. Exactly her.

Finally, curiosity burned through me. "This is going to sound insane," I blurted out, "but have we… met before?"

Sohyun glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. "I don't think so, no."

"No, I mean—" I hesitated, already feeling ridiculous. "I've seen you. In my dreams. Like, multiple times."

I expected her to laugh, or edge away, or maybe flag down Halmeoni for help. Instead, she went completely still. Her chopsticks hovered mid-air, a piece of tteokbokki dripping red sauce back onto her plate.

"What did you say?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"I know how it sounds," I said quickly, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's just—there was this park. A sunny afternoon. You were wearing a sundress and a cardigan, carrying two grapefruitades. You sat next to me on a bench because your date stood you up."

The color drained from her face, then rushed back in a deep blush, then she whispered. "On the bench. Under the oak tree."

My heart slammed against my ribs. "Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I thought it was just a dream, a really vivid one." she said, setting her chopsticks down. “You even made a joke about being my rebound date."

"I still cringe thinking about it," I admitted with a wince.

A shaky laugh escaped her. "No, It was funny. And then—" She paused, her brow furrowing. "Everything started to fade. Like static on a TV. And I couldn't tell you my name properly."

"It came out all warbled," I finished. We stared at each other, the weight of the realization settling between us like a living thing.

"This is…" Sohyun trailed off, shaking her head. "This isn't normal, right? Two people having the same dream?"

"It shouldn’t be," I admitted. "But I've been thinking about it and you all day. Your eyes, your smile, the way you looked at me like you knew something about the world that wasn't all bad. I couldn't shake it."

Her lips parted slightly, her dark eyes, those eyes, searching mine. "I couldn't either," she confessed quietly. "I woke up and felt like I'd lost something. Someone. And I didn't even know your name."

The night air felt charged, electric. Halmeoni busied herself with wiping down the counter, pretending very hard not to listen, though the occasional glance she threw our way suggested she was thoroughly invested in this late-night drama.

I took a breath. Then another. My heart was hammering so loud I was half-convinced she could hear it. I set my chopsticks down carefully, lining them up neatly on the edge of my plate, a pointless gesture, but it gave my hands something to do.

Sohyun watched me, her dark eyes unreadable but warm, that tiny smile still playing at the corner of her lips. Up close, under the warm glow of the stand's hanging lamp, I could see every detail I'd only glimpsed in my dreams: the way her hair fell softly against her cheeks, the faint shimmer of lip balm, the beauty mark on her left cheek that I'd wanted to reach out and touch since the moment I saw her.

Say something, you idiot.

"Sohyun," I started, then immediately forgot every word I'd ever known. My mouth felt dry. I grabbed my grapefruitade and took a long sip, the cold sweetness doing nothing to calm my nerves.

She tilted her head, amused. "Yes?"

"I know we literally just met," I began again, setting the drink down carefully so she wouldn't see how my hand was shaking. "Like, actually met, not dream-met. And I know this is probably the most insane thing that's ever happened to you—to either of us, really. Two strangers having the same dream? That's not something that happens in real life. That's something that happens in dramas, or in those webtoons my roommate is always reading where the characters are secretly soulmates or whatever."

I was rambling. I knew I was rambling. But I couldn't stop.

"And maybe this is just some weird coincidence. Maybe we both drank too much Grapefruit juice and had weird dreams and our brains just happened to make up the same person. That's possible, right? That's a thing that can happen?"

Sohyun's smile widened, but she stayed quiet, letting me dig my own grave.

"But what if it's not?" The words tumbled out faster now. "What if there's actually something here? Because I've been thinking about you all day and I didn't even know your name until five minutes ago. I walked home from campus looking for you. I literally thought I saw you on the street and I rubbed my eyes so hard I almost gave myself a headache. And when I woke up from that second dream, I felt—" I stopped, struggling to find the right word. "Empty. Like something was missing. Like you were missing."

The admission hung in the air between us. Sohyun's expression shifted, the playful amusement softening into something deeper, more vulnerable.

I swallowed hard. "So I'm just going to say this before I lose what's left of my nerve."

I turned on my stool to face her fully, my knee almost bumping hers under the narrow counter. The world around us, the convenience store, the empty street, Halmeoni pretending to rearrange her sauce bottles—all of it faded into background noise.

"Sohyun, would you want to go on a date with me? A real one." I gestured vaguely between us. "Not in a dream. Not in a park that might dissolve into static the second I try to look at you or whatever. But here. In the real world. Where I can actually talk to you and you can actually answer back."

A breathless laugh escaped her, and the sound made my chest ache in the best way.

"I know this is fast," I continued, lowering my hand. "I know we're basically strangers who accidentally shared a brainwave or whatever the hell just happened. But I also know that when I woke up from that first dream, I felt like I'd lost someone I'd known my whole life. And when I saw you standing here tonight, I felt like—" I pressed a hand to my chest, right over my heart. "Like something clicked into place. Like my body knew you before my brain caught up."

I looked down at my plate, suddenly embarrassed by my own honesty. "And I just yapped and you probably think I'm crazy."

For a long, agonizing moment, she didn't respond. I could feel her gaze on me, studying my face like she was searching for something. The silence stretched, filled only by the distant hum of the streetlight and the soft bubbling of the tteokbokki.

Then I felt her hand cover mine on the counter.

I looked up.

Her eyes,those eyes, dark and warm and full of that familiar mischief—were glistening. Not with tears, exactly, but with something close. Something tender.

"Younghyun," she said softly, and the way my name sounded in her voice made my heart stutter. "When I woke up from that dream this afternoon, I cried."

The confession hit me like a wave.

"I didn't understand why," she continued, her thumb tracing a slow circle on the back of my hand. "But I woke up, and my cheeks were wet, and I just lay there staring at the ceiling, feeling like someone had reached into my chest and taken something important."

She let out a shaky breath. "I tried to forget about it. I told myself it was just a dream, just my brain being weird. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw you. Sitting on that bench. Making that stupid joke about being my rebound date. Looking at me like I was—" She paused, her voice catching. "Like I was someone worth looking at."

My throat tightened.

"And then Halmeoni texted me," she said, a watery laugh escaping her. "She said she was staying late to clean the stand and asked if I wanted free dinner because she made too much food. I almost said no. I was tired, I had homework, it didn't make sense to walk all the way here at midnight. But something—" She pressed her free hand to her chest, mirroring my gesture from earlier. "Something told me to come."

She squeezed my hand. "And now you're here. Sitting next to me. Telling me you dreamed of me too. Telling me you felt empty without me." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "How is that possible, Younghyun? How is any of this possible?"

I shook my head slowly. "I don't know. But I don't think I care."

She laughed again, softer this time, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Before I could think about it, my free hand lifted, and I caught it with my thumb, wiping it away gently. Her skin was warm, soft. She leaned slightly into my touch, just for a second, and the gesture felt more intimate than anything I'd ever experienced.

"Sohyun," I whispered. "Go on a date with me."

She turned her head, leaning towards the warmth of my palm before pulling back. The action was so impossibly tender, that I forgot how to breathe.

"Yes," she said, and the word was firm, certain, even as her eyes shimmered. "Yes, Younghyun. I'll go on a date with you."

"Yeah?" My voice cracked embarrassingly.

"Yeah." She smiled, that smile, the one that creased the corners of her eyes, the one that said she knew something about the world and it wasn't all bad. "But you're buying grapefruitade this time. The ones in the fancy cafes."

A laugh burst out of me, loud and unguarded, and she joined in, our laughter mingling in the cool night air like it belonged together. Like it had always belonged together.

From behind the counter, Halmeoni let out a satisfied "Aigoo," and I swear I saw her wipe her eye with the corner of her apron.

Sohyun and I looked at each other, her hands still on mine across the narrow counter, and I realized that for the first time in weeks I didn't feel tired. I didn't feel empty. I didn't feel like I was just barely surviving.

I felt awake.

"Saturday?" I asked. "There's this little café near Hongdae that does amazing egg tarts. And after, if you want, we could walk along the stream.”

“Oh my god, I love egg tarts!” She nodded quickly, still smiling. "Yes, Saturday sounds perfect."

"Great, you’re gonna enjoy the place then. But now that we have that, can I please get your number? The real one, I mean. Not the dream version where it's just a jumble of numbers that don't actually work." 

She laughed and pulled out her phone. We exchanged numbers, the simple act feeling monumental, and I saved her contact with a photo I took right there—her mid-laugh, head tilted back, beauty marks on full display.

She also took a photo of me while saving her contact on my phone. "This is going to be my contact photo for you."

"What am I going to be saved as?" I asked.

She glanced at her phone when it buzzed, then looked up at me with that mischievous glint in her eyes. "Dream Boy."

I groaned. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She typed something, and my phone buzzed. I looked down.

"Dream Girl"

I stared at the screen, then at her, then back at the screen. She was watching me, clearly delighted by my reaction.

"See? Even you did it!" She teased.

"That's—" I started.

"That’s what, perfect?" She further teased.

“Yes. Yes it is perfect!” I retaliated.

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and she ducked her head, hiding her smile behind her hand. The gesture was so shy, so different from the confident way she'd teased me moments before, that I felt my heart squeeze all over again.

Halmeoni chose that moment to reappear, sliding two small cups of complimentary kimbap toward us. "On the house," she announced, beaming. "For the happy couple."

"We're not a couple yet," Sohyun protested weakly.

"Yet," Halmeoni repeated, winking at me. "Young man, don't mess this up."

"Yes halmeoni," I said, and I meant it with my whole chest. "I won’t."

Sohyun looked at me, really looked at me, and in her eyes I saw the same thing I felt: wonder, hope, and the faintest trace of fear, the kind that comes with finding something precious and being terrified of losing it.

We ate our meals in comfortable silence, shoulders almost touching, the night stretching endlessly ahead of us. And when we finally said goodbye an hour later, after exchanging numbers, social media handles, birth dates, favorite colors, and a dozen other small details that made her feel more real than any dream ever could, she hugged me.

Not a friendly hug, not a polite hug. A real one. Her arms wrapped around my waist, her head tucked under my chin, and she fit there like she'd been made for it.

"Saturday," she murmured against my chest.

"Saturday," I promised, leaning my chin on the top of her head.

Walking home, I caught myself smiling like an idiot. My phone buzzed.

Dream Girl: Just so you know, if this turns out to be another dream and I wake up alone tomorrow, I'm going to find you in real life and yell at you.

Me: It's not a dream. I promise.

Dream Girl: How do you know?

I stopped walking, looking up at the stars scattered across the night sky. For the first time in weeks, I felt rested. I felt present. I felt like the version of myself I'd been before the sleepless nights and the endless doomscrolling and the quiet despair of a job hunt that went nowhere.

Me: Because in my dreams, I always wake up before the good part. And right now? This feels like just the beginning.

Her reply came instantly.

Dream Girl: ❤️

Dream Girl: Saturday can't come soon enough.

I pocketed my phone, still grinning, and walked the rest of the way home under a canopy of stars, already counting the hours until I'd see her again.

Guys line up at her to bring her gifts almost every week just to get her attention. But she seems disinterested with them. But not me, she picked me over every one, but not in the good kind. Ever since she came to the school and became my blockmate, she decided to make my life miserable. Everything she did was seemingly designed to torment me and only me. 

She would push me around literally every time she saw me at the hallways of the university, or trip me over when I walked to class. Then there's this one time where she randomly smacked my face while I was studying in my seat. She would also make me do her homeworks and projects and if I didn’t do it she would tell me that I would suffer the consequences of being disobedient towards her. But today as the term ends, all of that will come to a halt for the time being, I get to rest my aching body from the schoolworks and bullying I receive from Sohyun. 

I am currently seated in front of my computer, playing games that I hadn’t had a chance to touch ever since the term started, trying to catch up. Then my phone suddenly rang. It was Xinyu, a part of Sohyun’s circle who I became friends with when we got partnered up for a school project. She gave me an invite to go to her birthday party that also served as a term-ender party, and said ‘everyone will come so you should too’. Everyone meant everyone so it’s not far off that Sohyun will definitely attend which made me not wanna go, but on the other hand I didn’t wanna disappoint Xinyu since it is her birthday that she invited me on. So I swallowed my fears and got ready to go to the party.

After some time, I got ready and hopped in my car to head to the mall first and got Xinyu a gift that she once told me she liked in a passing conversation. She said that she had liked perfumes of a specific brand and she is trying to collect them, so I got to the boutique of the said brand and bought a bottle of a perfume that had a hefty price tag that came with it. I got it wrapped and finally headed my way towards the party. 

The venue was no joke, it was a villa that had a overlooking view of the beach and I’m guessing that Xinyu’s family owned it. I could see the strobing lights from where I’m currently situated. I went inside the gates of the villa, and found myself an area where I could park the car. I finally got out of the car and went towards the entrance and saw that there was a man who had a checklist of the names who were invited to the party. When I got to the entrance the man asked for my name but luckily enough Xinyu walked by and saw me.

“Y/n! Oh my god, I’m glad you could make it!” said Xinyu as she reached for my hand around the guard’s body. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss this for anything!” as I held her hand back to signify that we know each other.

Xinyu then whispered something to the guard and the man let me in the house without checking my name on the list. She then hugged me and welcomed me to the party. While initiated with the hug I wished her a happy birthday and then gave her the gift I had prepared for her.

“Oh my god, Y/n! You shouldn’t have!” as Xinyu grabbed the gift. She then opened it in front of me and the gleam in her eyes as she saw what my present was told me that she liked the gift I gave her.

“Oh my, thank you so much Y/n!” She then initiated another hug that was quicker than the first one.

“I had just run out of this one, you saved me the inconvenience of going to the store!” she continued.

“Well, I’m glad you liked it and I’m that I could be of service!” I answered. 

She then excused herself and had to go and welcome other people to the party, I let her be and then she went away not without telling me to enjoy the party.

So I did, I explored the villa and met some of the people whom I haven’t had the chance to interact with when we’re in school. There’s this girl Giselle, who had very striking red hair that greatly compliments her beauty. She told me that she just transferred to the university due to her parents moving to the country for business, when I asked her from where she was from, she told me that she was from Japan, which struck me a surprise because I was originally from Japan as well, we then code switched to Japanese much to everyone listening to our conversation’s chagrin, and we easily became friends. 

After a lengthy conversation with Giselle about our lives, I excused myself to go to the kitchen and get myself a drink. While getting a drink and some snacks, a familiar voice came from behind me that made my shoulders tense up.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

The voice cut through the party chatter, instantly recognizable even before I turned around. Sohyun stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her expression unreadable in the dim lighting.

I took a steadying breath before answering. "Xinyu invited me," I said, keeping my voice even despite the way my pulse jumped.

Sohyun's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Did she now?" There was that familiar edge to her voice, though quieter than usual. "Guess she's feeling generous tonight."

My fingers tightened around my cup, but I forced myself to relax. "Yeah, guess so," I said with a shrug. I hoped it looked more casual than it felt. "Have a good time, Sohyun."

I turned to walk away before she could respond, weaving through the crowd toward where some classmates were talking. The music and laughter helped drown out the tension still coiled in my shoulders, and for a while, I almost forgot about the encounter.

But when I glanced back across the room later, I caught Sohyun watching me with that same inscrutable look. She quickly turned away when she noticed me looking, leaving me to wonder what was going through her head.

At first, I thought ignoring her would work - that if I didn't react, she'd eventually lose interest. But Sohyun had other plans. Like a shadow I couldn't shake, she inserted herself into every conversation, every group I tried to join. The worst part? She made it look effortless. With her natural charm and social grace, she'd take over the discussion within seconds, leaving me standing there like an awkward afterthought.

Then came the interruptions. The subtle digs. The way she'd casually drop "loser" into conversation like it was my actual name, flashing that razor-sharp smile as strangers chuckled with uncertainty. Each time, I'd feel my face grow hot, my words dying in my throat as I mumbled excuses and retreated to another corner of the party.

This cruel dance continued all night - her pursuing, me retreating - until something inside me snapped. There's a strange clarity that comes when you hit your breaking point. All the embarrassment, the frustration, the swallowed comebacks crystallized into one undeniable truth: tonight, Sohyun had gone too far.

It was when I was talking to our senior, Yooyeon noona. 

It was quite tame at first, it was just her interrupting our conversations with her being loud. She kept laughing brazenly near me and she kept calling for my attention repeatedly. Then it escalated to her being quite touchy towards me. She kept touching my face, squeezing my cheeks with a single hand, and she kept exploring my shoulder with her hands. She kept shaking me, completely interrupting Yooyeon noona and I’s conversation. 

So I excused myself to Yooyeon noona and grabbed Sohyun by her arms and went towards a quiet area deep inside the villa to confront her.

“What the hell is your problem?!” My voice ripped through the air, raw with anger.

Sohyun just kept giggling, that infuriating, mocking sound scraping against my nerves. “Oh, come on. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“You think this is funny?” My hands clenched at my sides. “I haven’t had a single real conversation since you started this bullshit. Do you get off on ruining things for me?”

She tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. “Why would anyone waste time talking to a loser like you?”

“And besides,” she added, flicking her hair over her shoulder, “it’s not like you’ve got anything interesting to say anyway.”

Something inside me snapped.

“You know why nobody actually likes you, Sohyun?” The words tore out of me, sharp and venomous. “Everyone tolerates you because of Xinyu. That’s it. If she dropped you tomorrow, you’d be nothing. Just some bitter, lonely girl nobody wants around.”

Her smirk faltered, but I wasn’t done.

“What, did your parents not love you enough? Is that why you’re like this? Desperate for attention, even if it’s negative?”

Her face changed—the arrogance crumbling into something hollow, wounded. But my anger was a wildfire now, unstoppable.

“Or maybe you were always second best. Maybe everything you do is just you screaming, ‘Look at me! Pick me!’—”

“Shut up.” Her voice was low, dangerous. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

“Or what?” I stepped closer, my pulse roaring in my ears. “You’ll punch me again? Go ahead. It’s not like you know how to deal with anything except violence and mmm—”

Her hands shot out, gripping my collar pulling me towards her—and then her lips crashed into mine.

I tried to push her off of me, but her grip was too tight—her fingers dug into the collar of my shirt like she was afraid I’d vanish if she let go. At first, I resisted, my hands pressing against her waist in protest, but the desperation in her kiss was overwhelming. The way her lips moved against mine, trembling and insistent, made my resolve crumble. Before I knew it, I was kissing her back, the tension between us igniting into something feverish and uncontrollable. The kiss was already heating up, but it became even more intense when she suddenly shoved me against the hallway wall, her body pressing into mine as if trying to erase any space left between us.

Then I noticed it—the dampness on both of our faces. At first, I thought it was sweat from the heat of the moment, but when I pulled back slightly, I saw the tears streaking her cheeks. She was crying, her breath hitching between kisses, yet she refused to break contact, her lips still clinging to mine as if they were her only anchor. The salt of her tears mixed with the taste of her mouth, and my chest ached with the weight of whatever pain she couldn’t voice. Why was she crying? Why did this kiss feel like a plea? The hallway around us blurred, the only thing real being the warmth of her body and the quiet, shuddering sobs she couldn’t hold back.

She then let go of our lips but she kept crying. 

“I’m so sorry, Y/n… I’m so sorry.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, broken and small as she kept her head bowed. Tears darkened the fabric of my shirt where they fell. I froze for a moment—unsure how to respond—before instinct took over. Gently, I pulled her against me, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other pressed protectively against her shoulder blades. She shuddered, her apologies muffled against my chest, her fingers clutching fistfuls of my sleeves like I might vanish if she let go.

Time blurred. The party’s noise faded into a distant hum, leaving only the sound of her slowing breaths and the occasional hiccup of fading sobs. When she finally lifted her head, I turned away, my jaw tight—but her fingers, warm and trembling, brushed my cheek and guided my gaze back to hers.

“I mean it,” she said, her eyes red-rimmed but steady. “I’m sorry for everything. The bullying. The teasing. The way I humiliated you in front of everyone—” Her voice cracked. “—even the kiss. That wasn’t fair.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but she pressed a finger to my lips. “Please, let me finish?”

I nodded, and her hand slid back to cup my face, thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone as if memorizing it.

“I didn’t know how to talk to you,” she admitted. “With others, I could fake it—laugh, flirt, play the part. But you? You were kind to me from the start, even when I didn’t deserve it. It terrified me.” A faint, self-deprecating smile flickered across her lips. “So I teased you. Pushed you away. Because if I could make you hate me, then I wouldn’t have to face how much I—” She swallowed. “—how much I liked you. And the more I felt it, the worse I acted.”

My breath caught. She liked me? The confession hit like a punch to the ribs, leaving me lightheaded.

“But why not just talk to me?” I asked, voice rougher than I intended. “Why push me away if you wanted me close?”

Her thumb stilled. “Because you were right earlier,” she whispered. “About… all of it. My family. The attention. The way I—” She exhaled sharply, as if the words burned. “I didn’t know how to ask for what I needed. So I took it instead.”

Her words hung between us, raw and vulnerable. I couldn’t meet her gaze—not when my own guilt churned inside me like a living thing.

She’d liked me all along.

Sohyun, perceptive as ever, gently squeezed my hand. “Hey,” she murmured, her thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Don’t look like that. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I earned every bit of your anger tonight.” Her smile was small but genuine, the kind that crinkled the corners of her eyes.

A quiet settled over us, thick but not uncomfortable. The distant pulse of music and laughter from the party felt worlds away. I exhaled slowly, my breath ruffling her bangs.

“Sohyun… this is a lot to process,” I admitted. “It’s not every day your—” I bit back tormentor just in time, “—the person who’s been on your case for months confesses they like you. But I will give you an answer. Just… give me some time?”

Her entire face lit up—eyes sparkling, lips parting in disbelief. The anxious tension in her shoulders melted away, leaving behind a hopeful, almost giddy energy I’d never seen from her before. In that moment, with her guard down and her heart in her eyes, I finally saw her. Really saw her.

“Yes! God, yes—take all the time you need!” She released me abruptly, as if remembering herself, and took two steps back. The sudden space between us felt charged, electric. Then, inexplicably, we both laughed—a soft, disbelieving sound that dissolved the last of the night’s bitterness.

“We should probably get back before Xinyu looks for us,” I said, nodding toward the crowded living room.

Sohyun grinned—a full, unrestrained smile that transformed her face—and fell into step beside me. But just before we reached the others, she caught my wrist and spun me toward her.

“Y/n,” she said, voice dropping to a whisper. “Can I kiss you again?”

My eyebrows shot up. This girl…

But the teasing retort died on my tongue when I saw her expression—hopeful but uncertain, as if bracing for rejection. So instead, I huffed a laugh and leaned in.

Her answering smile could’ve powered the entire city. Then her hands were in my hair, pulling me down, and her lips met mine—softer this time, sweeter, but no less electric. When we parted, she lingered close enough that our noses brushed.

“For luck,” she whispered, then darted off toward her friends, leaving me standing there, heart pounding, as the party’s noise rushed back in.

It has been a while since the party and Sohyun’s confession and it has been eating at my mind. I had never expected for Sohyun to actually like me and her previous actions towards me didn’t help at all, and now I can’t get her off my mind, the way her lips felt on mine, the softness she hasn’t shown me from the beginning, now lingers on my face and my skin. It’s like she is still holding me and being vulnerable again and I can’t do anything about it. 

Now, the break is over and we’re back in school. Everyone who I met at the party became somewhat friendly and shared greetings when I made my way to the room assigned to me. When I got into the room, I was surprised to see Xinyu as a classmate this term, so I sat next to her and we talked about the vacation and the party. She then said something that caught me off guard. “So, I heard from the grapevine after the party that something happened between you and Sohyun. Mind expanding my knowledge about it?” My shoulders tensed, and when I looked at her, her eyes were showing curiosity, so I carefully asked questions as to what she knew.

“What have you heard about?” I carefully asked Xinyu. 

“Well, someone told me that Sohyun kept pestering you and then you walked off somewhere, taking her with you. That’s all I know.” Xinyu replied.

I took a deep breath and contemplated if I should tell her everything that happened after the confrontation, but after some thinking and since we were still the only people in the room. I decided to tell her some things not all but from what I think would satisfy her.. From everything that I told Sohyun and the confession that she had liked me for quite a while, and the kiss that happened between us. 

Xinyu started to squeal and hit my arms because of what she had just heard. She kept laughing and squealing and I can’t help but feel embarrassed. But then the door suddenly opened and a familiar voice called out to Xinyu. A voice I became quite fond of, Sohyun, who had walked in on the door.

“Hey guys! Oh hi Xinyu!” Sohyun voiced out and it seemed like she hadn't recognized me yet because I was facing Xinyu. But when I turned around, her shoulder tensed up and her face turned red as soon as she saw me. 

“H-hi Y/n.” greeted Sohyun.

A big smile was on my face as soon as I saw her. Not moments later, Xinyu decided to tease the both of us 

“Hey Sohyun! How’s your break? I heard it was quite eventful.” her smile sinister, while wiggling her eyebrows towards the both of us.

Sohyun turned even redder than she already is and it seemed like she had caught on quite quickly. She rushed towards me and she hit my arms but with less force than she used to do.

“YOU. TOLD. HER. WHAT. HAP—PENED?!!” her hits matching every syllable that came out of her. I laughed at her antics but caught her arms and held onto it. “Well, I figured that you’re her friend and it happened in her house, I thought she should know.” I told Sohyun while giving her a smile. 

She put her bag on the back of the chair in front of her and sat down on the vacant seat next to me, pouting while crossing her arms, acting like she hated the both of us. Nothing much happened after that, it was just Xinyu’s continuous teasing until the class filled up with other students and the professor started her lecture. During the lecture, while I was taking notes, a hand suddenly reached for my free hand, I looked into it and it was Sohyun, sneakily trying and failing to hold my hand, so I instead reached for hers and held it discreetly. Hiding it for the meantime. I thought we were sneaky but when I was trying to fix my hair, I saw Xinyu, grinning from ear to ear, teasing us, but Sohyun and I just let it happen and continued on listening to our professor while our hands joined.

After the school day, Sohyun asked me to join her to walk to our dorms. I agreed and we both said goodbye to Xinyu as her chaperone was already waiting for her outside. While on the way to the dorms, I had thought about ‘updating’ our ‘relationship status’, but I guess that the thought was also occupying Sohyun’s mind because she had beat me to opening up the topic.

“You know Y/n, it’s been a while since we last had a conversation with just the two of us. The last one was at–”

“Xinyu’s party!”

“--Xinyu’s party.”

We both looked at each other and laughed at what just happened.

“So I was wondering–” she continued.

“--if you already had your answer?” 

Silence had filled both of us as we continued to walk towards our dorms. She walked behind me the entire time, maybe in anticipation of my answer. I already had an answer, and I do like her as well. After she had been vulnerable with me, I immediately understood where the bullying came from. She hadn’t learned to express herself, and what she did was her way of communicating that she wanted people’s attention. Her past actions, though hurtful, now made sense—they were cries for connection, masked in defiance and aggression. It was as if a puzzle piece had clicked into place, revealing a picture of loneliness I hadn’t seen before.

When we finally got to the dorms, I walked her to her room, the quiet between us heavy with unspoken words. The moment I looked towards her, I could see that her eyes were filled with curiosity, anxiety, and love—emotions so raw and honest that they solidified the answer I had for her. My chest tightened with a mix of tenderness and resolve. I knew then that I wanted to be someone who could help her find better ways to be seen, to reassure her that she didn’t have to push people away to keep them close. The hallway light flickered above us, casting fleeting shadows, but the certainty in my heart remained steady.

“S-Sohyun?”

The name left my lips like a fragile breath, barely audible over the quiet hum of the evening. She turned, her dark eyes meeting mine—patient, curious, but with a flicker of something deeper. Anticipation? Fear?

“Hmm?”

I swallowed hard. The words had been circling my mind for days, clawing at my ribs, demanding release. Now, standing before her, they threatened to choke me.

“I… I have an answer for you.” My voice was steadier than I expected. “And it’s been living inside me for a while now.”

A beat of silence. The air between us grew heavy.

“At first,” I continued, watching her fingers twitch at her sides, “all I could think about was the past. The things you did. The hurt.”

Her breath hitched. The light in her eyes dimmed, like a candle flickering against the wind. She looked down, bracing herself.

“But then I realized something.” I stepped closer, my pulse roaring in my ears. “Maybe I don’t have to just remember the pain. Maybe… I can help you rewrite it.”

Her head snapped up. “W-What?”

“We can figure this out. Together.”

For a heartbeat, she didn’t move. Then—

A gasp. A tremble. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Instead, tears welled, spilling over in glistening streaks.

“You—you mean—?” Her voice was a shattered whisper.

I smiled, soft but sure. “Yeah. I like you too, Sohyun.”

A sob broke free. She crumpled forward, her forehead pressing against my chest as her body shook. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around her, holding her together as she fell apart. Her tears burned through my shirt, searing into my skin. And then—I felt it. The weight of her regret, her relief, her hope. It bled into me, and suddenly, my own vision blurred.

When she finally pulled back, her face was flushed, her lashes wet. But she was smiling. A real, trembling, radiant smile.

Then—

Her hands gripped my collar. She yanked me down.

Our lips crashed together, fierce and desperate. I froze—just for a second—before melting into her, kissing her back with all the words I couldn’t say.

When we broke apart, she was panting, her forehead resting against mine. “Thank you,” she whispered, voice raw. “I swear—I’ll be better. For you.”

The conviction in her words sent a shiver down my spine.

I chuckled, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. “I know.”

She sniffled, then abruptly smacked my chest. “You—you made me cry, you idiot.”

I laughed, but before I could retort, she was dragging me toward her dorm, her grip ironclad.

“Wait, Sohyun—?”

She spun, her eyes blazing with playful defiance. “Did you really think I’d let you leave after that?” A smirk curled her lips. “Get in here, pretty boy.”

The door slammed behind us.

And just like that—the past was behind us. The future? Uncertain.

But her hand in mine?