#yujimin

Synopsis: In your life where it’s stagnant, boring and extremely repetitive, you saw VHS tapes that reminds you on how beautiful life was back then.

Word Count: 519

Karina X Male Reader

Angst !!!

You live in a worn-down apartment not far from town. The yellow paint peels like sunburnt skin, stains map the walls in a language you’ve stopped trying to understand. The air is thick—cigarette smoke lingers, tangled with the faint scent of lilac oil you keep burning out of habit. Together, they create a smell that somehow captures exactly what your life has become: stagnant, tired, and quietly haunting.

Wake up. Smoke. Get ready for work. Work. Greet. Smile. Smoke again. Go home. Eat. Sleep.

Repeat.

You used to swear you’d escape this routine. Swore to your parents you’d do something with your life, anything. But dreams get heavy when you’re too anxious to risk failing them. Now, you’re just surviving the same pale cycle. The colors have all bled out.

One evening after work, you drop your old brown bag by the door—the same bag you stole from a dead man, some stranger’s husband. You light a cigarette, the fifth of the day, and climb to the attic. You don’t go there often. Dust waits like an old friend. You rummage through boxes: photographs with your parents, bits of childhood, old birthday cards. And then you see it.

A box.

Clean. Unlike the others. Like it hadn’t been forgotten as long.

Inside—three VHS tapes, each labeled in black marker: OK/HER.

You stare for a moment, then drag over your dying VHS player. It still works after a few smacks and a little coaxing. You insert the first tape.

It’s Karina.

Your old love.

You never really knew where she went after that night. She just… disappeared. No arguments. No closure. But her absence has echoed ever since. On screen, she’s laughing under the moonlight in a park, spotlighted like the lead in a play only you two knew.

“Hey Rina! Be careful!” your voice calls out from behind the camera, young and alive—almost unrecognizable now.

“Don’t worry, Y/N! I’ll be careful!” she giggles.

You let the tape run until it fades. Then the second. It’s the two of you, snuggled under blankets, whispering about things that felt permanent. You’re on your third cigarette now, your hands trembling, heart pounding faster than usual. Your eyes blur, not from the smoke.

You still haven’t moved on. Not really.

You’re living the very life you swore you wouldn’t. A life that reeks of settling, of faded memories and echoing regrets. The kind of life you couldn’t imagine when you were a kid because you didn’t know it was possible to die while still breathing.

Then there’s the third tape.

You don’t play it.

You don’t want to know if it holds her goodbye, or worse—nothing at all. The not knowing hurts less.

You stand, walk to the window, and throw the last VHS out. It shatters somewhere in the alley below. You pull the curtain shut like that’ll fix something. It doesn’t.

No lights on. No sound now but the flick of your lighter and the soft static of your record player coming to life.

You drop the needle.

OK Computer hums through the room

Track one.

사진작가 닝닝 📸

♡♡

[gender neutral]

the school bells ring; echoing through the halls, signaling the end of school for the week. your whole class sighs in relief, packing their bags.

“okay, kids. that’s all for today. enjoy your weekend.” the teacher dismisses the class; the students replying with their pessimistic greetings, tired from a week of school.

you look to your left, seeing karina still busy packing her bag. though, she suddenly pauses and turns around, facing you.

“can i come to your house today? let’s watch some netflix!”

“sure! let me just text my mom, hold on.”

you texted your mom letting her know that karina was coming in for a bit, to which she replied with a thumbs up emoji, making you chuckle.

“what did she say?” karina asks as she peers over your shoulder.

“yeah, let’s go.”

you and karina walk out of class, walking together back to your home.

you and her go way back, 10 years ago. it all started when your family first moved in to the neighborhood, and you (with just a tiny, tiny bit of help from your dear mother) made cookies for almost the whole neighborhood, where you happened to meet a little 7 year old karina.

ever since then, you and her have been best friends. you and her do practically everything together.

but karina has always viewed you as more than just that.

it started when you cheered her on as she did a presentation on front of the whole school, giving her the confidence to continue with her explanation, doing it flawlessly. ever since then she’s always noticed the little things you do for her.

case and point: when you’d put on her headphones as she’s sleeping in class to make sure she didn’t get woken up. or how you’d always bring her a coke after she finishes her weekly dance classes— or even simply when you’d lend her your hoodie when it’s a bit chilly outside.

she’s always felt like she hasn’t done all that much for you, even though you’re content with everything. sometimes she’d get insecure about the gifts she gets you for your birthdays even though you were perfectly happy with them.

today is the 10th anniversary of your friendship with her, (which, of course she kept track of. every. single. day.) she’d been thinking of this day for months— it was the perfect time to confess to you. a chilly november evening with you finally as her partner was everything she had always dreamed of. maybe even more.

karina had planned for everything for today. she could only hope it would go well.

“rina, we’re here,” you announce, breaking her out of her trance.

“oh— yeah. let’s go inside.” she takes off her cute sneakers, opening the door to your house to see a warm and cozy living space.

“it’s been a while since i’ve been here.” she says.

“true. it’s been a month. nothing’s really changed though. but my home feels better now that you’re back here.”

karina shyly smiles at your comment.

“anyway, what did you wanna watch so bad with me? or maybe.. did you miss me that bad? i’m honored,” you tease her.

“who knows? maybe i did miss you,” she grins.

“you’re acting all sappy now? gross,”

“you asked first.”

“i didn’t ask for you to be so corny.”

“whatever.” karina picks up the remote and turns it on, selecting netflix on the TV.

“seriously, what did you wanna watch?”

“it’s just this.. romance movie that just came out. you’ll see.” she scrolls around the app, finding the movie.

“when i.. fall for you? what’s it about?”

“it’s a love story about… two childhood friends.”

“just like us?”

“y-yeah.. just like us.” karina could feel the heat rising up to her cheeks.

“just play the movie!” you suddenly whisper in her ear, making her jump a bit.

“a-alright! you didn’t need to do that.”

she pressed the button on the remote, playing the movie.

“i’m actually pretty interested. it sounds like a fun concept.”

the movie starts, depicting a boy and a girl running around a field of grass, playing among themselves.

karina watches the movie intently, which didn’t go unnoticed by you. you saw her cutely biting her lips, with her big doe eyes glued to the screen. you chuckle at the sight.

the movie made you recall things that you did with her— things that you could never forget.

see, karina— she had never seemed to realize it, but you’ve always loved her. you love the way she subtly takes hold of your hand whenever she needs comfort (which was often). how she would giggle when you did something small for her— at first you didn’t know what the hell you were feeling. but after a whole night of reminiscing and thinking about her, you were sure it was love.

though, you weren’t sure if she felt the same.

halfway through the movie, karina had begun crying on your shoulder, crying at the fact that the main characters were being split apart by their homophobic parents; to which you could only smile at and gently caress her back.

“that— that’s horrible,” she says in between her sniffles. “i hate this movie!” she shouts.

after an hour, the movie ends; surprisingly happy, though bittersweet in some ways. karina could only look at you with her reddened eyes, glad that the movie finally ended.

“that was horrible,”

“that was great,” you reply, with a smile.

“it was both.” she says, a small frown in her lips.

she turns the TV off, stretching out her arms and legs in the process.

“do you wanna take a walk outside? it’s just 8 P.M.” she asks.

“sure,”

she quickly stands up, a bit dizzy from sitting for so long. you follow her from behind, opening the front door for her.

the instant you open the door, a breeze of cold fresh air enters your lungs, making you softly smile.

karina walks down the porch into the empty neighborhood road, with you following right behind again.

“the moon is really nice today.” you murmur.

“i wish it was like this everyday.” karina softly grabs the hem of your hoodie, playing with it.

“if it was like this everyday, wouldn’t moments like these feel less special?” you chuckle.

“hmm, you’re right.” she smiles. “..but you know what? i think… every moment with you is special.”

a moment of comfortable silence falls upon you and her.

but karina’s heart was beating faster than ever. now was the time. she just knew it.

karina plays with her fingers out of nervousness. every step matched with the beat of her heart. the butterflies—which previously lay still began to come alive in her stomach.

“um.. i uh.. i wrote this story a while back. i thought it was cute. would you like to hear it?”

“hmm? of course!” you smile at her.

she takes a deep breath.

“so.. there’s this girl and her best friend end. they’ve been best friends for.. a long, long time,”

“just like us?” you ask.

“just like us.” she reaffirms.

“her best friend has brown eyes and dark brown hair.”

“just like me..?” she nods.

“and— and the girl has black hair and light brown eyes, too. just like me.”

you gently smile.

“they have lots of fun together. they know each other’s family members well, they know each other’s friends well, they go to the same school, they have the same favorite foods and colors… just like us.”

you simply nod.

“but.. h-here’s the catch. the girl had always liked her best friend… a lot. no— not like. she’s always loved her best friend… since they were little.,”

you slowly raise an eyebrow.

“she… she loves the way her best friend looks at her, how her best friend treats her, how they would cheer her on and support her with anything she does. and— and she’d always notice the small things her best friend would do for her. it all makes her so happy that her friend cares about her that much.”

she pauses for a bit.

“so.. the girl wanted to tell her best friend that.. that she loves them. so much. more than they could ever imagine.”

your eyes widen.

“and.. yes. just— just like us.”

you grab her hand as she reaches out to yours.

“the girl wanted to tell her bestfriend that… that when she falls for.. you..even harder than she already is.. she wants you to grab her hand and jump in with her. together.”

you frantically embrace her in your arms.

you feel her tears wet the back of your hoodie; her soft sobs echoing in the night.