my advice is always ruin the friendship
SYPNOSIS ââ In which you and Sean had been best friends since childhoodâuntil somewhere along the way, you started noticing him differently. Maybe it was the lingering glances, or the way he always seemed to choose you first. Either way, falling for your best friend was never part of the plan.
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Valerie didnât remember when Sean became part of her life.
âWait for me!â Small footsteps pounded against the pavement as Valerie ran, her backpack bouncing awkwardly behind her. Up ahead, Sean stopped and turned, already sighing like heâd been inconvenienced for hours instead of seconds.
âIâm not slow, youâre just too fast!â
Valerie reached him and immediately grabbed his arm, catching her breath and giggled. âYouâre stuck with me.â
Sean rolled his eyes, but he didnât pull away.
He never did. It stayed like that.
Through scraped knees and shared lunches. Through late-night calls that lasted until one of them fell asleep mid-sentence. Through exams, bad days, and everything in between.
If Valerie was there, Sean wasnât far behind. If Sean showed up, Valerie didnât ask why. They didnât need to.
By high school, people had started noticing. âYou two dating or what?â Valerie nearly choked on her drink. âWhat? No.â Sean huffed out a quiet laugh. And just like that, it passedâlike it always did.
âOh my God, Sean, open the door!â Valerie pounded harder, leaning closer to the wood. âLOSER, WEâRE GONNA BE LATE!âNo response. She pulled out her phone, eyes widening. 7:43.
âYouâve got to be kidding meââ The door suddenly opened. Valerie barely had time to react before Sean appeared, hair a mess, eyes half-lidded, looking like a zombie.
She blinked. ââŠDamn. Did you even sleep?â Sean didnât answer. He just walked past her, dragging his feet toward the kitchen. âWow. Okay. Ignore me. Thatâs fine,â she muttered, following him. He grabbed a piece of bread from the counter and took a bite.
âYouâre unbelievable,â Valerie said, crossing her arms. âIâve been knocking for five minutes.â Sean shrugged slightly, still chewing. âDidnât hear you.â
âOf course you didnât.â
She stepped closer, watching him for a second. âMove.â Before he could react, Valerie snatched the bread right out of his hand.
âHeyâRie.â Too late. âThanks for the free food,â she said, already taking a bite. Sean stared at her, blinking once, then he swallowed.
ââŠYou have three seconds.â Valerie grinned. âOr what?â Sean exhaled, already done with her. âRie.â The tone changed just enough.
A warning. She knew that tone. And still, She ran. âValerieâ!â
They were already at school and still chasing each other. âIdiot arenât you tired?â Valerie called over her shoulder, breathless but still quick on her feet, refusing to slow down enough for him to catch her.
âRie,â Sean shot back, voice low but laced with a warning, âyouâre dead the second I get my hands on you.â She laughed, turning briefly just to see how close he was.
They reached the hallway leading to their classroom, footsteps echoing against the walls.
âOkay, okayâtime out!â Valerie suddenly said, stopping and holding up her hands. âIâm actually tired, you know.â She kept her distance, though, watching him carefully. Sean slowed to a stop a few feet away, slightly bent forward, catching his breath. âThis is your fault,â he said, exhaling sharply. âAnd now youâre complaining? Unbelievable.â
A quiet, breathless laugh escaped him. For a second, it looked like he was done.
Valerieâs eyes lit up. An opportunity. She grinned and ran.
âHEYâ!â Sean straightened instantly. âValerie, I swearâ!â But she was already gone.
Valerie burst into the classroom, the door slamming open louder than intended. Conversations cut off. Everyone turned. She didnât even flinch, brushing her hair back like nothing happened as she walked in, completely unfazed by the attention. A second later, Sean appeared at the doorway, slightly out of breath, clearly having chased her all the way.
There was a pause. âOh,â someone muttered. âThat explains it.â
A few students exchanged knowing looks, some shaking their heads with quiet amusement. âWhen are they ever gonna get tired of doing that every single day?â another said.
Valerie dropped into her seat like it was just another normal morning. Sean followed, slower this time, shooting her a look as he sat beside her. She smiled sweetly like she hadnât just caused all of it.
And it wasnât just that day. It was every day. The running, the arguing, the laughter that carried too loudly down hallwaysâit became routine. Something constant. Something that didnât need to be questioned.
And thatâs how their high school has passed.
âHave you found any club to join yet?â Valerie asked, walking beside Sean across campus, both of them eating their ice cream.
âYeah,â Sean answered casually, glancing at her for a second before looking ahead again. âIâm planning to join the band, you know?â He lifted his hand and started doing an imaginary guitar, fingers moving like he was actually playing something.
Valerie rolled her eyes, but the smile that followed was automatic âYouâre so weird.â Sean didnât react much to that, just shrugged like heâd heard it a hundred times before. âWhat about you?â he asked after a second, nudging her slightly with his shoulder. âWanna join the band with me?â
Valerie let out a short laugh, like the idea itself was ridiculous. âYeah, no. Iâve been stuck with you ever since, Iâm not signing up for that again.â Sean scoffed. âYou say that like you have a choice.ââI do have a choice.â âNo, you donât.â
Valerie sped up her pace a little, walking ahead of him like that somehow proved her point. âAnd youâll be stuck with me until we get older,â Sean called after her, not even trying to catch up yet.âNo way.â âRie, whatâs that supposed to mean, huh?â âHey!â
The class had already ended 8 minutes ago. And Valerie was still sitting at her desk, staring at a pile of random club recruitment papers. She let out a long groan, dragging one of the papers closer just to look at it again. âWhy do they even require freshmen to join a clubâŠâ she muttered under her breath, flipping another paper. âI just want my own peaceful life alone.â
She dropped her head onto the desk, arms folded under her like a pillow, closing her eyes for a second just to escape the frustration even if it was only for a few minutes.
Then she felt something on her head. Cold. She flinched, lifting her head immediately, slightly annoyed and confused at the same time. And of course. It was him.
Sean stood beside her desk like this was the most normal thing in the world, holding out a drink like he had planned this exact moment. âYou werenât answering my texts,â he said casually. âSo I checked your schedule and figured youâd still be here.â
He placed the drink down in front of her desk. âAnyway, I brought your favorite. Iced Latteâ Valerie blinked at the drink, then at him. He didnât wait for her to respond, already tearing open the straw and pushing it into the drink before sliding it closer to her like he had done this a hundred times before.
Valerie took it without hesitation, taking a long sip like she really did need it. âThanks. I needed this.â âFigured,â Sean said simply. âI know you.â
He reached out and casually messed up her hair like she was some kind of pet, fingers brushing through it without asking. âHeyâstop,â Valerie said, grabbing his wrist to make him quit, but she didnât actually push him away. Sean just smiled at her. Widely. Weird.
Sean glanced at the papers scattered across her desk. âYou still havenât picked one?â Valerie leaned back in her chair. âThey all suck.â He picked them up anyway, flipping through them one by one.
Sean let out a small breath through his nose, setting the papers back down. âYeah⊠none of these are you.â Valerie tilted her head slightly. âThen what is?â Sean paused for a second, then reached into his bag. âI saw something earlier,â he said, handing her a flyer. âThey were putting these up in the hallway.â Valerie took it, setting her drink aside as she read.
Digital Media Club.
Photography. Videography.
Her expression shifted almost instantly. ââŠWait.â âYou like cameras, and taking picturesâ Sean said simply. âSo.â Valerie covered her mouth, eyes lighting up. âOh my Godâfinally.â She stood up quickly and hugged him without thinking. âYou know me so well!â Sean stiffened for a second, clearly not expecting itâbut didnât pull away either. âYeah,â he said after a beat. âObviously.âValerie pulled back just as quickly, smiling.
Valerie was still smiling when she pulled away from him, the excitement not leaving her face as she went back to her seat, grabbing the flyer again like she wanted to read every word properly this time. âDigital Media Club,â she muttered under her breath, almost to herself, eyes scanning the page again. âPhotography⊠videography⊠okay, thatâs actually perfect.â
Sean stayed where he was, leaning slightly against her desk, watching her without saying much, like he already knew she was going to overthink something in a few seconds. Valerie didnât notice. Not yet. She kept reading, more focused now, lips moving slightly as she went through the smaller text at the bottom. Then..she stopped. Her brows slowly furrowed. ââŠWait.â
Sean didnât move. âWhat.â Valerie leaned closer to the flyer, like maybe she read it wrong the first time. âSubmission required?â she repeated, quieter now.
She read it again. Slower. âCapture one photograph that represents a meaningful moment in your daily lifeâŠâ she murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. ââŠand create a 30 to 60 second video that tells a story, feeling, or routine.â Silence.
Sean blinked once. âOkay.â Valerie looked up at him slowly. âThatâs not just âokay.â Sean shrugged. âIt sounds easy.â âIt does not sound easy,â she said immediately, sitting up straighter now, holding the flyer up like she needed him to see the problem. âWhat do they even mean by âmeaningfulâ? What if nothing in my life is meaningful?â
âThatâs dramatic.â âIâm being serious!â She dropped the flyer onto the desk, frustration creeping in just as fast as her excitement had earlier. âI donât know what to take a picture of. I donât know what to film. A routine? I barely even have one!â She groaned, dragging her hands down her face before leaning back into her chair again.
âThis is already stressing me out.â For a moment, she just stared at the ceiling, like maybe the answer would magically appear there if she waited long enough. It didnât. Of course it didnât.
Sean watched her quietly, arms loosely crossed, not interrupting, not rushing herâjust letting her go through it like he always did. Then, after some timeâ âIâll help.â Valerie blinked, lowering her gaze back to him. ââŠWhat?â âI said Iâll help,â he repeated, like it wasnât anything big. âItâs just a photo and a video.â
âThatâs exactly why itâs hard,â she said, sitting up again. âIt has to mean something.â Sean tilted his head slightly. âThen just film something that already does.â
âThat doesnât help.â
âIt does. Youâre just overthinking it.â
âI am not overthinkingââ She stopped. Looked at him properly this time. ââŠYouâre actually going to help me?â Sean shrugged. âIâm not doing anything anyway.â That was enough.
Valerie stood up abruptly, chair scraping against the floor and grabbed his wrist without hesitation. âThen youâre stuck with me for the rest of the day.â âWaitââ Too late. She was already pulling him toward the door. âI didnât agree to that part,â Sean said, grabbing his bag quickly with his free hand as he got dragged along. âYou said youâd help.â âThatâs not the same thing.â âIt is now.â
âRieââ âNope. No backing out.â They stepped out into the hallway, Valerie still holding onto him like she might actually lose him if she let go. Sean let out a quiet sigh, adjusting his bag as he followed anyway. ââŠUnbelievable.â But he didnât pull away.
âOkay so⊠why this place?â Sean asks as they finally slow down after walking for a while, his voice carrying that familiar calm confusion like heâs trying to understand her but not really fighting it too hard. Itâs a place about 30 minutes away from campus, a quiet park sitting right beside the sea where the air feels different the moment you step in, softer somehow, like everything slows down without anyone asking it to.
Families are scattered across the grass, kids running barefoot while laughing over things that probably donât even matter, couples sitting close enough that they donât need to talk much, and somehow all of it together makes the place feel⊠alive in a way Valerie canât really explain.
âI figured Iâd film here,â she says while slowly looking around, already lifting her phone again as she walks forward without really stopping, her eyes moving from one small moment to another like sheâs trying to decide what deserves to be captured first. âLook at them,â she adds, nodding slightly toward the kids near the walkway chasing bubbles that float and disappear before they can even catch them, âthe families, the kids. And the sunset is coming too,â she continues, pointing ahead where the sky is already starting to shift into warmer tones near the horizon, âitâll look really good from the sea side there.â
âUh-huh?â Sean replies, but thereâs that slight confusion in his voice again, like heâs following her but not exactly seeing what sheâs seeing yet, though he doesnât sound like heâs against it either, just⊠curious.
Valerie doesnât really answer properly this time, already drifting a few steps ahead while lifting her phone higher, letting it record small fragments of movement around herâpeople walking past, a child spinning in place for no reason, waves hitting the shore in a slow rhythm that somehow feels more constant than everything else around them. Sean just follows, not rushing her, not interrupting her flow, just staying close enough.Â
The sky begins to change slowly, it is now something warmer, softer, deeper, until suddenly everything feels like itâs glowing in a different tone. Valerie slows down without meaning to, her steps becoming smaller until she eventually stops completely, lowering her phone just slightly as she looks up instead of through the screen.
ââŠOh,â she murmurs under her breath, almost forgetting sheâs even recording anything at all. The sunset is fully there now, spreading across the horizon above the sea, reflecting off the water in soft gold and orange tones that move slightly every time the waves shift, making everything feel like itâs quietly breathing.
For a moment, she just watches. Then she remembers. âOhâwait,â she says softly, lifting her phone again, her voice quieter now like sheâs afraid sheâll ruin the moment if she speaks too loudly, âthis is actually perfect.â She starts recording again, but this time she moves slower, more careful, adjusting the frame like sheâs trying to hold onto something that keeps slipping away, letting the sunset fill most of the screen as she walks closer toward the shoreline.
And then, without really planning it she turns slightly. Still filming. Still recording the moment. But her camera shifts just a little to the side and Sean comes into frame. Standing there, facing the sea, hands in his pockets like always, completely unaware that heâs even being captured, just looking out at the view in front of him.Â
The sunset light hits him differently now, softer around the edges, stretching his shadow slightly longer behind him, blending him into the same warm colors reflecting off the waves. Valerie slows her movement again. Not stopping the recording. Just⊠holding it there.
But her eyes arenât on the screen anymore. Theyâre on him. Just for a second longer than usual.
The waves continued, steady and calm, and the sky kept shifting into deeper colors like the day was slowly closing itself without rushing. Then she lowers the phone a bit, not all the way, just enough to see him without the screen in the way, like sheâs trying to compare what sheâs filming and what sheâs actually seeing.
Sean looks back at her and gives a small wave, simple and casual like nothing about it matters. Valerie doesnât wave back. She just looks at him. After a few minutes she came back to her senses. âRight.. the photo..â she says in a low voice.
Valerie had been about to lower the camera completely when something small suddenly broke into the edge of her frame. A kid ran up to Sean without hesitation, tugging at his shirt like they already knew each other, talking too fast for Valerie to catch any of it clearly. She paused. Just for a second.
Sean looked down at the kid, clearly caught off guard, then crouched slightly so he could hear better, his expression still a little confused but not unkind. ââŠWhat,â he asked, softly. The kid only laughed and kept talking, hands moving everywhere like whatever they were saying was extremely important.
Valerie slowly lifted the camera again. Not thinking too much. Just⊠watching. And then Sean laughed. Not loud. Not forced.
Just a quiet, real laugh that slipped out while he listened to the kid, his shoulders loosening as if heâd forgotten to stay guarded for a second. The kid laughed too, and kept talking like Sean was the most interesting person heâd met. Valerie didnât move. Her finger pressed the shutter.
The moment froze in the camera. Sean crouched slightly, smiling faintly, still focused on the kid in front of him while the sea and sunset blurred softly behind them. Valerie lowered the camera slowly afterward, staring at the photo on the screen without saying anything for a moment longer than usual. ââŠOkay,â she murmured quietly.
Valerie only noticed it when she got home. The room was quiet, her bag already dropped by the desk, but she didnât move right away. She just sat down slowly and opened her phone, then the camera files, scrolling back through everything they filmed. The sunset video. Sean standing near the sea. The moment he looked back at her and gave that small wave, simple and casual like it didnât mean anything at all.
Then the photo. The kid pulling at his shirt. Sean crouched down, laughingâactually laughing, smiling in a way she didnât even realize she caught so clearly until now.
Valerie paused. Scrolled back again. Watched the video one more time. ââŠWait,â she murmured. It wasnât the sunset she kept replaying. It was him. In both. Her fingers stopped moving for a second as she leaned back in her chair, staring at the screen like she was only just realizing something she didnât plan to notice in the first place.
Her photo wasnât really the sea. Her video wasnât really the sunset. It was him. And now she had no idea what to write for the description. Silence filled the room for a moment, heavy in a way she couldnât really explain. Then she opened the submission form. Blank space. Waiting.
Short Description (50â100 words)
Valerie stared at it, her fingers hovered over the keyboard but nothing came out. She looked back at her phone again. At the sunset. At Sean. At the way he looked at her like it was nothing. At the way he laughed like he wasnât trying to be seen. And slowly, her expression shifted from frustration⊠to something quieter. Like she was realizing the problem wasnât writing it. It was understanding it. ââŠWhy is it all him,â she whispered, barely audible. She looked down at the blank box again. Then finally started typing.
Okay why am I running? Why am I running in the hallway? So eager. So desperate. So excited. Why?
I turned to someone passing by and quickly stopped them, barely even catching my breath as I asked, âHey, whereâs the Band Club?â âItâs on the 5th floor, room 505.â âOkay, thanks! I owe you!â I blurted out before running again, not even waiting to hear a reply.
When I reached the 5th floor, I was already out of breath. Seriously, why didnât I just take the elevator? That wouldâve been the smart thing to do. But no, I had to run like an idiot.
Okay. Okay. Room 505⊠room 50â Found it. I slowed down just slightly when I got close, peeking through the slightly open door first. Inside, they were already practicing. Guitars, soft noise, someone adjusting equipment.Â
And then I saw him. Sean. Holding a guitar. Standing like he actually belonged there in a different way than how he usually stands beside me. Focused. Serious. Completely in his own space. For a second, I just stayed there, watching without thinking.
Then I leaned into the door a little more, probably too suddenly, because all their eyes turned toward me at once. And Sean noticed. Immediately. His expression changedâjust slightlyâbut I saw it.
ââŠRie!â he called out, already moving toward me. He ran up to the door, worry clear in his voice as he reached me. âHey, hey, catch your breath. What happened?â The other band members looked between us, then at each other, already exchanging those little knowing looks people give when they think something is entertaining but theyâre trying not to show it.
I was still breathing hard, hands on my knees for a second before I straightened up, trying to speak but failing at first. âIâ Iâ I GOT IN!â My voice came out louder than I meant it to, full of excitement I couldnât even hold back. For a second, everything in me just spilled out at onceârelief, happiness, disbelief, all tangled together. Sean just stared at me. Then he blinked. And the tension in his shoulders loosened a little.
ââŠYou did?â he asked, like he needed to hear it properly. I nodded fast, still catching my breath, a smile already breaking through even though I was exhausted. And behind him, I could hear a few quiet laughs from the band members who definitely werenât even trying to hide it anymore.
Sean didnât look back at them. He just looked at me. Like I was the only thing that mattered in that moment. And for some reason, that made me even more excited.
After Valerie got in, things didnât really change the way people expected college to change things. It just⊠organized itself. Sean had Band. Valerie had Digital Media. Different rooms. Different floors. Different schedules. But somehow, they still kept ending up in each otherâs day like it was something neither of them questioned.
Most afternoons, Valerie would finish her club work first. Not because she was faster, but because she would get distracted halfway through filming something random and suddenly realize she had already done enough for the day. Sheâd step out of the Digital Media room with her camera hanging loosely around her neck, checking her footage while walking down the hallway without really looking up and then sheâd see him.
Sean. Leaning outside the Band room. Waiting. Not scrolling his phone. Not rushing. Just standing there like he had been there for a while already, even if he never said it out loud. ââŠYouâre early,â sheâd say, slowing down. âYouâre late,â heâd answer at the same time.
And that would be it. No explanation needed. Theyâd just walk. Other days, it was the opposite. Sean would come out first, guitar case in hand, shoulders slightly tired from practice, while Valerie would still be inside editing clips or messing with camera settings longer than she meant to.
And he would wait. Just quietly outside the room or sitting on the nearest bench like it was the most normal part of his routine. When she finally came out, still adjusting something on her screen, sheâd stop immediately. ââŠYou waited again,â sheâd say. âWhy wouldnât I be?â Valerie would look at him for a second. Then walk beside him anyway.
âAnnual Festival is coming up, you doing something there?â Sean asks while heâs putting down the lunch he bought for the both of us, the sound of the plastic bag rustling slightly as he sits down across from me like he already knows Iâm going to eat most of it without waiting.
âMhm,â I hum, already reaching for the food as soon as he finishes unpacking it. âIâm assigned to take videos for the montage.â I grab a piece of food and take a bite right away, not even bothering to slow down as I continue talking. âOh, I heard your band is performing on the last day,â I add, speaking while my mouth is still full, completely unbothered.
Sean just looks at me for a second like heâs judging me, but he doesnât say anything about it. Instead, he leans back slightly in his seat. âYup,â he replies. âWe are.â Thereâs a short pause before he adds, more casually than necessary, âMake sure to make me look handsome in your videos.â
I pause mid-bite. Then slowly look at him. âAs if Iâm gonna film you.â He doesnât react immediately, just raises a brow slightly like heâs used to me saying things like that. I take another bite anyway, chewing before continuing, âI have actual work to do. Not fan service.â âFan service,â he repeats flatly. âWhat?â âNothing.â I shrug and keep eating like the conversation is already over, but I can feel him still looking at me across the table, like heâs thinking about something he doesnât bother saying out loud.
A few weeks before the festival, things started to shift without either of them really noticing at first. They were busyâboth of them, caught up in their own routines, their own responsibilities, their own separate spaces that didnât always overlap the way they used to.mIt was the first time in years that they were seriously pursuing something that didnât revolve around each other, something that required their full attention even if the other wasnât around.
For the first time, they werenât always side by side. Or at least⊠it looked that way. Because somehow, it never really stayed like that. No matter how different their schedules became, no matter how long their practices or meetings went, they still ended up finding each other at the end of the day.
Their bond was like a magnet. No matter how far they were pulled into their own worlds, they always found their way back. And maybe the strangest part was⊠neither of them really noticed it. Or maybeâŠ..
Our relationship has always been normal. I mean, thatâs what childhood friends are supposed to be, right? We grew up together. Walked to school together. Went home together. Argued over stupid things together. It was routine. Familiar. Ordinary. Normal.
But lately⊠there were moments. The kind you donât notice at first unless you let yourself linger on them a little too long. Like how Iâve started looking at Sean a second longer than I used toâeven when he isnât doing anything worth staring at.
Before, I used to get annoyed that we were always together. Walking side by side every single day since we were kids felt more like an obligation than anything else. Iâd complain about it all the time. But now that our schedules are different, why do I keep waiting for him without realizing it? Or worseâWhy do I secretly want him to wait for me too?
No, no. Thatâs normal. Obviously. Weâve always done that. So then why does seeing him smile make me feel all weird lately? Why do I catch myself smiling back before I can stop it? Itâs not like I like him or anythiâa soft hand suddenly pressed against my cheek.
âTired?â Sean asked, tilting his head a little. âYouâre quieter than usual. Doesnât feel like you.â âH-Huh?â I blinked at him. âY-Yeah. Iâm just tired.â I forced out an awkward smile. âOkay.â He smiled back so casually, like he had no idea what he was doing to me.
Dudn. Dudn. Dudn. My heartbeat practically slammed against my ribs. I quickly looked away, shaking my head aggressively. âArgh, Iâm going insane!â And before he could say anything else, I started running.
âOkay, so since the festival is only a few weeks away, Iâm assigning some of you to take photos and videos for posters, teasers, and trailers that weâll post on social media. Just enough to give the studentsâand even outsidersâa little sneak peek of whatâs coming.â The president of the Digital Media Club said from the front of the room. I simply nodded along with everyone else.
âAlright, assignments.â Kei glanced down at his phone before reading them out loud. âIris, Kate, and Gabâyouâre assigned to take photos of the festival preparations. Valerie and Ian, youâre in charge of filming video clips for the different clubs. The rest who werenât mentioned will focus on editing and publication. Got it?â A chorus of nods and quiet yeses filled the room. âGreat. You can all go ahead and do your own thing now. Good luck, everyone!â
The meeting quickly dissolved into chatter and scraping chairs. I had just started packing my things when someone called my name âValerie!â I looked up. Ian. âOh, hey. Whatâs up?â
âI was thinking we should probably split the clubs weâre filming,â he said as he walked over. âIf we stick together the whole time, itâll probably take forever.â
âHere.â He pulled a folded paper out of his bag and handed it to me. âThese are all the clubs.â I unfolded it and immediately regretted looking.
Dance.
Debate.
Gaming.
Cooking & Baking.
Acapella.
Science.
Math.
And that wasnât even half of it. There were, like, ten more listed underneath. Dang. âSo?â Ian asked. âWhich ones do you wanna take?ââUhmâŠâ My eyes skimmed through the paper again until one word caught my attention. Band. Thatâs where Sean is.
âIâll film from Band until here.â I traced my finger down the middle of the list toward the last few clubs. It was a pretty even split. Ian nodded. âOkay, settled then. Iâll see you around.â âSee you.â He waved before walking off, and I waved back automatically.
âOkay and⊠two, three.â I signaled, slowly stepping backwards as I recorded the Theaterâs final pose. âAnd thatâs it!â I lowered my camera with a grin. A few students immediately relaxed, laughing as they broke formation. âThank you, everyone!â I said, giving them a small bow before wrapping things up.
After saying my goodbyes, I stepped outside the theater room and into the hallway. The noise from the festival preparations echoed throughout the buildingâstudents running around with posters, paint stains on uniforms, loud laughter somewhere down the corridor.
I looked down at my camera again, scrolling through every clip I had taken today. I checked each video carefully, making sure the angles looked decent and nothing came out blurry. âOkay⊠good so far,â I muttered to myself. âI just hope these shots are enough.â
I let out a small sigh before glancing at the last name written on my list. Band. For some reason, my stomach tightened. I stopped walking for a second. Why am I nervous? I had already filmed almost half of the club in the university today without a problem. So why does this one suddenly feel different? Is it because Seanâs there?
My eyebrows furrowed immediately. No. No, thatâs not it. I quickly shook my head, almost embarrassed by my own thought. âLetâs just finish this, Valerie. Okay?â I whispered to myself before finally walking toward the Band Club room.
The sound of instruments became clearer the closer I got. Electric guitar. Drums tapping softly. Someone laughing loudly in between. I stood in front of the door for a moment before knocking gently. Almost instantly, several heads turned toward me. Including Seanâs.
âOhâ hi, sorry to bother you guys,â I said awkwardly, lifting my camera slightly. âIâm from the Media. Would you mind if I take some videos for the upcoming festival promotions?â âYeah, of course!â one of them answered immediately. A very tall guy stepped forward with an easy smile. âIâm Martin, by the way. Head of the club.â He extended his hand toward me.
âValerie,â I replied, shaking it. âAnd since you guys are the headline performers for the last day,â I continued, âwe thought itâd be nice to include some sneak peeks for the trailers and posters⊠if thatâs okay?â
âOh, thatâs actually sick,â another guy suddenly said excitedly. He was tall, had thick eyebrows, and looked way too energetic. âIâm excited already.â âCalm down, Keonho,â someone beside him sighed. âEy, Juhoon, how am I supposed to calm down when weâre literally getting filmed?â Keonho argued dramatically. Laughter immediately filled the room.
I couldnât help smiling at their bickering. Then my eyes drifted toward Sean. He was sitting near the amplifier, electric guitar resting against him naturally like it belonged there. His sleeves were rolled slightly past his wrists, fingers lazily brushing against the strings while listening to the others talk. He looked up. Our eyes met. I gave him a small smile and waved lightly.
Before he could even respondââOhhhh, what is this?â Keonho suddenly interrupted, smirking while rubbing his hands together mischievously. âShut up,â Sean said flatly without even looking at him.âNo because the tensionââ âThere is no tension,â Sean cut in immediately. A loud snort came from the back of the room.
âThatâs what they all say,â another voice added. I turned toward the source and saw an older-looking guy leaning against the wall with crossed arms and an amused expression. âDonât mind them,â he said. âIâm James. Senior.â âTheyâve been bored all day.â
âHyung, donât expose us like that,â Juhoon complained from where he stood near the amplifier, bass hanging loosely over his shoulder. James only laughed. I shook my head, smiling despite myself, before lifting my camera again. âOkay, okay. Just pretend Iâm not here.â âThatâs impossible,â Keonho muttered dramatically from behind the drums. âKEONHO.â The entire room burst into laughter again.
âAlright, what song are we doing?â Martin asked as he adjusted the microphone stand at the center. âThe one we practiced yesterday would be nice,â Sean said casually, fingers brushing against the strings of his electric guitar. âAnyone disagree?â Martin glanced around. âYeah, itâs fine,â Juhoon answered with a shrug while fixing the strap of his bass. James nodded slightly from behind the keyboard. âWorks for me.â The others agreed almost immediately.
I started recording random snippets first while setting up my second camera on the tripod near the corner of the room. I adjusted the angle carefully until everyone fit into frame before pressing record. Then I moved around with my main camera, capturing different shots one by one. Keonho spinning his drumsticks effortlessly between his fingers. Juhoon crouched slightly while checking the bass cables near the amplifier. James leaning back behind the keyboard, absentmindedly pressing a few notes. Martin tapping the microphone twice before looking toward the band.
The room slowly settled into focus. Then they started. I adjusted my grip on the camera and checked one last time if my tripod camera was already recording.
Martin counted them in. âOne, two, three, four.â
âSo youâre on the prowl wondering whether
 She left already or notâŠâ
I blinked. Wait. No. 1 Party Anthem?
A smile almost escaped me immediately. I love this song.
The familiar melody filled the practice room softly, mixing with the faint static of amplifiers and the gentle hum of instruments. I started filming properly now, moving around carefully to capture every angle I could. Keonho keeping the rhythm effortlessly behind the drums. Juhoon nodding slightly to the beat while playing bass. Jamesâ fingers gliding smoothly across the keyboard keys. Martin leaning naturally toward the microphone as he sang.
Every member had their own presence, their own rhythm. And somehow, together, it all worked perfectly. I adjusted my focus againâthen slowlyâŠmy camera found Sean. Almost unconsciously.
His fingers moved against the strings of the electric guitar so smoothly it almost looked effortless. Relaxed movements. Calm expression. The silver rings on his fingers catching the dim practice room lights every now and then whenever his hand shifted.
Without realizing it, I zoomed in slightly. Then that part came.
âThe look of loveâŠâ Sean glanced up, directly at me. And suddenlyâeverything slowed down. The chatter around the room faded into distant noise, even the music somehow softened. All I could see was him. The dim lights reflecting faintly against the silver strings of his guitar. The strands of messy hair falling slightly over his eyes. The way his fingers slowed for half a second the moment he realized I was already looking at him.
Then he smiled. Small. Barely noticeable. But enough to make something tighten unexpectedly inside my chest. My grip around the camera loosened slightly, I forgot I was supposed to be recording at all.
âNumber one party anthem
 Number one party anthem
 Yeah, yeahâŠâ
The song slowly came to an end, the final guitar notes lingering softly around the room before everything settled into silence. I didnât even realize it had already finished. I was still holding my camera up. Still staring at Sean. âValerie?â I blinked and lowered my camera slightly. âHm?â âYou alive?â Keonho asked from behind the drums. A few of them laughed. I looked around, finally realizing everyone had already relaxed from their positions. Juhoon was unplugging his bass. Martin had stepped away from the mic stand.
James leaned back against the keyboard, watching the room with an amused expression. âOh,â I muttered quietly. âThe song ended already.ââDamn,â Keonho snorted. âShe was locked in.â âI was recording,â I defended immediately. âMhm.â âI was.â âSure,â James said casually.
I narrowed my eyes at him while adjusting my camera settings. Martin laughed softly before looking at me. âDid you at least get enough clips?â âYeah,â I nodded. âI think the shots came out nice.â âEspecially Seanâs,â Keonho said under his breath. âCan you not?â Sean finally spoke. âWhat? I didnât even say anything bad.â âYou were about to.â The room filled with quiet laughter again.
I looked down at my camera to hide the smile forming on my face, pretending to check the footage instead. But even thenâwithout meaning toâthe paused frame on my screen was still Sean.
It was already seven in the evening by the time I finally finished everything for the Media Club. My shoulders ached from carrying cameras around all day. âRie!â
I looked up just in time to see Sean jogging toward me from the direction of the practice building, guitar case hanging loosely behind him. âDid you wait long?â he asked as soon as he reached me, naturally taking my bag from my shoulder before I could even answer. âNo,â I replied quietly.
He adjusted the strap of my bag onto his shoulder like it was the most normal thing in the world. Which, honestly, it was. We started walking side by side out of campus. âTired?â he asked. âMhm.â I nodded, still looking through the videos on my camera hanging around my neck. âIâm hungry.â Sean looked at me immediately.
âYou skipped lunch again, didnât you?â I stayed silent. He sighed. âValerie.â âI was busy.â âYou say that every time.â I ignored him and continued checking my footage. A few seconds later, he spoke again. âLetâs just go to my unit. Iâll cook.â I immediately looked at him. âReally?â
He stared at me blankly. âYouâre getting excited like I donât literally cook for you almost every day.â âThatâs different,â I defended. âHow?â âYou sounded serious this time.â Sean let out a quiet laugh under his breath while shaking his head.
The streets outside campus were calmer now compared to earlier. The noise from students slowly faded the farther we walked from the university gates. Halfway through the walk, my phone suddenly vibrated inside my pocket. I pulled it out. Mom. I answered immediately. âHi, Moââ
âValerie!â The moment the camera opened, my motherâs face appeared way too close to the screen. âWhy are you outside? Have you eaten? You look tired.â âIâm fine,â I muttered. Then her eyes suddenly narrowed. âWait.â Before I could react, she gasped dramatically. âIS THAT SEAN BESIDE YOU?â
Sean glanced at my phone the moment his name was mentioned. âOh,â he said. âHi, Auntie.â âYah! Let me see him properly!â I sighed quietly while lifting the phone higher. My mom immediately brightened. âLook at you two walking together,â she said like she had just witnessed something life-changing. âMooom,â I complained.
Before she could tease me further, another face suddenly appeared beside her on screen. Seanâs mother. âValerie!â she greeted excitedly. âSeanâs there too, right?â Sean leaned slightly closer to the phone. âHi, Auntie.â I said. Then suddenly, from somewhere behind them. âAre they together?â A deeper voice echoed. Sean immediately looked up. âDad?â
A man appeared briefly in the background before sitting down beside the two mothers. âHey,â he greeted casually. I blinked slightly. âUncle, when did you get back from Japan?â âThis morning,â he answered.âThatâs exactly why we called!â my mom interrupted excitedly. âSince itâs Friday anyway, we thought you two should come home tomorrow!â I froze. âWhat?â
âItâs been weeks since you visited,â Seanâs mother added. âAnd your uncle just got back from work.â âYou should both come,â my mom continued. âWe already planned it.â I immediately shook my head. âI canât.â âWhy not?â âI have something to finish.â âYou can do it here,â my mom replied instantly. âI also have org work.â âItâs the weekend.â I opened my mouth. Then closed it again.
Beside me, Sean quietly looked away, clearly trying not to laugh. Traitor.âSee?â my mom said proudly. âEven Sean has nothing to say.â âI literally didnât say anything,â Sean defended immediately. âExactly. Because you agree.â Sean sighed. Meanwhile, I was still desperately trying to escape.
âMom, itâs far.â âItâs literally only two hours away.â âAnd?â âAnd youâre coming home.â I groaned quietly while Sean laughed beside me. The worst part? I already knew I was losing this argument. And apparently, I was right. Because the next morningâmy phone would not stop ringing.
I groaned loudly, pulling the blanket over my head as the vibration against my bedside table continued nonstop. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Who even willingly wakes up at seven in the morning on a Saturday? Still half asleep, I blindly reached for my phone and answered without checking properly. âMom,â I mumbled tiredly. âItâs seven in the morning.â âAnd?ââItâs Saturday.â âAnd?â I frowned into my pillow. âWhy are you acting like Iâm late for work?â âBecause if I donât keep calling you, you and Sean are going to leave at noon.â
I let out another groan, dragging my blanket over my face dramatically. âIâm awake already.â âGood. Then get up.â âFive more minutes.â âNo.â âMom.â âNo.â I sighed loudly. âYouâre so strict this early in the morning.ââAnd youâre lazy this early in the morning.â âThat doesnât even make sense.â âIt makes perfect sense. Now hurry up.â The call ended before I could continue complaining.
I stared at the ceiling blankly for a few seconds, mentally debating whether getting up was worth it. Then my phone buzzed again. Sean. You awake? I immediately replied.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
My mom called me five times already.
I laughed under my breath before typing again.
Weâre literally being dragged home against our will.
Sean replied immediately.
I rolled out of bed with another dramatic groan before getting ready as slowly as possible out of pure spite, not that it mattered. My mom still called me again while I was brushing my teeth. And again when I was putting on my shoes. By the third call, I finally answered with a tired, âIâm leaving already.â âYou better be.â âI am.â âLet me see.â I blinked. âWhat?â âOpen the camera.â ââŠMom.â âValerie.â I sighed before opening the camera briefly just to show her I was actually outside my unit building. âThere. Happy?â âVery.â
Then she ended the call immediately. I stared at my phone in disbelief. Unbelievable. When I stepped outside the building, cold morning air immediately hit my face. The streets were quieter compared to the usual weekday rush around campus. Only a few students were outside this early, most probably heading to convenience stores looking half dead.
Sean was already waiting near the sidewalk with two iced coffees in his hands and a backpack hanging over one shoulder. He looked equally exhausted. Hoodie slightly wrinkled. Hair messy. âYou look horrible,â I greeted. âYou too.â âWow.â Sean handed me one of the coffees before naturally taking the heavier bag from my shoulder.
âI can carry that,â I said automatically. âI know.â Yet he still adjusted the strap over his shoulder anyway while keeping his own bag in his other hand. We started walking side by side toward the terminal nearby, both still half asleep. âMy mom called me three more times while I was getting ready,â I complained. Sean sighed. âMy mom sent voice messages.â I looked at him immediately.
âThatâs terrifying.â âShe said if we leave late, weâll âruin the family schedule.â I burst out laughing. The morning air felt colder the farther we walked, and Sean quietly moved slightly closer to my side while carrying most of the bags without saying anything about it.
By the time we reached the terminal, the place was already crowded with people heading home for the weekend. I stared at the long line blankly. ââŠI want to go back to Seoul already.â âWe havenât even left yet.â âExactly.â
The trip out of Seoul felt strangely peaceful compared to the usual noise of the city. Tall buildings slowly disappeared behind us. Traffic became lighter. The crowded sidewalks eventually turned into quieter roads lined with small restaurants, convenience stores, and old buildings that looked untouched for years. I rested my head lightly against the window while watching everything pass by.
The farther we traveled, the more familiar everything started to feel. And somehowâit made something inside me soften a little. Sean glanced at me briefly from beside me before looking forward again.âYou miss it?â I stayed quiet for a moment. ââŠMaybe.â A small smile appeared on his face. âLiar.â I looked at him. âYou miss it too.â âI didnât say I didnât.â
For a while, neither of us spoke again. The soft noise of the bus engine filled the silence while sunlight slowly poured through the windows little by little. Then suddenlyââRemember when you cried because you thought we got lost on this road?â I immediately looked at him. âI was nine.â âYou were screaming.â âI was panicking.â âYou accused me of kidnapping you.â âYou took the wrong turn!â Sean laughed quietly.
âYou were so dramatic.â
âYou literally started crying too.â
âThat was because you wouldnât stop crying.â
âThat still counts.â Sean shook his head, smiling to himself.
About thirty minutes later, the familiar streets finally started appearing one by one. The small bakery near the intersection. The old stationery store that somehow still looked exactly the same. The convenience store where Sean and I used to spend almost all our allowance after school. Nothing really changed. Even the air felt familiar somehow.
After getting off at the terminal, Sean grabbed most of the bags before I could properly protest. âYou already carried them earlier,â I complained while walking beside him. âAnd?â âAnd give me one.â âYou have one.â I looked down at the small tote bag hanging from my shoulder. ââŠThat barely counts.â âExactly.â I rolled my eyes while he laughed quietly.
The neighborhood slowly came into view the farther we walked. âThere they are!â I groaned quietly. Outside the houses, both of our mothers were already standing near the gate waiting like we had been gone for years instead of a few months.
âYou guys are so dramatic,â I muttered under my breath. Sean laughed quietly beside me. The moment I stepped closerââValerie!â My mom immediately walked toward me, fixing my hair before pulling me into a hug. âYou look tired.â âI woke up at seven because of you.â âThatâs not my problem.â
I sighed while she continued looking at me like she was checking whether I had been surviving properly in Seoul. Meanwhile, Seanâs mother was already fussing over him nearby. âDid you eat breakfast?ââYes.â âWhat did you eat?â Sean paused. ââŠ.Latteâ?.â âSean.â âI had bread too.â âWhat bread?â Sean looked genuinely stuck trying to remember. I burst out laughing immediately.
âSee?â his mom complained while lightly hitting his arm. âYou donât take care of yourself properly.â âIâm alive, arenât I?â âThatâs not the point.â Then Seanâs father finally stepped outside the gate, smiling the moment he saw us. âYou two finally made it.â
âHi, Uncle,â I greeted politely. He nodded at me warmly before patting Seanâs shoulder once. âHowâs Seoul?â âTiring,â Sean answered honestly. âThat means schoolâs normal.â Sean laughed quietly. My mom suddenly grabbed my wrist lightly. âCome inside already. The foodâs getting cold.â
The moment we entered the house, warmth immediately surrounded us. The smell of soup. Fresh rice. Fresh fruit. The television playing softly in the background. It still felt exactly the same. Even the slippers near the entrance were still arranged the same way.
Sean placed our bags near the couch while I walked toward the dining table. And immediatelyââSit.â My mom pointed at the chair. âMom, I can serve myself.â âI know.â I sat down obediently. Sean sat beside me while our mothers continued bringing dishes over one by one. Way too many dishes as usual.
âThereâs enough food here for twenty people,â I muttered. âYou both only visit once in a while,â my mom replied simply. âThatâs true,â Seanâs mother added while placing another plate down. Sean looked at the table quietly before glancing at me. âWeâre definitely staying until tomorrow night.â âMinimum,â I whispered back.
Our mothers immediately started filling our plates before either of us could react. âEat before it gets cold.â âValerie, take more meat.â âSean, vegetables.â âI put vegetables already,â Sean defended. âThatâs two pieces.â âIt still counts.â I laughed quietly while reaching for my drink.
âDo you still remember the old couple near the river?â Seanâs father asked casually during lunch. âThe ones with the dog?â I asked immediately. âMm.â âThey moved,â my mom answered. âLast year, I think.â âReally?â I blinked. âTime passes fast,â Seanâs mother sighed. The conversation slowly continued after that. Small things. Neighbors. People from the neighborhood. Stories about relatives. Random memories from when we were younger.
Later that evening, Sean and I finally headed back after being sent out for âa quick grocery runâ almost two hours ago. Apparently our mothers couldnât decide between snacks, fruits, drinks, or âwhatever looks good,â so the trip took longer than expected. Not that we minded much anyway.
After the grocery store, we ended up walking around the neighborhood for a bit. The river path. The old basketball court. The convenience store near our elementary school. Places we used to go to so often that neither of us really needed directions anymore. By the time we got back, the sky was already dark and the neighborhood had gone quiet.
Sean carried most of the grocery bags while I unlocked the gate. The moment I opened the front doorâloud laughter immediately echoed from the living room. Sean and I stopped at the entrance at the exact same time. The television was still on. There were bottles scattered across the table. Both of our mothers were sitting on the floor laughing over something while our fathers looked significantly calmer beside them.
I stared silently for a few seconds. Then slowly looked at Sean. Sean looked at me. I immediately facepalmed. âOh, there they are!â my mom suddenly pointed the second she noticed us. âCome, come!â Seanâs mother waved excitedly.
Before either of us could escape, my mom was already reaching for another glass. âWant a drink?â âNo,â I answered immediately. âYes,â Seanâs mother said at the same time. My dad immediately looked over. âNo, no. Theyâre kids.â âTheyâre nineteen,â Seanâs mother argued while laughing. âThatâs legal.â âThey still look twelve to me.â âThatâs because youâre old.â
Sean quietly lowered the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter while I stood there wondering if pretending to disappear was possible. âWhy are you both just standing there?â my mom asked dramatically. âBecause youâre scary right now,â I answered honestly. That only made the two mothers laugh harder. Meanwhile, our dads looked exhausted already.
Sean sat down first on the edge of the couch while I reluctantly sat beside him. Big mistake. Immediately, our mothers looked at us with identical expressions. âOh look,â my mom said softly, nudging Seanâs mother. âStill together everywhere they go.â âTheyâve been attached since they were kids,â Seanâs mother replied proudly. Sean grabbed the nearest pillow and placed it directly over his face. I looked away immediately.
âRemember when they used to hold hands going to school?â my mom continued. âI HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE,â I whispered harshly toward Sean. âBecause they make things up,â Sean muttered from behind the pillow. âTheyâre not making things up,â my dad said casually while drinking water. Traitor.
âOh honestly,â Seanâs mother sighed dramatically. âIf they just end up together already, our lives would become easier.â Both Sean and I froze. âNope,â Seanâs father said immediately while holding up a hand. âDonât start.â âYes, donât start,â my dad agreed calmly. âWhat?â my mom defended. âIâm just saying.â âYou say this every year,â Seanâs father replied. âAnd one day Iâll be right.â I covered my face with both hands.
Beside me, Sean looked like he wanted the floor to open and swallow him whole. Meanwhile, our mothers continued talking like we werenât even sitting there. âThey already act like a married couple anyway.â âThey practically raised each other.â âTheyâre always together.â âExactly!â âAlright,â my dad interrupted firmly while standing up. âI think thatâs enough.â Seanâs father nodded immediately. âWay enough.ââBut weâre just talking,â Seanâs mother complained while laughing. âAnd theyâre suffering,â my dad answered. I had never been more grateful for my father in my entire life.
Sean quietly leaned back against the couch beside me, staring at the ceiling in defeat. Neither of us said anything for a while. Because honestlyâwhat were we even supposed to say to that?
The living room became significantly quieter after our parents finally decided to call it a night. Well. More like our dads forced everyone to call it a night before our mothers exposed any more childhood stories.
I could still hear faint laughter upstairs while Seanâs father repeatedly told them to âkeep it down.â Sean leaned back against the couch with a tired sigh. âIâm never recovering from that conversation.â I grabbed one of the couch pillows and threw it at him immediately.
âYou knew about the hand-holding story?â âWe were was six.â âThatâs not the point.â Sean laughed quietly, catching the pillow easily before tossing it back beside me. For a moment, the house became calm again.
The television still played softly in the background. Half-empty bottles remained scattered across the table. The warm smell of food still lingered around the room. Then my eyes slowly landed on the drinks again. I looked at Sean. Sean looked at me.
ââŠWanna finish the rest?â I asked. Sean blinked once. âYouâre serious?ââThey already opened them.â âThat is terrible logic.â âBut effective.â Sean stared at me for another second before quietly reaching for one of the bottles.
âYour dad would kill me if you pass out.â âYou say that like I canât handle alcohol.â Sean raised an eyebrow. ââŠCan you?â I grabbed the bottle from him immediately. âWatch me.â That was mistake number one, because apparentlyâI could not, in fact, handle alcohol.
At first, everything felt normal. Just small sips while sitting on the floor near the couch talking about random things. School. The festival. People from our hometown. Sean laughed more easily after a while, shoulders relaxing against the couch while listening to me complain about some things in life.
Meanwhile, my thoughts slowly started becoming louder than usual. And unfortunatelyâso did my mouth. âI still think Keonho talks too much,â I muttered while holding my drink. âHe does.â
âAnd James thinks heâs funny.â
âYeah, maybe.â Sean laughed quietly under his breath. I stared at him for a few seconds. Then narrowed my eyes slightly.
âYou know what your problem is?â
âThat sounds dangerous already.â
âYou make everyone like you too easily.â Sean looked genuinely confused. âWhat?â
âAt schoolâ I continued, words starting to blur together slightly, âeveryone kept looking at you.â âLikeâŠâ I frowned, trying to explain properly. âYou just have that thing.â
Sean snorted quietly. âYouâre making zero sense.â âYouâre drunk.â
âThatâs worse.â I ignored him completely. The room felt warmer now. Or maybe it was just me.
I rested my head against the couch while staring lazily at the ceiling.âYou know whatâs confusing?â Sean glanced at me. âWhat?â I stayed quiet for a few seconds first. Then laughed softly to myself.
âYou.â Sean blinked once. ââŠMe?â
I turned my head toward him slowly. âWeâve known each other forever.â
âAnd youâve always just beenâŠâ I waved my hand vaguely in the air. âThere.â Sean stayed quiet, listening. âLike when I skip meals, you notice immediately. You carry my bag all the time. You cook for me. You wait for me after classes even when you donât have to.â I frowned slightly. âYou remember everything about me.âSean looked down at the drink in his hands quietly.
âAnd lately itâs weird,â I admitted. âWeird?â
âI donât know.â I laughed weakly. âI think about you too much now.â The silence after that felt heavier than before. But not uncomfortable. Just⊠quiet. I kept talking anyway. Because apparently drunk me had no survival instincts.
âLike earlier at the band room?â I continued. âWhen you looked at me during the song?â Seanâs grip around the bottle tightened slightly. âI actually forgot I was recording.â He looked away briefly, jaw tightening just a little.
âI donât know whatâs wrong with me recently,â I muttered softly. âItâs annoying.â
âNo because seriously,â I interrupted immediately. âYouâve been my best friend forever and suddenly my brain decided to make everything complicated for no reason.â Sean stayed silent.
Too silent. I laughed quietly to myself, shaking my head a little. âAnd the worst part isâŠâ I paused. âI donât even hate it.â Sean slowly looked up at me again.
I stared at him for a few seconds longer before speaking. Softer this time.
ââŠI think I love you.â
Sean froze. Completely. The room became painfully quiet. Even the television noise in the background suddenly felt far away.
My eyes widened slightly. ââŠOh.â Sean still hadnât spoken. Not even once. ââŠForget it,â I muttered quickly, looking away. My chest suddenly felt too warm, the room started spinning slightly. âOh no.âSean immediately sat up straighter. âWhat?â
âI think Iâm gonna throw up.â
The first thing I felt when I woke up was pain. Not emotional pain. Not embarrassment. Actual, pounding, physical pain. My head throbbed the second my eyes opened, sunlight spilling through the curtains straight into my face like the universe personally hated me.
I groaned and shoved my face deeper into the pillow. Why did people drink for fun? This felt like punishment. For a moment, I stayed completely still, trying to piece together how I even made it back to bed.
The living room. Music. Drinks. Sean. Thenâmy stomach dropped. I slowly opened my eyes again, memories flashing in broken pieces. Sean sitting beside me. His eyes were staring directly at me. Me talking. Too much talking. My eyes widened.
I shot upright too fast and instantly regretted it when my headache slammed into me twice as hard. âOh my GodâŠâ I pressed both hands against my face. âWhat did I do last night?â
Silence. Then another thought hit me. ââŠWait.â I froze. âWhy canât I remember anything?â My breathing stopped for a second as panic started creeping in.
âNo, no, noââ I looked around my room like the walls were somehow going to answer me. âDid I say something weird?â ââŠDid I confess?â My heart nearly stopped at the possibility. âOh my God, I confessed, didnât I?â
Before I could spiral any further, there was a soft knock on my door. I froze. âRie?â Sean.
My heart immediately dropped to my stomach. âY-Yeah?â The door opened slightly, and Sean peeked inside holding a glass of water and some medicine in his hand. âYou alive?â He looked completely normal. Too normal. No awkwardness. No weird tension. No look that screamed you confessed to me while drunk last night.
Valerie blinked at him. ââŠBarely.â Sean let out a quiet laugh before walking over and placing the water beside her bed. âYou scared me last night,â he said casually.
Valerie stared at him carefully, trying to read his expression. Nothing. He looked relaxed. Calm. Completely unbothered. No embarrassment. No avoiding eye contact. No I know youâre in love with me energy. Slowly, the panic inside her began to settle.
Okay. Okay maybe she didnât say anything after all. Maybe she only imagined it. Maybe she got emotional and dramatic in her head but never actually said the words out loud. Thank God.
âYou should drink that before your headache gets worse,â Sean said, sitting at the edge of the bed for a second. Valerie quickly grabbed the glass mostly to avoid looking suspicious. âThanks.â Sean only nodded before ruffling her hair lightly like he always did.
âIâll make you food later. Try not to die first.â And just like that, he walked out of the room. Valerie waited until the door fully closed before collapsing back onto her bed. A long sigh escaped her lips. ââŠOkay.â She stared at the ceiling. âI definitely didnât confess.â
After the time we had back in our hometown, I didnât realize how fast time was slipping through my hands. It was already the first day of the Festival.
The campus had transformed overnightâlights strung across trees, booths lined up in every corner, music spilling into the air like it belonged there. It felt alive in a way that made everything else fade into the background.
Sean and I spent the morning wandering without a real plan. We stopped at food stalls we didnât even mean to try, laughed at games we had no intention of winning, and somehow still ended up staying longer than we shouldâve at each booth.Â
We were standing near a small art booth when someone approached him. âSean?â The voice was lightâI turned slightly.
A girl stood there with a bright smile, like she already knew him well enough not to hesitate. She tilted her head as if confirming something only she and Sean shared. Sean blinked, thenââLia?â
My name wasnât mentioned, but suddenly I felt like I had stepped a little too far into a conversation I wasnât part of. âOh my gosh, it is you,â the girlâLiaâlaughed softly. âI didnât think Iâd see you here.â
Seanâs posture shifted immediately, like he had been pulled back into a version of himself I hadnât met yet today. âYeah⊠I didnât expect to see you either.â They talked for a second too long.
Not enough to be suspicious on its own. But enough for me to notice the way the space between us started to feel⊠different. Then Sean turned to me. âHey,â he said, a little apologetic. âSorry, I justâ I have to go for a bit.â I nodded before I could think too much about it. âOh⊠okay.â
He hesitated, like he wanted to say more, then followed Lia as she turned slightly, already guiding him somewhere. And just like that, I was left standing there in the middle of a moving crowd that didnât notice I had stopped. For a moment, I didnât move. I told myself it was nothing. Just someone he knew. Just a quick thing. But my chest felt strangely tight anyway.
âVal?â Maxâs voice, my friend cut through the noise. I turned slightly, blinking back into reality. Max was walking up with a drink in hand, eyebrows raised like he already had questions.
âWhereâs Sean?â he asked. âI thought heâs with you?â I forced a small shrug. âSomeone called him. He said heâll be back.â Max studied my face for a second longer than necessary. âYou okay?â âYeah,â I said too quickly.
That alone shouldâve been answer enough. Max didnât push immediately, just hummed and fell into step beside me as we started walking again. The festival carried on around usâlaughter, music, shouting gamesâbut everything felt a little further away than before.
âSoâŠâ Max said casually, after a pause. âWho was that girl?â I glanced down at my hands. âI donât know,â I admitted.
Max didnât respond right away. She just gave a low âhmm,â like she was thinking about whether to say something or leave it alone. We walked past a booth selling bracelets. Someone called out, advertising discounts, but the noise barely registered.
âMaybe just a friend,â Max said eventually, shrugging. âYou know Sean⊠he knows a lot of people.â âYeah,â I answered quickly. Too quickly again.
I picked up a random flyer from a nearby table just to have something in my hands. My fingers smoothed the paper even though I wasnât reading it. I could still see itâSeanâs expression when he said he had to go. Not guilty. Not hesitant enough to stop. Just⊠natural.
Like it was normal for him to leave. Like I was the one who was supposed to just stay where I was. Max nudged my shoulder lightly. âYou sure youâre fine?â âIâm fine,â I repeated, softer this time. But even I didnât sound convinced.
A few minutes passed like thatâjust walking, pretending to look at booths, pretending I wasnât aware of the space beside me where Sean used to be. Max didnât push anymore, but she stayed close, like she was making sure I didnât drift off too far into my own head. ThenâI saw them again.
Near the edge of a game booth, under a string of warm lights. Sean and Lia. She was talking animatedly, pointing at something on her phone, while Sean listened. He was nodding, laughing at something she saidâan easy laugh. The kind Iâd seen before. My steps slowed without me meaning to. Max noticed immediately. âValââ
âIâm okay,â I cut in, again too fast. But my eyes didnât move away. Sean looked up then. And for a second, his gaze landed on mine. Just a second. Long enough for something to flicker across his faceâsurprise, maybe. Or realization that I was still there, still watching.
Then Lia said something again, and his attention shifted back. And just like that, the moment broke. Max exhaled quietly beside me. âYou wanna go somewhere else?â I swallowed.
âNo,â I said, even though my feet felt like they wanted to move in every direction except this one. âItâs fine. Letâs just⊠walk.â So we did. But for the rest of the festival path, I couldnât stop thinking about how easy it was for him to step into another conversationâand how quietly I became the part he stepped away from.
Days passed in a blur of noise, deadlines, and half-finished conversations.
There were moments Sean and I still managed to hang outâshort breaks between schedules, quick lunches, walking between booths when neither of us had club responsibilities pulling us in different directions.
But most of it⊠wasnât really âusâ anymore.
He was always with the band. And I was always with my camera.
Digital Media meant I had to be there early, stay late, and move faster than everyone else. I was constantly framing shots, recording rehearsals, adjusting angles, making sure nothing important was missed. And somewhere along the way, I stopped questioning where Sean was during most of it.
Because I already knew the answer. The band stage. Rehearsals. Or with them. And then there was Lia.
At first, I told myself I was just noticing things because I had toâbecause I was around them for coverage. But it kept happening anyway. She was there often. Not once in a while. Often.
Standing near rehearsals, talking to the band members like she belonged in their space, laughing at things I wasnât part of. Sometimes she would hand Sean somethingâwater, his cable, I didnât even know. It always looked casual. Familiar.
Too familiar for someone I supposedly didnât know. I didnât understand why I noticed her so easily. I just did. And I didnât like that I did.
By the time the festival reached Day 5, everything felt louder.
Not just the music.
Not just the crowds.
The hallways were packed from morning until evening, students rushing between booths for the last time before everything disappeared by tomorrow. Voices echoed through the campus nonstop. Laughter. Announcements. Shoes squeaking against gym floors. Cameras flashing every few seconds.
It was the final day of the festival. And somehow, Valerie felt more exhausted than relieved.
The gymnasium had been transformed overnight into something almost unrecognizable. Rows of chairs stretched from one end to the other, banners hanging from railings, stage lights sweeping across the ceiling in slow movements of blue and gold. Every participating club had one final performance scheduled before closing ceremonies.
Dance. Theater. Choir. Cultural performances. And last on the listâBand Club.
Valerie tried not to think too much about the fact that they were the closing act. Tried not to notice how often her eyes drifted toward the printed schedule taped near backstage.
Tried not to notice how her chest tightened every single time someone mentioned them. âValerie, stage coverage today, okay?â She looked up quickly at Kei, who was already holding two cameras and a clipboard at the same time somehow. âCloser shots this time,â he continued. âCrowd reactions too. We need footage for the recap video.â
âGot it,â she answered automatically. And maybe that shouldâve been enough. Because this was work. That was all it was supposed to be. Work. Still, when the performances started, she found herself checking the time more than necessary.
One act passed. Then another. Then another. Until eventually, the gym lights dimmed lower than before. And the host stepped onto the stage with a grin already forming like he knew what reaction was coming.
âAnd finally,â he said into the mic, âour last performers for this yearâs festivalâŠâ The cheering started before he even finished.
"The Band! Also known as The Crimsons!"
The entire gymnasium erupted. Actual screaming.
Phones immediately lifted into the air. People leaned forward in their seats. Even students who had been half-asleep during previous performances suddenly sat up properly.
Valerie adjusted the strap around her neck and lifted her camera. The stage lights flickered once. Then the band walked out. One by one. The vocalist first. Then the bassist. Then the keyboardist. Then the drummer. And finallyâSean.
Something about him always looked different on stage. Not fake. Not performative. Just⊠brighter somehow. Like the stage sharpened him into focus.
The crowd got louder the second he appeared, but Sean only smiled faintly as he adjusted the guitar strap over his shoulder, stepping toward the mic like none of the noise touched him.
Valerie zoomed in instinctively. Through the lens, she watched him push his hair back once before glancing toward the rest of the band. And for one stupid secondâher heart skipped.
The first song started hard and fast.
Loud drums. Electric guitar. The kind of song made to wake up an entire room immediately.
People jumped along to the beat, shouting lyrics back toward the stage. Valerie moved automatically through the front rows, filming transitions, crowd shots, close-ups of instruments.
But somehowâevery shot kept returning to Sean. Maybe because he was impossible not to look at. His fingers moved across the guitar effortlessly, body leaning into the rhythm naturally like the music belonged inside him instead of around him.
Even through a camera screen, Valerie could feel the energy pouring off the stage. The second song slowed things down. Softer. Warmer.
The lights shifted into deeper colors, blues spilling across the stage while the crowd swayed instead of jumping now. Valerie adjusted focus carefully. The guy named Martin stepped closer to the microphone to start, while Seanâs eyes lowered briefly as he played the opening chords.
And suddenlyâeverything felt quieter. Not literally. The gym was still full. But it felt quieter. Like the entire room had unconsciously leaned closer.
Valerie swallowed slightly. She didnât realize sheâd been staring until her camera nearly drifted out of frame. Thenâshe noticed her again. Lia.
Standing somewhere near the middle rows. Not hidden. Not obvious either. Just there. Watching.
Valerieâs fingers tightened slightly around the camera grip. It bothered her how often she noticed Lia lately. How Lia somehow seemed to be there with Sean no matter where they were.
Hallways. After Sean and I eat during lunch breaks. After rehearsals. Now here too. And the worst part wasâSean always looked comfortable around her. Comfortable in a way Valerie suddenly hated noticing.
The second song ended. Applause exploded again. The band laughed breathlessly between themselves while the crowd screamed for more. Then the stage lights dimmed softer than before. A pause settled over the gym. Not awkward. Anticipating.
Sean now stepped toward the mic and Valerie felt her stomach tighten before he even spoke.
âWeâll play one last song.â The cheering started again instantly. Valerie adjusted the grip on her camera automatically, already lifting it back into position.
Then Sean looked down at his guitar. And the first chords rang softly through the speakers. Warm. Dreamy. Slow enough to feel like sinking. Valerieâs breath caught immediately.
âlove.â by wave to earth.
The entire atmosphere changed. It was strange how one song could do that. A second ago the gym had been loud and chaoticâpeople shouting, jumping, laughingâbut now everything melted into softness. The blue lights spread across the stage like moving water while students swayed gently beneath them, phone flashlights glowing like tiny stars in the dark. Even the air suddenly felt slower.
Valerie raised the camera toward Sean again. Then he started singing. And somehowâthat made everything worse. Because Seanâs voice didnât sound polished. It sounded intimate. Like the song had been sitting inside him for years.
Soft vocals floated through the gymnasium gently, never overpowering the music. The lyrics wrapped themselves around the room instead of filling it, tender and aching and warm all at once.
Valerieâs fingers tightened around her camera. Sean sang the words with this quiet kind of sincerity that made it impossible to look away. His head tilted slightly toward the microphone, dark hair falling over his eyes while his fingers moved lazily against the guitar strings.
And the way he looked beneath those lightsâGod. It didnât even feel real.
Valerie zoomed in unconsciously. The camera focused on his face.
The curve of his lips brushing softly against each lyric. The tiny smile that appeared during certain lines like he didnât even realize he was doing it.
The gymnasium blurred around him. All she could see was Sean.
Not the Sean who stole fries off her plate.
Not the Sean who annoyed her on purpose.
Not the Sean she grew up beside for years.
This Sean felt different. Like someone she was seeing clearly for the first time.
The song continued softly and something painful twisted in Valerieâs chest. Because Sean wasnât singing casually. He sang like he understood the song. Like he knew exactly what it felt like to love someone quietly. To carry affection so gently it almost hurt.
The crowd had gone completely still now. No screaming. No shouting. Just the music.
Light spilled across Seanâs skin while the rest of the band faded behind him, and Valerie suddenly understood why people fell in love with musicians so easily.
It was the vulnerability of it. The terrifying honesty.
Sean looked up briefly from his guitar, and his eyes drifted somewhere into the crowd. Valerie followed the direction instinctively. Lia. Standing a few feet away just behind me.
Watching him silently beneath the blue lights. And Sean looked at her for just a second too long. That was all it took.
Something inside Valerie dropped so suddenly it almost made her dizzy.
It was tiny.
Almost unnoticeable.
Nobody else wouldâve thought anything of it. But Valerie noticed.
She knew the difference between his casual glances and the ones that meant something. And that lookâthat look felt soft.
The lyrics continued quietly in the background while students swayed beside each other under glowing flashlights, but Valerie suddenly felt disconnected from all of it.
Like she was standing outside the moment instead of inside it. Like she was filming somebody elseâs love story unfold in front of her.
Her camera remained steady. But her heartbeat didnât.
Because something ugly had started growing inside her chest.
Sharp.
Hot.
Terrifyingly real.
And maybe that was the exact moment everything changed. Not when Sean sang. Not when Lia looked at him.
But when Valerie realized the thought of Sean loving somebody else hurt enough to ruin her.
The final chorus came softer this time. Sean closed his eyes briefly while singing the last lines, voice almost melting into the music.
And Valerie couldnât breathe properly anymore. Because suddenly all she could think wasâ
When did Sean stop being just Sean?
When did she start searching for him first in every crowded room?
When did his smile start feeling dangerous?
The final guitar notes faded slowly into silence. For one full second, the entire gymnasium stayed still.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.
Then applause erupted so loudly it snapped the entire room back to reality. The band laughed breathlessly while bowing under flashing lights, students screaming their names from every direction.
But Valerie lowered her camera slowly, because she couldnât focus anymore.
The screen had blurred. Or maybe her vision had.
All she knew was that her chest suddenly felt too tight for the room around her.
So before anyone could stop her, Valerie turned away from the crowd and slipped backstage.
The noise became muffled almost instantly behind the heavy gym doors. Cool air hit her face.
Her footsteps echoed softly through the narrow hallway while she tightened her grip around the camera hanging against her chest. âYouâre overreacting,â Valerie told herself immediately.
It was just a song.
Just a performance.
So why did it feel like something inside her chest was slowly collapsing?
She forced out a shaky breath and kept walking.
Backstage was still chaotic after the set. Staff members hurried across the floor carrying equipment. Students talked over one another loudly. Guitar cases leaned against walls. Cables tangled beneath peopleâs shoes while stage lights flickered overhead.
But Valerie barely noticed any of it. Untilâshe saw them.
Sean.
Lia.
And the rest of the band gathered near the side curtains.
Sean still had his guitar hanging loosely against his side, his dark hair slightly messy from performing under the hot lights. His cheeks were still flushed from adrenaline, laughter lingering softly on his face as one of the members joked about something.
And beside him stood Lia. Close. Not touching. Not obvious. Just⊠comfortable. Like she belonged there.
Valerie stopped walking instantly.
âYou seriously didnât tell her?â Lia rolled her eyes, though she looked amused. âI told him he should.â
Sean let out a quiet laugh beneath his breath, lowering his head for a second as if embarrassed. âI was going to,â he admitted.
âGoing to what?â another member teased immediately. Sean glanced toward Lia for the briefest second before answering.
And Valerie hated the way his expression softened.
It was subtle.
Tiny.
But devastating.
âI just wanted the right timing.â Something twisted painfully inside her chest.
Keonho groaned dramatically. âThatâs literally the worst excuse ever.â Lia laughed softly beside him.
âYouâve liked her forever.â
Valerie froze. Everything inside her went still. Her heartbeat stopped so suddenly it almost hurt.
Sean looked away with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck while the others laughed around him.
And ValerieâValerieâs mind filled in the blanks before she could stop it.
Lia. Of course it was Lia. Who else would it be?
The songs.
The glances.
The way they always seemed to find each other in crowded rooms.
Suddenly everything made sense in the cruelest possible way. Something hot climbed into Valerieâs throat so fast it burned. And before she could stop herselfâshe stepped backward.
Her shoe scraped harshly against the floor, the sound cut through the conversation instantly.
Everyone turned. Silence followed almost immediately.
Seanâs expression changed first.
Valerie wished, very suddenly, that the ground would open beneath her and swallow her whole. Lia looked surprised.
The others exchanged awkward glances so quickly it made Valerie feel even worse, like everyone understood something she didnât.
Sean took a step toward her.
âI was just passing by,â she said quickly.
Her voice sounded wrong.
Too tight.
Too rushed.
Sean frowned slightly. âWere youââ
âI need to go help Kei,â she interrupted immediately.
But she couldnât stay there another second.
Not while her chest hurt like this.
Not while Sean looked at her like that.
Not while Lia stood beside him.
Sean took another step forward. âValerie, waitââ
But Valerie was already turning away.
She heard footsteps immediately behind her. Sean. Of course it was Sean. But Valerie kept walking.
Because humiliation burned hotter with every second she stayed. Because suddenly she felt stupid.
Stupid for staring at him while he sang.
Stupid for replaying every glance heâd given her.
Stupid for letting herself believe there mightâve been something between them.
Stupid for the way her heart betrayed her every single time he looked her way.
She pushed through the backstage doors quickly, and the overwhelming noise of the festival crashed into her all at once.
Bright lights.
Music echoing from different booths.
Students laughing.
Voices blending together.
Because if she stoppedâhe would explain.
And somehow, Valerie was terrified that hearing the explanation would hurt even more.
So she kept moving through the crowd, gripping her camera tightly against her chest while her heartbeat thundered painfully in her ears.
she stopped near the edge of the gym entrance.
Because the realization hit her all at once.
She wasnât upset because Sean liked someone else.
She was upset because she wanted him to like her.
The days after the festival blurred together slowly. Valerie stopped checking what day it was after the third morning. There wasnât really a reason to anymore.
School was on break. No classes. No club meetings. No crowded hallways where she had to pretend everything was normal.
And honestly, Valerie was grateful for it, because she genuinely didnât think she could survive seeing Sean right now.
Not without something inside her breaking completely.
The problem wasâavoiding Sean wouldâve been easier if he had just been some guy from school.
Too close.
Way too close.
Sometimes Valerie would hear movement outside her apartment and immediately stop breathing for a second.
Footsteps in the hallway.
The elevator opening.
Keys jingling softly outside.
Every sound made her tense now.
Because part of her kept expecting Sean to appear.
And every time he didâit hurt all over again.
The first few days, he kept trying to contact her.
Calls.
Messages.
Even voice notes she couldnât bring herself to listen to.
Her phone screen felt unbearable now because his name stayed pinned at the top of everything.
Sean (9:12 AM)
Did I do something wrong?
Sean (1:46 PM)
Rie please answer me.
Sean (8:03 PM)
Youâre scaring me a little.
Valerie would stare at the messages for several long seconds before locking her phone again.
Because she didnât know what she was supposed to say.
Sorry, Iâm avoiding you because I accidentally fell in love with you and hearing people say youâve liked another girl forever made me feel like my chest got ripped open?
It sounded pathetic even inside her own head.
She stayed inside her room most of the time, curtains half-drawn while pale daylight slipped quietly across the floor. Some days she slept too much just to avoid thinking. Other nights she barely slept at all.
And every moment in between was justâ
Which honestly felt like the cruelest part of all.
Because no matter how hard she tried avoiding him physicallyâ
her mind kept finding him anyway.
It returned to the festival constantly.
To the way he sang âlove.â like every lyric meant something real.
To the look on his face backstage.
To Lia standing beside him.
To those words repeating over and over inside her head like a wound she couldnât stop reopening.
Youâve literally liked her forever.
Valerie squeezed her eyes shut every time the memory replayed.
Like maybe darkness would stop it from hurting.
Because the ache inside her chest had become constant now. A dull, exhausting kind of pain that followed her everywhere. And sometimes she hated herself for it.
Because wasnât this ridiculous? Nothing technically happened.
Sean never rejected her.
He didnât even know she liked him.
So why did it feel like heartbreak anyway? Why did it hurt like sheâd lost something she never even had?
One afternoon, Valerie heard knocking again.
Three soft knocks. Her stomach dropped instantly.
She stayed completely still on her bed, staring toward the bedroom door like if she ignored the sound long enough, it would disappear on its own.
Another knock came. Then the doorbell rang once.
Valerie buried her face into her pillow immediately.
Not because she hated him.
God, if anything, that was the problem.
Because she knew the second she saw Seanâs face, every feeling sheâd spent days trying to bury would come rushing back twice as hard.
Valerie groaned quietly before forcing herself off the bed.
Her body felt weak from barely taking care of herself properly these past few days.
She walked slowly toward the front door, heartbeat already racing nervously in her chest.
Then she leaned toward the peephole. And froze.
Relief hit so fast it almost made her dizzy. Valerie opened the door immediately.
Her mother stood there holding grocery bags in one hand and takeout containers in the other. The second she saw Valerie properly, her expression softened instantly.
And Valerie suddenly became painfully aware of how awful she probably looked right now.
Oversized hoodie.
Messy hair.
Eyes swollen from crying too much and sleeping too little.
Her mother looked at her quietly for a moment, then sighed softly. âOh,â she said gently. âItâs that bad.â Valerie felt her throat tighten immediately.
âIâm not gonna question you right now,â her mother interrupted softly while stepping inside. âMove.â
Valerie blinked. âWhat?â
âYouâre blocking the doorway.â Despite everything, Valerie let out the smallest laugh through her exhaustion and stepped aside.
Her mother entered the apartment like sheâd done this a thousand times before, setting the grocery bags carefully onto the kitchen counter while glancing around the place.
Like she was silently checking how badly Valerie had been taking care of herself.
ââŠHow did you even know?â Valerie asked quietly after closing the door.
Her mother paused briefly before looking at her.
Then she reached over and gently tucked a piece of Valerieâs messy hair behind her ear.
âYouâre my daughter,â she said simply.
that answer alone almost made Valerie cry.
Her mother didnât pressure her into talking after that.
Didnât ask if it was about school.
Didnât ask if it was about Sean.
Didnât force explanations out of her before she was ready.
Instead, she simply started unpacking food calmly.
âI made soup,â she said casually. âAnd before you say you already ate, I can literally look at you and tell youâre lying.â
Valerie opened her mouth slightly.
Slowly, the apartment began feeling warm again.
The smell of food simmering quietly.
The sound of dishes clinking together.
Her mother moving naturally around the kitchen like she was trying to stitch life back into the apartment without making it obvious.
Valerie sat silently at the counter while her mother handed her a bowl.
âEat first,â she said gently. âYou can be sad after.â That almost made Valerie laugh again.
Instead, she stared quietly at the soup in front of her.
her chest hurt all over again.
Because it had been days since someone had taken care of her this gently.
Days since sheâd allowed herself to stop pretending she was okay.
Her mother sat beside her while Valerie ate slowly.
No pressure. No questions. Just presence.
And somehow, that made everything easier to survive.
That night, her mother stayed over.
And somehow, Valerie found herself breathing easier with another person in the apartment.
Because her mother filled the silence naturally.
She opened the windows every morning. Made food without asking. Turned on random television shows Valerie barely paid attention to.
Talked about unimportant things on purpose just to make the apartment feel normal again.
And most importantly, she never forced Valerie to explain her heartbreak before she was ready.
Which honestly made Valerie love her even more for it.
The extra comfort also gave Valerie another excuse not to leave the apartment.
Because now her mother handled grocery runs.
Picked up deliveries downstairs.
Answered the door whenever someone knocked.
Which meant Valerie didnât have to risk seeing Sean in the hallway.
Because Sean still tried.
Valerie knew because she could hear it sometimes.
His voice outside asking softly if she was awake.
The occasional knock against the door.
Messages continuing to appear on her phone despite her never answering any of them.
Sean (11:08 PM)
Your mom said you ate today. Good.
Valerie frowned slightly at the message.
Before she could think too hard about it, another one appeared.
Sean (11:09 PM)
Iâm really worried, Rie.
Her chest tightened painfully all over again.
And that somehow made it hurt worse.
By the sixth day of break, Max had officially had enough. Valerie had been lying lifelessly across the couch for nearly an hour pretending to watch a movie neither of them were actually paying attention to when Max suddenly grabbed the remote and muted the television in one dramatic movement.
Valerie blinked slowly from beneath her blanket. âNo what?â
âIâm not rotting.â Max stared at her flatly.
âYou literally havenât left this apartment in almost a week.â Valerie opened her mouth slightly. Then closed it again.
Because unfortunatelyâMax was right. The past few days had started blending together in ways Valerie hated.
Wake up late.
Ignore messages.
Scroll mindlessly through her phone.
Pretend she wasnât thinking about Sean when that was practically all she had been doing.
Even her mother noticed it before leaving two days ago.
âYou can stay sad,â she told Valerie gently while packing her things near the doorway. âBut donât stay stuck there too long, okay?â
At the time, Valerie didnât know how to answer.
Max stood from the couch and pointed directly at her. âGet dressed.â Valerie groaned immediately, dropping deeper into the cushions. âMaxââ
âNope. Weâre going out.â
âThatâs exactly why we are.â
Valerie buried her face dramatically into the couch pillow. âI hate you.â
âNo you donât. Move.â
And somehowâan hour later, Valerie found herself outside for the first time in days. The city felt strangely alive compared to how silent her apartment had become.
Streetlights reflected against damp roads from earlier rain while people crowded sidewalks despite the cold evening air. Cars passed in streaks of white and red light. Conversations blended into the noise of the city around them.
Max kept dragging Valerie from one place to another before she had enough time to overthink anything.
First came dinner. Then convenience store snacks afterward because Max claimed, very seriously, that âdessert after dessert is emotionally necessary.â
Then random stores they had absolutely no intention of buying anything from. At some pointâValerie laughed. A real laugh.
Not forced. Not small. Not the kind she used lately just to make people stop worrying.
A genuine one. And Max noticed immediately. âThere she is,â Max said triumphantly, pointing a french fry at her like sheâd just solved world peace. Valerie rolled her eyes despite the smile lingering on her face. âDonât make it weird.â
âOh, Iâm absolutely making it weird.â For the first time in days, the ache inside Valerieâs chest softened slightly.
Quiet enough for her to breathe around it instead of drowning inside it.
Night settled deeper over the city eventually, colder winds weaving through crowded streets while glowing signs reflected softly against wet pavement.
âLast stop,â Max announced dramatically.
Valerie frowned slightly as they stopped outside a smaller building tucked quietly between restaurants and bookstores.
It wasnât a loud club.
No flashing lights.
No bass vibrating through walls.
Instead, warm golden light spilled through wide windows while faint live music drifted softly outside.
âWhat is this?â Valerie asked quietly.
âOne of my favorite places,â Max answered. âCome on.â
The moment they stepped inside, Valerie felt herself relax slightly.
The atmosphere felt intimate.
A small live music bar filled with warm lighting and soft conversation. Not crowded enough to feel overwhelming, but full enough that laughter and music blended together into something comforting.
Some people sat close to the tiny stage with drinks in hand.
Others quietly sang along beneath their breath.
Everything felt softer here.
Like the world outside couldnât reach them for a little while.
Valerie and Max slipped into seats near the back just as another performer stepped onto the stage carrying an acoustic guitar.
Max leaned closer immediately.
âOoh, wait,â she whispered excitedly. âThis guyâs good.â
Valerie smiled faintly before looking toward the stage.
The singer adjusted the microphone slightly before speaking.
âThis next song is called âRed.ââ
And something inside Valerie immediately stilled.
The opening chords began softly.
Just enough to fill the room gently.
Valerie couldnât breathe properly anymore.
Because somehow the song reached directly into every emotion she had spent days trying to bury.
Loving someone even when it hurts.
Wanting someone despite the confusion.
Knowing youâd still return to them anyway.
The music wrapped softly around the room while Valerie stared toward the stage without really seeing it anymore.
Because now memories kept crashing through her mind one after another.
Sean laughing while stealing fries off her tray years ago.
Sean waiting outside her classroom because he âjust happened to be nearby.â
Sean carrying her camera bag during festival prep after noticing her shoulder hurt.
Sean half-asleep during late-night phone calls.
Sean singing beneath the stage lights.
Sean chasing after her backstage.
Sean knocking quietly outside her apartment door sayingâ
Her chest tightened painfully.
Because even after everythingâ
even after how badly it hurtâ
the truth stayed exactly the same.
That was the horrible part.
Not the jealousy.
Not the misunderstanding.
Not even the heartbreak.
The horrible part was realizing she would still choose Sean anyway.
The lyrics blurred softly into the background while Valerie stared down at the table quietly.
Her mother standing in the kitchen casually washing dishes days ago.
âSean is coming home Thursday night.â Valerie glanced up lazily from the couch. âHm?â
âYou sure you donât wanna come home too?â At the time, Valerie ignored the question.
her heart started pounding violently.
Valerieâs eyes widened slightly. Her hand moved instinctively toward her phone. Max noticed immediately. âWhat?â But Valerie was already opening the location app she and Sean shared.
A habit from years ago. Mostly for convenience.
Mostly because Sean constantly forgot to text when he got home safely.
Near the downtown train station. Valerieâs heartbeat became unbearably loud. âHeâs here,â she whispered without realizing it.
Max blinked. âWho?â But Valerie was already standing too quickly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor.
She grabbed her coat immediately. âI have to go.â
Max looked stunned. âWaitâright now?â
Valerie checked the moving location again. Sean was leaving. If she waitedâsheâd lose the courage again.
âI canât explain right now,â Valerie said breathlessly. âI justâI have to go.â Then she ran. Straight out into the cold night air.
Rain had started sometime during the performance. Not heavy.
But enough to soak through clothes quickly.
She ran through crowded sidewalks while her heart slammed violently against her ribs, rain sticking strands of hair against her face immediately.
People bumped into her shoulders.
Cars splashed water against sidewalks.
Streetlights blurred through rainwater and tears she didnât even realize had formed.
But Valerie kept running anyway.
Because for the first time in daysâ
everything inside her suddenly felt painfully clear.
No matter how scared she was.
No matter how badly the misunderstanding hurt.
No matter what happened nextâ
And she didnât want to keep running away from that anymore.
Valerie finally stopped beneath the roof of a closed convenience store, breathing hard while rain poured heavily just beyond the shelter.
Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone again.
Seanâs location was still moving, still getting farther away.
Panic climbed into her chest instantly.
So before she could overthink itâ
she opened their messages.
Her fingers hovered briefly over the keyboard.
She stared at the message.
She hit send. The message delivered immediately.
Valerie pressed her hand against her chest while trying desperately to steady her breathing.
Seanâs location stopped moving.
Valerieâs heart nearly stopped with it.
Back near the station, Sean stood beneath the rain staring down at his phone in confusion.
That was all the message said.
After days of silence.
After being ignored again and again.
Sean frowned immediately, typing back without hesitation.
No response. His chest tightened instantly.
Because something about the message felt wrong. Urgent. He checked the shared location instinctively and realized two things at once. Valerie was outside, and she was close.
Then without another thoughtâ
Didnât care about getting soaked.
Didnât care about people staring.
Didnât care about anything except finding her.
Because after days of silenceâ
after days of wondering if he had somehow lost herâ
Valerie finally reached for him.
And Sean wouldâve crossed the entire city for her if he had to.
Valerie was exhausted by the time she stopped running again.
Her lungs burned painfully from the cold air, shoes completely soaked from puddles she stopped avoiding minutes ago. Rain poured relentlessly from the sky, drenching her hair, her sleeves, her face.
she looked around desperately.
People passed beneath umbrellas.
Cars moved through shining streets.
The city blurred beneath headlights, rain, and movement.
Valerieâs breathing shook unevenly.
Her phone trembled slightly in her hands as she checked the map again.
Her heart stopped instantly.
Sean stood several feet away beneath the pouring rain, completely soaked already, chest rising quickly from running. His dark hair clung messily against his forehead while rainwater dripped from his jacket sleeves.
And the second Valerie saw himâ
everything inside her shattered all at once. Relief. Love. Heartache.
Missing him.
All of it crashed violently into her chest so hard she almost cried right there in the middle of the street.
She ran toward him before he could say anything else.
Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck while Sean stumbled slightly from the force of it, immediately catching her instinctively against him.
She held onto him so tightly like letting go would destroy her.
Sean froze for half a second in complete shock.
Then his arms slowly wrapped around her waist.
Valerie buried her face against his chest immediately, breathing unevenly while rain poured over both of them.
âIâm sorry,â she whispered shakily. âIâm sorryâIâm so sorryââ
âHey,â Sean said softly, completely confused but holding her tighter anyway. âHey, what happened?â
Valerie shook her head against him because she didnât even know where to start. All she knew was that she missed him so badly it physically hurt.
Sean carefully pulled back just enough to look at her face and his expression changed immediately. Concern. Real concern.
Because Valerie looked exhausted.
Eyes red.
Cheeks wet from rain and probably tears too.
âRie,â he said quietly, brushing soaked hair away from her face carefully. âTalk to me.â
that broke the last thing holding her together.
âI thought you liked her.â The words escaped before Valerie could stop them. Sean blinked. âWhat?â
âAt the festival,â Valerie continued breathlessly. âLiaâI saw youâI heard your band talking and I thoughtââ Her voice cracked embarrassingly. âI thought you liked her.â For a second, Sean just stared at her while rain thundered around them.
he laughed. Not cruelly. Not mockingly. Just completely stunned. Like he genuinely couldnât believe what he was hearing.
Valerie stared at him in immediate offense despite everything. âYouâre laughing?â Sean pressed a hand against his forehead, still looking at her like sheâd just said the most unbelievable thing imaginable. âRie,â he breathed out, then he smiled.
The kind of smile that made Valerieâs chest ache in an entirely different way now. Soft. Fond. Completely helpless.
âYou idiot,â he said quietly. Not harsh. Never harsh. The words landed against her gently. Almost affectionate. Sean stepped closer again, both hands warm against her rain-soaked face now. âIt was never Lia.â Valerieâs breath caught instantly. âShe was helping me.â
Sean shook his head slightly, laughing under his breath again like this misunderstanding had genuinely been torturing him. âShe went to our middle school,â he explained softly. âYou probably donât remember her because you barely talked back then, but she recognized me during festival prep.â
Valerie blinked slowly. âWhat?â
âSheâs into music too,â Sean continued. âThatâs why she kept hanging around the band room. And she found out aboutâŠâ He stopped briefly. âAbout what?â Valerie whispered. Sean looked directly at her. Then said softlyâ
The rain suddenly didnât feel cold anymore. Valerie stared at him silently. Sean smiled faintly again, almost helplessly this time. âShe kept telling me to confess already.â Valerieâs entire brain stopped functioning. âShe what?â Sean laughed softly through the rain. âShe knew I liked you.â
everything started rearranging itself inside Valerieâs head.
Every moment. Every memory. Every tiny thing she ignored before. Sean waiting outside her classes. Sean remembering small details about her. Sean always being there.
And then Sean said the one thing that shattered her completely.
âIt has always been you, Rie.â
Her chest physically hurt hearing it, because suddenly every memory she had of him came rushing back all at once like waves she couldnât stop.
Sean carrying her bag when her shoulders hurt.
Sean showing up with iced lattes because he memorized her order years ago.
Sean sitting beside her during lunch because he knew she skipped meals when stressed.
Sean waiting outside clubrooms just to walk home together.
And suddenly Valerie realized something devastating.
He had been loving her for years.
She was just too late to notice.
Valerie laughed shakily through tears before covering her face briefly. âOh my god,â she whispered. âIâm actually stupid.â
Sean smiled immediately. âA little.â Valerie hit his shoulder weakly. âYou ignored me for a week,â Sean added dramatically.
âI thought you were in love with another girl!â
âI literally ran through the rain because you texted me.â Valerie stared at him. Then suddenly laughed again. Actually laughed.
And Sean looked at her like hearing that sound again fixed something inside him.
The rain softened slightly around them.
Neither of them moved away.
Neither of them wanted to.
Then Sean looked at her quietly for a moment before speaking again.
âYou really thought it was Lia?â Valerie looked away immediately. Sean laughed under his breath.
Sean caught her wrist immediately before she could turn away, smiling so brightly now Valerie thought it might actually kill her.
âYou know what the funny part is?â
Sean stepped closer again.
âYou still havenât realized how long Iâve been in love with you.â
that was where everything changed.
Because suddenly the story stopped being about Valerie realizing her feelings and became the story of all the quiet ways Sean had been loving her long before she ever noticed.
Sean had known before Valerie did.
Maybeâ
if he was being honest with himselfâ
he had always known.
Back when they were kids, Valerie used to stop in front of music stores on the walk home like the windows held entire universes inside them. She would stare at guitars like they were something sacred, eyes glowing beneath fluorescent lights while she talked endlessly about learning someday.
Sean remembered every single time.
He remembered the way she pointed excitedly whenever someone played electric guitar on television.
The way she once begged her parents for lessons.
The way she practiced air chords absentmindedly while talking.
The way she slowly stopped mentioning it at all.
Life happened quietly after that. School became exhausting. Expectations got heavier. Dreams became impractical.
And somehow Valerie let that piece of herself disappear without ever announcing she was giving it up. But Sean noticed. Sean always noticed. Maybe that was why he picked up guitar in the first place.
At first, it was curiosity, then coincidence, then suddenly he found himself staying up late learning songs because every chord somehow reminded him of her. Every time he played, he wondered the same thing: Would Valerie smile if she heard this?
Joining the band happened because of her too, though Sean would probably rather die than admit that out loud.
At the beginning of the school year, Valerie complained for days straight about not knowing what club to join. So one afternoon, while walking through campus alone, Sean genuinely searched every bulletin board for something that sounded like her. That was how he found Digital Media.
He stood there staring at the flyer longer than necessary before immediately taking one down.
Later, he went onto Valerieâs desk casually like it meant nothing.
âYou like cameras, and taking picturesâ he said with a shrug.
Sean stayed helping her finish them without complaining once.
He always did things like that quietly. Not because he wanted credit. But because loving Valerie had somehow become instinctive to him years ago.
The iced lattes were the same. Sean memorized her order after exactly three café visits. After that, drinks simply started appearing beside her during stressful days.
âWhat? How did youââ Valerie told him once while taking the cup anyway. âYouâre welcome,â Sean answered.
Lunches too. Sean noticed Valerie stopped eating properly whenever she got overwhelmed, especially during project weeks.
Eventually he stopped asking if she wanted food. He would just cook extra automatically. Sit beside her silently. Push containers toward her without explanation.
âWhat are you, my mom?â
âYouâll pass out by 2 PM.â
And annoyingly, he was almost always right.
Even after rehearsals, Sean waited for her constantly. Band practice usually ended earlier than Digital Media meetings, but Sean still lingered outside buildings pretending to scroll through his phone while waiting for Valerie to finish.
Then when she finally walked outââOh,â heâd say casually. âYouâre done?â Like he hadnât been there for almost an hour already.
Valerie never questioned it. Not once. And honestly? Sean never minded.
Because walking home beside her became his favorite part of every day anyway.
Then Valerie disappeared afterward.
And for the first time in yearsâSean genuinely panicked, because Valerie had never ignored him like that before. Not for this long.
Sean called her mother quietly one night while standing outside Valerieâs apartment. âI think somethingâs wrong,â he admitted softly.
The hallway around him was silent.
No footsteps.
No music.
No voice from inside.
Nothing. And somehow that terrified him more.
When her mother arrived days later, Sean immediately helped carry groceries upstairs. Cooked meals quietly because he knew Valerie stopped eating when she was overwhelmed. Stayed late helping in his kitchen while Valerieâs mother watched him with knowing eyes. âYou know,â she teased once, âyouâre basically taking care of my daughter already.â Sean smiled tiredly while stirring soup. âI just want her okay.â
Then immediately afterâ
âPlease donât tell her I cooked this.â
Because Sean knew Valerie. Knew she would reject help if she realized how directly it came from him.
So instead, he loved her quietly, from the other side of the door. Waiting for her to come back to him eventually.
despite every misunderstanding,
every moment of jealousy,
every silence,
every heartbreakâ
By the time the rain softened, the city looked dreamlike. Streetlights reflected against wet pavement in blurred gold streaks while passing cars hissed quietly through puddles nearby.
Valerie and Sean stood beneath the narrow shelter of a closed storefront completely drenched, breathing unevenly after running through half the city trying to find each other.
Valerie looked at him carefully then. Really looked at him. At the rainwater clinging to his lashes. At the way his hands never fully left her, like he was afraid she might disappear again if he loosened his grip even slightly. At the way he kept staring at her nowâsoftly. Like she was something precious he almost lost.
And suddenly Valerie felt her chest ache all over again. Not painfully this time.
Something terrifyingly tender.
âYou really liked me this whole time?â she asked quietly. Sean let out a soft laugh beneath his breath. âRie,â he murmured. âIâve been in love with you for years.â
The word alone overwhelmed her, because suddenly every memory rearranged itself inside her head, every moment changed meaning.
Sean had carried all of it alone.
âYou shouldâve told me,â Valerie whispered. Sean smiled faintly. âYou were worth waiting for.â That nearly shattered her. Valerie immediately looked down because she genuinely thought she might cry again, but Sean gently tilted her face back toward him before she could hide.
âHey,â he murmured softly. And the way he said it. It was careful.
Affectionate.
The city noise faded quietly around them. Cars. Rain. People passing by. Everything blurred until it was just him. Sean brushed his thumb against her cheek gently, Valerie melted instantly.
She loved him so much it honestly scared her.
Sean leaned closer slowly, giving her every opportunity to pull away, but Valerie stepped closer too, like her body already knew where it belonged. Their foreheads touched briefly. Warm despite the rain.
Then Sean kissed her. Softly. So softly Valerie thought she might fall apart from it.
It wasnât rushed. Wasnât dramatic. It felt careful. Like Sean had imagined this moment too many times and was terrified of ruining it now that it was finally real. Valerieâs fingers curled tightly against his soaked jacket while Sean held her gently, kissing her like he had been waiting years to finally do it properly.
The world disappeared entirely. There was only warmth. Only Sean. Only the way his lips moved against hers like something long-awaited finally finding its way home.
Valerie kissed him back immediately, heart pounding so violently she thought he might feel it through her chest, then Sean pulled away slightly just enough to breathe. Their faces stayed impossibly close. Valerie could still feel his breath against her skin when he smiled suddenly.
âYou know,â he murmured, slightly breathless, âthis is actually our second kiss.â Valerie blinked. ââŠWhat?â Seanâs smile widened. âOur second kiss.â Her brain completely short-circuited.
âWhat do you mean secondâhow is this our secondâwhen did we evenââ Sean laughed quietly, then kissed her again just to shut her up. Valerie made the most offended noise imaginable against his lips before immediately melting into him anyway. When he pulled away again, she stared at him in complete disbelief.
âSean.â He looked far too entertained now.
âYou were drunk.â Valerie froze.
everything came rushing back in fragments.
Warm lights. Laughter. The smell of food and alcohol mixing together during that family gathering weeks ago. And Sean beside her through all of it.
âI think Iâm gonna throw up.â Sean immediately moved toward her, then Valerie blinked slowly and pointed upward instead. âActually never mind. False alarm. But I think the ceiling is moving.â
âItâs not,â Sean answered, already trying not to laugh.
âI donât trust you.â
âYou drank half a bottle.â
Valerie could barely walk in a straight line anymore, so Sean guided her upstairs carefully while she complained about literally everything. âYou walk too fast,â she mumbled. âWeâre moving one step every hour.â
âYouâre still too fast.â Sean laughed softly, steadying her gently by the waist as he led her toward her room. The entire time Valerie kept leaning against him like she forgot how balance worked entirely.
Once inside, Sean sat her carefully on the edge of the bed. âOkay,â he said gently. âStay there.â Valerie nodded way too seriously. Sean turned around for approximately two seconds before hearing movement behind him.
When he looked backâValerie was somehow lying diagonally across the entire bed already. Sean laughed quietly beneath his breath. Then spent the next several minutes taking care of her. Helping remove her makeup. Handing her water. Patting her back gently when she complained her head hurt. Pulling blankets over her carefully afterward.
And through all of it, Sean looked at her with unbearable softness. Like he always did whenever Valerie wasnât paying attention.
Eventually Sean stood quietly from the bed. âIâm grabbing something,â he whispered. âDonât move.â But the second he turnedâValerie grabbed his wrist.
Sean froze instantly. Her grip wasnât strong just enough to stop him and when he looked back, her eyes were barely open anymore. Sleepy.
Heavy. But still searching for him. âDonât leave,â she mumbled softly. Seanâs chest physically hurt. âRieâŠâ
âI like it when youâre here,â she whispered drowsily. Sean stared at her silently, then Valerie said the one thing that completely shattered him.
Everything stopped. Sean genuinely forgot how to breathe. Because Valerie really sounded honest. Not teasing. Not joking. Honest.
And maybe that was what destroyed him most.
Sean slowly sat back down beside her bed again. Carefully. Quietly. Like sudden movement might ruin the moment somehow. Valerie had already started drifting toward sleep again, fingers still loosely wrapped around his wrist.
Sean looked at her for a long time then slowly brushed strands of hair away from her face, his thumb traced softly against her cheek.
Sean leaned down carefully and pressed the gentlest kiss against her forehead. Just one. Soft. Safe. Affectionate.
But the second he started pulling awayâValerie weakly grabbed the front of his hoodie, and before Sean could even process what was happeningâ
A little clumsy because she was drunk. A little messy because she was half asleep. But real. Completely real. Sean froze instantly, his mind went entirely blank. Valerieâs fingers curled lightly into his hoodie while her lips stayed against his for one soft second longer before she pulled away sleepily again. Then immediately fell asleep, like she hadnât just altered Seanâs entire existence in under five seconds.
Meanwhile Sean stayed completely frozen beside her bed, staring at her in absolute disbelief.
Heart racing violently. Because Valerie kissed him. And somehowâshe remembered none of it the next morning.
The memory disappeared, and suddenly Valerie was back beneath the rain again, staring at Sean in complete horror. Her mouth slowly fell open. ââŠNo.â Sean immediately started laughing. Not loudly, but enough for his shoulders to shake slightly while rainwater dripped from his hair. âNo way,â Valerie whispered, covering her face instantly. âNo, no, noââ
âYou really donât remember?â
âOh my god.â Sean looked way too happy about this. Valerie could barely process anything anymore.
âYouâre telling me I confessed to you drunk?â
âAnd then forgot the entire thing existed?!â Sean bit back another smile. âYou fell asleep immediately after.â Valerie let out the most horrified sound imaginable before hiding her face against his chest instead. âIâm moving countries.â Sean laughed softly, wrapping his arms around her immediately. âNo youâre not.â
âYou grabbed my hoodie and kissed me,â he continued helpfully.
âSean, stop talking.â
âYou were very determined too.â
He was smiling so hard now it was almost impossible to look at him directly. And somehow, seeing him this happy because of her made Valerieâs chest feel unbearably warm again. Sean tilted his head slightly, trying to catch her expression. But Valerie refused to look up. âI cannot believe this,â she muttered against his jacket.
âYou know what my favorite part was?â
âThere should not be a favorite part.â
âYou confessed twice.â Valerie groaned dramatically and Sean laughed again before gently pulling her hands away from her face. âHey,â he murmured softly. Valerie finally looked up slightly and immediately regretted it because Sean was staring at her with that look again. That unbearably soft expression that made her feel like the center of his entire universe.
âYouâre cute when youâre embarrassed,â he murmured. Valerieâs heart betrayed her instantly. âShut up.â Sean smiled. Then kissed the tip of her nose. Valerie blinked in surprise. Another kiss landed against her cheek, then the other one, then her forehead, then near the corner of her lips. Slow. Playful. Affectionate. Like he genuinely couldnât stop.
âSeanââ Another kiss. âSean.â Another one. Valerie started laughing breathlessly while trying weakly to push him away, but Sean only pulled her closer instead. âYou ignored me for a week,â he reminded softly between kisses. âYou survived.â
âBarely.â He kissed her cheek again. Then her jaw. Then her forehead once more like he was trying to make up for years of waiting all at once. And Valerie suddenly realized something terrifying.
Sean had probably wanted to do this for years.
The thought made her chest ache instantly. âYouâre impossible,â she whispered. Sean smiled against her skin. âBut you love me.â
God. Hearing that out loud still overwhelmed her. Valerie stared at him quietly while rain continued falling softly around them, the city glowing behind blurred lights and reflections.
Everything felt distant now. Muted. Like the universe had narrowed down into this tiny space where only Sean existed. She slowly reached up, brushing damp strands of hair away from his forehead carefully this time and Sean looked at her like even that tiny touch meant everything, her chest tightened immediately.
âHow did I not notice?â she whispered. Seanâs expression softened instantly. âBecause I never needed you to,â he answered quietly. That hurt in the gentlest way possible, because suddenly Valerie understood.
Sean loved her without demanding anything back. Without forcing her to notice. Without making her feel guilty for realizing too late. He just stayed. Patiently. Lovingly. Always there.
Valerieâs eyes burned again. âYouâre really unfair, you know that?â Sean laughed softly. âThatâs a weird thing to say after finding out Iâve been emotionally suffering for years.â Valerie snorted then Sean looked at her again. Something shifted quietly between them.
The teasing faded. The laughter softened. What remained felt deeper now.
Sean reached up carefully, thumb brushing against her cheek while rainwater slipped between his fingers. Valerieâs breathing slowed. Sean leaned closer again, this time slower than before. Like he wanted her to feel every second of it.
And Valerie did. She felt all of it. The warmth of him. The gentleness. The years of longing sitting quietly between them.
"I love you." Sean said carefully, so soft that their lips met again softly. But it didnât stay soft for long. Because something inside both of them had been held back for far too long.
Valerieâs hands tightened instinctively against his jacket, pulling him closer while Sean deepened the kiss immediately, one hand settling carefully against her waist while the other cradled her face like something precious.
The rain blurred around them completely now. Valerie melted into him entirely, heartbeat racing wildly while Sean kissed her with every feeling he had spent years hiding inside quiet gestures and patient affection.
And this kiss felt different.
Not hesitant anymore.
Not uncertain.
This one felt like finally coming home.
