esh ⎯⎯ ❤︎ ﹙just one day﹚ ‘ 02
ℰ ┄ you realize that you’re inlove with your bestfriend but too bad he’s already in love with another.
tagsㅤ ◟ㅤ slow burn, mutual pining , kissing , skinship , miscommunication , angst. ౨ৎ ➜ wc. 3k
You and Seonghyeon had been sitting on the floor of your living room for nearly half an hour, a movie playing quietly in the background. The light from the TV flickered across the walls, but neither of you were actually watching it. Well… you weren’t sure about him.
Usually when you hung out, Seonghyeon was loud and animated, always commenting on something or teasing you about whatever snack you were eating. But today he was unusually quiet. His phone rested loosely in his hand, and every few seconds his eyes would drift somewhere far away, like he was replaying something in his head.
It wasn’t hard to notice.
At first you tried ignoring it, thinking maybe he was just tired. But after the fifth time he completely missed what you said, you turned toward him with a small frown.
“Okay… what’s going on with you?”
He blinked, snapping out of whatever world he had wandered into.
“You’ve been doing that all week,” you said, nudging his shoulder. “Spacing out. Not listening. You’ve been weird since last week. What’s up with you?”
Seonghyeon rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking awkward. That alone made you suspicious. He was rarely this hesitant with you.
He sighed dramatically, falling back against the couch behind you.
“…I think I like someone.”
For some reason, the words landed strangely in your chest. You didn’t understand why, but something about hearing that made your stomach tighten a little.
“Oh?” you said slowly. “Who?”
He hesitated again, like he was embarrassed to even say it.
He nodded, staring up at the ceiling.
You tried to ignore the strange feeling bubbling up in your chest.
“So… why haven’t you talked to her?”
Seonghyeon groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
“Because I’m shy,” he said like it was obvious. “What if I embarrass myself? What if she thinks I’m weird?”
You snorted, “You are weird.”
He nudged you back before sighing again.
“…That’s why I need your help.”
Normally you would’ve said yes immediately. Helping him talk to someone he liked felt like something a best friend was supposed to do.
But for some reason, the word no hovered quietly in your chest.
You didn’t understand why.
“Come on,” he said when you didn’t answer right away.
Then suddenly he scooted closer, leaning his head dramatically on your shoulder.
“You’re my best friend,” he whined. “You have to help me.”
He wrapped an arm around you in a playful half-hug, completely invading your personal space.
He knew exactly how to corner you.
Later that day, you found yourself walking toward the courtyard where Iroha usually hung out during break.
Part of you still wondered if you should really be doing this. The weird feeling from earlier hadn’t gone away, but you forced yourself to ignore it.
This was for your best friend.
When you spotted Iroha sitting with her friends, you took a breath and walked over.
You chatted with her for a few minutes, casually bringing up things like school and classes until you eventually slipped the question in.
“So… do you have a boyfriend?”
She shook her head with a small laugh.
Something in your chest loosened and tightened at the same time.
“Well,” you said, forcing a smile. “I want you to meet someone.”
You waved toward the hallway where Seonghyeon had been awkwardly waiting.
When he saw you signal him, his eyes widened in panic.
“Seonghyeon!” you called.
He slowly walked over, looking like he might faint.
“Iroha, this is my best friend,” you said.
The two of them started talking, and after making sure things weren’t completely awkward, you quietly slipped away.
As you walked down the hall, something heavy settled in your chest.
It hurt more than you expected.
But for him… it was worth it.
A few days later, you and Seonghyeon were sitting on a bench outside the school after classes ended.
And he would not stop talking.
“I swear, when she laughed at my joke I almost died,” he rambled. “And then today she asked to hangout!”
You sighed, leaning back.
“Seonghyeon, you’ve been talking about her for twenty minutes.”
That was when something caught your attention.
A small cat had wandered near the bench, quietly sniffing around the grass.
Your face immediately lit up.
“Oh my god, that cat is so cute.”
Without hesitation, he leaned down and gently picked the cat up before plopping back onto the bench beside you.
The cat curled comfortably in his arms.
You watched as he absentmindedly scratched behind its ears, the animal instantly relaxing against him.
“It’s not cuter than me though,” he said smugly.
But as your laughter faded, your gaze lingered on him.
The way his hair fell slightly into his eyes.
The soft smile on his face as he pet the cat.
The quiet way he talked to it like it could understand him.
Your chest suddenly felt warm.
And in that moment…You realized that somewhere along the way—You had fallen in love with him.
Seonghyeon glanced over and caught you staring, “What?”
He squinted suspiciously but didn’t push it.
“We should name it,” he said instead, gently lifting the cat’s paw.
He stared at you for a second before laughing.
“What’s wrong with Mochi?”
“It’s horrible,” he teased.
“Then what would you name it?”
He thought for a moment before grinning.
“It means love,” he said casually. “Like… the bond we have.”
Your face immediately warmed.
You looked down at the cat in your hands, trying to hide your smile.
Seonghyeon gently placed the cat in your lap.
You pet the cat softly while glancing back at him as he continued ranting about his problems.
Class had barely started, and you were already halfway through telling Seonghyeon about something ridiculous that had happened in math earlier that morning. He was sitting beside you like always, his chair tilted slightly toward yours, his notebook open but mostly empty because he was never very good at paying attention during the first ten minutes of class.
“So then the teacher said—”
The classroom door slid open.
You didn’t think much of it at first.
Before you even finished your sentence, his attention shifted completely. His head turned toward the door so quickly that you stopped mid-word without meaning to.
Iroha had just walked in.
The moment he saw her, his face lit up in that soft, excited way you had come to recognize lately. He straightened in his seat and waved slightly, and she smiled when she noticed him.
“Hey,” she greeted as she passed by.
“Hey,” he replied immediately.
Just like that, your conversation was gone.
You sat there quietly while they exchanged a few quick words, your unfinished sentence hanging somewhere awkwardly between you. Seonghyeon leaned toward her a little, asking something about homework, and she laughed softly in response.
You looked down at your notebook.
You supposed this was what happened when you fell in love with your best friend.
After that, school felt almost unbearable.
Everywhere you went, they seemed to be there. In the hallway between classes, near the vending machines during break, even walking together outside the main building. It wasn’t like they were doing anything wrong—they were just talking, laughing, acting like normal friends.
But somehow it felt like the universe was determined to remind you of your feelings every five minutes.
As if liking him wasn’t already difficult enough.
On top of that, teachers had decided that this week was the perfect time for back-to-back assignments and quizzes. Your backpack felt heavier every day, and by the time the final bell rang, your head usually throbbed from exhaustion.
The worst part, though, was that you barely saw Seonghyeon anymore.
The person you used to spend almost every moment with now seemed constantly busy with someone else.
It made your chest ache in a quiet way you didn’t know how to fix.
That afternoon, after classes ended, you wandered outside toward the school gardens. It was one of the few places that felt calm enough to clear your head. The air was cooler there, and the soft rustling of leaves made everything feel a little less overwhelming.
You were halfway down the stone path when you heard a small sound behind you.
Your face brightened immediately.
The small cat padded toward you like it recognized your voice. Without hesitation, you bent down and scooped it into your arms.
“Hi, baby,” you murmured softly, petting its head.
The cat purred loudly against your chest.
You walked slowly along the path while scratching behind its ears, speaking to it like it could understand every word.
“You know,” you sighed quietly, “your dad doesn’t like us anymore.”
You spun around so fast you almost dropped the cat.
Seonghyeon stood a few steps behind you, looking completely confused.
Your heart immediately started racing.
“Oh—hi,” you said awkwardly.
He smiled when he saw you, the familiar warmth in his expression making your chest tighten.
For a moment neither of you said anything.
Then he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish.
“Sorry I haven’t talked to you much lately,” he said.
You shook your head quickly.
Even though in your heart, it felt like everything.
“I understand,” you added softly.
Seonghyeon studied your face for a second before reaching forward and gently taking the cat from your arms.
Mochi settled comfortably against him, clearly remembering him.
He smiled while petting it.
“You’ve been taking good care of it,” he said.
You watched him for a moment—the way he scratched under the cat’s chin, the way his hair fell slightly over his eyes.
Then you quickly looked away before he could catch you staring again.
“Oh,” he said suddenly, like he had just remembered something.
He reached into his bag and pulled out two small pieces of paper.
“For us,” he added casually.
Your eyes widened a little.
“Yeah,” he said with a small grin. “I figured we haven’t hung out properly in a while.”
Your chest warmed despite everything.
“I’ll be there,” you said quickly.
He nodded happily, clearly pleased.
After another moment, he leaned down and kissed the cat gently on the top of its head.
Then he handed the cat back to you before turning and walking down the garden path toward the school gate.
You stood there for a second, watching him go.
Your mood, which had been heavy all day, suddenly felt a little lighter.
You looked down at the cat in your arms.
“Did you hear that?” you whispered excitedly.
Sarang blinked up at you.
Smiling softly, you leaned down and kissed the exact same spot on its head where Seonghyeon had.
Then you hugged the cat closer, already thinking about your movie night together.
Your bedroom looked like a small disaster zone.
Clothes were scattered across your bed, hanging halfway off your chair, draped over your desk lamp. You had already changed outfits three times, and none of them felt right.
You stood in front of your mirror, holding up another shirt and sighing.
“I’m not even trying that hard,” you muttered to yourself, even though the mess around you said otherwise.
You just wanted to look nice. Not like you’d spent an hour deciding, but nice enough that if Seonghyeon looked at you, he might notice.
Your phone dinged from your desk.
You glanced at it briefly but didn’t bother checking. Right now you were too focused on deciding between two outfits that looked almost exactly the same.
Eventually you settled on one.
You fixed your hair carefully, running your fingers through it until it sat the way you liked. Then you applied a little lip gloss, pressing your lips together lightly.
You looked at yourself one last time.
“Okay… that’s normal,” you whispered.
Definitely not like someone going on something that felt suspiciously like a date.
When you arrived at the theater, the evening air felt cool and calm.
You looked around the entrance.
That was fine. You were a little early anyway.
You leaned against the railing near the ticket booth, checking the time casually.
You checked your phone again, your small smile fading slightly.
Maybe he was running late.
A small knot began to form in your chest.
You kept glancing up every time you heard footsteps approaching the entrance, your heart jumping with quiet hope each time.
Someone walked toward you.
You turned quickly, a hopeful smile already forming.
“Oh,” you murmured quietly.
The sky suddenly rumbled above you.
A few seconds later, rain began to fall.
At first it was light—small drops tapping gently against the pavement.
Then it quickly grew heavier.
You laughed weakly under your breath.
“Wow,” you whispered. “Good timing.”
You checked your phone again.
Your house wasn’t too far away. You could walk.
So you started down the sidewalk, the rain growing heavier with every step.
Your hair clung to your face, your clothes slowly soaking through.
Halfway home, your chest started to ache in a way you couldn’t ignore anymore.
A tear slipped down your cheek.
You didn’t even know when it started.
The rain washed it away instantly.
By the time you reached your house, you were completely drenched.
The next morning at school, you looked awful.
Your eyes were tired, your hair messy from rushing out the door, and your entire body felt heavy from barely sleeping.
You sat quietly in class, staring blankly at your desk.
Seonghyeon stood beside your desk, frowning slightly.
“You look terrible,” he said bluntly. “Did you get my message?”
Your eyebrows pulled together.
“I texted you yesterday,” he said. “Saying I couldn’t make it.”
“Yeah,” he continued casually. “Something came up with Iroha.”
The name echoed in your head.
You felt something cold settle in your chest.
“Oh,” you said flatly. “Got it.”
Before he could say anything else, you stood up.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
You walked out of the classroom, leaving him staring after you in confusion.
After that day, you started avoiding him.
It wasn’t obvious at first. You just stopped sitting next to him. You left class a little earlier. You spent lunch with other people.
Whenever he tried talking to you, you gave short answers before finding an excuse to leave.
Still, after a few days, guilt began creeping into your chest.
Maybe you were being unfair.
He didn’t know how you felt.
So one afternoon you decided to talk to him.
You walked through the hallway searching for him until you noticed a crowd gathered near the lockers.
Curious, you pushed your way inside.
When you finally reached the middle, your body froze.
Seonghyeon stood in front of Iroha.
“…I’ve liked you for a while,” he was saying.
The world around you suddenly felt very quiet.
You blinked slowly, trying to process what you were seeing.
Your heart felt like it shattered all at once.
He glanced up and saw you. Your eyes met for a brief second.
A tear slid down your cheek.
You turned immediately, pushing through the crowd before anyone could see more.
You walked quickly at first.
You didn’t stop until you reached the school garden.
Your chest heaved as you tried to breathe.
You heard footsteps behind you.
You wiped your face quickly, but it was pointless.
Seonghyeon jogged up to you, slightly out of breath.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “Why have you been acting so weird lately?”
“Yeah,” he said, frustrated. “You’ve been ignoring me for days and then you run off like that. Why are you being so dramatic?”
Something inside you snapped.
“Dramatic?” you repeated.
“You left me standing in the rain!”
His expression shifted in confusion.
“I didn’t see it!” you shouted.
Your chest rose and fell rapidly.
“I waited for you,” you continued, your voice cracking. “I waited there like an idiot thinking you’d show up.”
Seonghyeon stared at you, stunned.
“And then you just casually say it’s because of Iroha.”
“You talk about her constantly. You cancel plans for her. You look at her like she’s the only person in the room.”
“Do you know how much that hurts?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
You laughed weakly through your tears.
Your eyes met his one last time.
“Because you don’t even know that I’m in love with you.”
The words hung heavily in the air.
Seonghyeon looked completely shocked.
You wiped your face quickly.
“…Forget it.” You said turning away, “I don’t want to be friends anymore.”
And before he could say anything—You walked away.
For the next few days, you didn’t go to school.
Your alarm still rang in the morning out of habit, but you turned it off every time and rolled back over, staring at the ceiling instead. Your phone buzzed constantly on your nightstand.
I didn’t mean for things to go like that.
You read a few of them at first. Then you stopped opening them entirely.
You didn’t know what you would even say.
Eventually, though, staying home started to feel worse than facing everything. The silence in your room felt too loud, and the thoughts in your head wouldn’t stop looping.
So after several days, you finally forced yourself out of bed and went back to school.
Your chest felt tight the entire walk there.
You kept your head down in the hallways, hoping to slip through the day unnoticed. But the moment lunch break arrived, your feet carried you somewhere familiar without you really thinking about it.
The quiet stone path looked exactly the same as it always had. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the soft rustling of leaves filled the space.
You stepped further inside, exhaling slowly.
A small sound caught your attention.
The little cat padded toward you, tail flicking lazily like it recognized you. You stared at it for a moment before kneeling down to pick it up.
It curled comfortably into your arms like it always did.
You ran your fingers through its soft fur, your voice barely louder than a whisper.
The words slipped out before you could stop them.
“I didn’t mean for everything to get so messy.”
Sarang blinked slowly at you.
You continued petting it, your voice trembling slightly.
“I shouldn’t have blown up like that,” you murmured. “But it hurt… it hurt so much.”
Your fingers tightened slightly in its fur.
“I liked him for so long.”
“And he didn’t even notice.”
Behind you, a quiet voice spoke.
You knew that voice immediately.
Slowly, you lowered Sarang to the ground, your hands lingering on its head for a moment longer before you stood up.
You still didn’t turn around.
You didn’t think you had the courage to look at him yet.
Seonghyeon stood a few steps behind you, watching your every movement carefully. His expression was tight, his brows slightly furrowed.
You took a step forward, ready to leave.
But suddenly—Two arms wrapped around you from behind.
Your whole body went rigid.
Seonghyeon held you there carefully but firmly, his face close to the side of your head.
“What are you doing?” you asked, your voice flustered despite yourself.
Your cheeks warmed instantly.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
“I was stupid,” he continued. “I should’ve realized sooner.”
Your heart pounded against your chest.
You forced yourself to stay steady.
“If you’re only doing this because you don’t want to lose me,” you said softly, “then I’m not interested.”
His arms loosened slightly.
Then he gently turned you around to face him, his hands resting on your shoulders.
His eyes looked serious—more serious than you had ever seen them before.
“I already explained everything to Iroha,” he said.
“I told her I couldn’t go out with her,” he continued. “Because there’s someone else I care about.”
“Please,” he said, his voice softer now. “Just give me a chance to fix this.”
This was everything you had wanted to hear.
But something still weighed on your chest.
“You shouldn’t make decisions like this so quickly,” you said quietly. “You just—”
Before you could finish—Seonghyeon leaned forward and kissed you.
Your eyes widened instantly.
For a moment, your mind completely blanked.
The kiss was gentle but certain, like he had already made up his mind.
When he pulled back, you were still staring at him in shock.
“I’m serious,” he said softly.
Then he wrapped his arms around you again, pulling you into a warm hug. “I love you.”
You stood there stiffly at first, your heart racing.
Your arms slowly lifted and wrapped around him too.
A small smile finally appeared on your face. “I love you too.”
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