when the stars align | sim jaeyun

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The first period dragged on, and by the time the lunch bell rang, I was more than ready for a break. Yunjin and Yuna were waiting for me outside the cafeteria doors, their trays already filled with food.

"Today's special is sloppy joes," Yunjin said, wrinkling her nose. "I hope you packed lunch because it looks like an actual disaster."

I held up the lunchbox my mom had packed for me this morning. "Crisis averted."

We made our way to our usual table near the back of the cafeteria, where Ni-ki was already seated. He was one of the few second-years who hung out with third-years, and his quick wit and unapologetic honesty made him a staple in our friend group. As we sat down, he greeted us with a grin.

"Did you hear about Jake and his crew's latest bet?" he asked, popping a grape into his mouth.

I froze, my chopsticks hovering over my rice. "What bet?"

Ni-ki leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Apparently, Jake told Sunghoon he could get *any* girl in school to go out with him if he wanted to."

Yunjin scoffed. "That's disgusting."

"It gets worse," Ni-ki added. "Sunghoon dared him to prove it. He has until prom to make a girl fall for him."

Yuna's jaw dropped. "Wait, so he's just going to mess with some poor girl's feelings for fun? That's low, even for him."

I tried to focus on my lunch, but the idea of Jake manipulating someone like that made my stomach churn. It was just another reminder of how much he'd changed. The Jake I used to know would never have entertained something so cruel.

"Who's the target?" Yunjin asked, her voice sharp.

Ni-ki hesitated. "They haven't decided yet. But you know how Jake is—he'll probably pick someone just to prove a point."

I didn't say anything, but a sense of unease settled over me. Jake had always been competitive, but this was a new level of arrogance. Still, it wasn't my problem. Whoever he chose, I just hoped they'd see through him before it was too late.

As we left the cafeteria, the hallway buzzed with the usual lunchtime energy. I was digging through my bag for my physics notebook when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, and there he was—Jake Sim, his signature smirk firmly in place.

"Hey, Park," he said casually. "Got a second?"

I frowned. "What do you want, Jake?"

"Relax, it's not a big deal," he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I just need to talk to you. Alone."

Yunjin stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Anything you have to say to her, you can say in front of us."

Jake's eyes flicked to her, then back to me. "It's about our history project."

I stared at him, suspicious. We weren't even in the same history class. Still, his expression was unreadable, and curiosity got the better of me.

"Fine," I said. "Two minutes."

Jake gestured for me to follow him down the hallway, away from the prying eyes of my friends. When we stopped near the lockers, he leaned casually against the wall, his gaze fixed on me.

"So," he began, his voice low. "Have you heard the rumors?"

"About your stupid bet?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Yeah, I heard. Congratulations on being the worst."

He laughed, the sound surprisingly genuine. "You're not wrong. But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then what?"

He hesitated, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something real behind his usual bravado. But then it was gone, replaced by his trademark smirk.

"I wanted to warn you," he said. "Sunghoon's been talking about picking you for the bet."

My stomach dropped. "What?"

"Don't freak out," he said quickly. "I told him it was a bad idea."

"And why would you do that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "You don't care about me, remember?"

His smirk faltered, just for a second. "Maybe I don't want you to get caught up in something dumb."

I didn't know what to say to that. Part of me wanted to believe he was being sincere, but the other part—the part that remembered years of taunts and insults—wasn't so sure.

"Thanks for the warning," I said finally. "But I can handle myself."

Jake nodded, stepping back. "Yeah, I know. Just... be careful, okay?"

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a hundred questions and no answers.

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