when the stars align | sim jaeyun

-

The days seemed to blur together as the school year continued. My routine was set: wake up, go to school, deal with Jake, and then meet up with my friends. Repeat.

Jake's presence was a constant, but strangely enough, I was beginning to expect it. Every time I walked into class, I found myself scanning the room for him, and I hated how easily I was falling into that pattern.

But I didn't want to admit it to myself. Not yet.

During lunch one day, Yuna leaned over the table, her voice low.

"Have you noticed how different Jake has been lately?" she asked, her eyes flickering to where he was sitting with his friends.

I glanced over at him, trying not to make it obvious. He was laughing with Sunghoon, but there was something about his smile that seemed... forced.

"Yeah," I said, turning my attention back to my friends. "I've noticed. Doesn't make him any less annoying though."

Yuna rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Jisun. You might be fooling yourself if you think he's still the same jerk he used to be."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Yuna was already grinning, clearly enjoying the effect her words were having on me.

"He's not the same," Yuna continued. "It's kind of obvious he's been trying to get your attention."

I felt my face flush. "Stop it. You're making it sound like a drama."

Yuna laughed, and I couldn't help but smile despite myself.

---

The next day, after a grueling two hours of chemistry, I was about to head out of the classroom when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, Jisun."

I turned to find Jake standing there, looking at me with that strange, unreadable look in his eyes.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to act indifferent.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something," he said, his voice quiet.

I frowned. "You're asking *me* for help? Seriously?"

Jake just shrugged, his smirk not entirely hiding the hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "What can I say? You're the one who always knows the answer."

I was about to make a sarcastic comment when I noticed how... different he seemed. There was a softness to him that I hadn't seen in ages. Maybe ever.

Before I could say anything, he added, "It's not for the project. Just, I need your help with a math problem."

I blinked, taken aback. "Math?"

He nodded, his posture shifting slightly. "Yeah. Don't make it a big deal."

I looked at him for a moment longer, then shrugged. "Fine. What's the problem?"

I moved my chair in front of his desk, where he handed me his notebook. His handwriting was messy, but I could make out the problem.

It didn't take long to work through it, but what struck me was the quiet way Jake watched me as I worked.

"Thanks," he said when I finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, still processing what had just happened. Jake Sim, the guy who'd spent the last few years making my life miserable, had just asked me for help.

Was this the beginning of something? Or was it just another way for him to get under my skin?

---

Later that evening, I sat in my room, staring at the homework spread out in front of me. But I couldn't focus. Not when I kept replaying the look in Jake's eyes.

It wasn't the usual cocky, arrogant look. It wasn't the playful taunting I'd grown used to. It was something else. Something... vulnerable.

"Ugh, what am I even doing?" I muttered to myself, tossing my pen onto the desk.

I needed to stop thinking about Jake. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was starting to question things I had no business questioning.

I grabbed my phone to distract myself, and that's when I saw the message from Yunjin.

1 new message
yj😛🫶

- i saw you talking to jake earlier. what's going on😏

I stared at the screen, feeling the pressure of her gaze even though she wasn't physically there.

nothing🤨 -
he needed help with math -

- uh-huh sure
- lmk when the "nothing" becomes something, okay?😋😋

I rolled my eyes, typing back a quick response.

girl you're literally just overthinking it -
LMAO -

- maybeeee
- but just remember you're not as invisible to him as you think😙

I put my phone down and sighed, feeling both frustrated and oddly... curious.

---

The next morning, I walked into school with a new sense of uncertainty hanging over me. I wasn't sure what had shifted, but something in the air felt different. Maybe it was Jake, or maybe it was just me finally paying attention to things I'd been ignoring for too long.

Jake, as usual, was sitting with his friends when I passed by. He glanced up, meeting my eyes for a moment before quickly looking away.

It was only a brief glance, but it made my heart skip. Why was I letting him affect me like this?

As I settled into my seat in class, I tried to push all thoughts of Jake out of my head. But every time I looked at him, I couldn't help but wonder if I was seeing things differently now.

---