when the stars align | sim jaeyun

-

The next few days felt like they stretched on forever. There was a tension in the air that neither Jake nor I could shake, but we both acted like nothing was different. It was almost exhausting, pretending we were just classmates, just passing by one another in the halls, when everything felt so charged. 

I tried to distract myself, throwing myself into schoolwork, hanging out with Yuna and Yunjin, but every so often, my mind would wander. I'd find myself staring across the room, looking for him. It was ridiculous. Why was I even thinking about Jake? 

---

That afternoon, after another dull day of classes, I was packing up my things when I felt someone standing in front of me. I looked up to see Jake leaning casually against the desk, his arms crossed, but his expression was unreadable. 

I raised an eyebrow. "What now?" 

He gave me a half-smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You heading home?" 

"Yeah," I replied shortly, shoving my notebook into my bag. "Why?" 

"I don't know," Jake said, shrugging. "Just felt like asking." 

I looked at him, feeling the familiar irritation rise. "Well, I don't have time for small talk, so..." 

He chuckled, but it was dry. "I didn't think you did." 

I grabbed my bag and walked past him without another word. 

---

Later that night, I sat in my room, scrolling through my phone, but I wasn't really looking at anything. I was trying—and failing—not to think about Jake. His stupid face, his stupid voice, his stupid smile. 

I texted Yuna again. 

twin😼👯‍♀️

do u think im crazy for thinking about him? -

Her reply came almost instantly. 

- maybe, but you're definitely not alone
- he's probably thinking about u too🙂‍↕️
- but yeah just a bit crazy?

I let out a frustrated sigh. She was right. I was crazy for letting myself care this much. 

---

The weekend came, and I found myself spending most of it at home. Yuna had suggested we hang out, but I told her I had too much to do. The truth was, I just didn't feel like being around anyone. 

I had been so distracted by everything with Jake that I hadn't even realized how much I'd been isolating myself. 

---

The following week passed in a blur of schoolwork and forced smiles. I was still trying to figure out what was happening between me and Jake, but the more I thought about it, the more confused I became. 

One moment, he'd be distant, mocking me like he always did, and the next, he'd be... well, almost normal. 

I didn't know what was worse—the teasing or the strange little moments when it felt like we were slipping back into the rhythm we once had. 

---

After school on Wednesday, I was walking to my usual spot by the gates when I spotted Jake again, sitting on the stairs by the basketball court, talking to his friends. I started to turn away, but then I saw him glance up at me, and his eyes narrowed slightly. 

I froze. 

For a second, I wondered if he was going to come over, like he had the other day, but then he just looked away, muttering something to Jay. 

I didn't know why that stung, but it did. 

---

The rest of the week felt like a repeat of everything that had happened before. We barely talked outside of school, and when we did, it was always some small comment or passing remark. The tension was still there, thick and heavy, but we both kept pretending like it wasn't. 

I tried to focus on school, tried to distract myself, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get him out of my head. 

That Friday night, Yuna invited me over to her house. I wasn't in the mood for company, but I didn't want to sit alone at home either. 

When I got there, Yuna and Yunjin were already in the living room, talking about something I wasn't paying attention to. 

"Hey, you okay?" Yuna asked, noticing the faraway look in my eyes. 

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just... I can't stop thinking about him." 

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Jake?" 

I nodded, even though I felt stupid saying it out loud. 

"I think I'm losing my mind," I muttered, sinking into the couch. 

Yunjin gave me a knowing look. "You've got it bad, don't you?" 

I sighed. "I don't know what's going on anymore. One minute, he's being a jerk, and the next, he's acting like we're friends again." 

Yuna nodded sympathetically. "That's Jake for you. He doesn't know what he wants. But you know, maybe he's not as much of a jerk as you think." 

I shot her a look. "Are we talking about the same Jake here?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should talk to him." 

"Talk to him?" I said, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "I'm not going to just walk up to him and say, 'Hey, let's figure this out.'" 

Yuna smirked. "I don't know. You're good at making things work. Maybe you should try it." 

---

jake's pov.

The whole week, I'd been thinking about her. Jisun. 

And it was driving me crazy. 

I didn't want to admit it, but there were moments when I felt like I was the one who missed her. Like I was the one who wanted things to go back to the way they were. 

But I didn't know how to fix it. 

Every time I tried to get closer to her, it felt like she was pushing me away. And I hated it. I hated that I was the one who'd pushed her away in the first place. 

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