when the stars align | sim jaeyun

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The festival was officially over, but the atmosphere still lingered in the air. The school halls were filled with students, all buzzing with excitement and stories of the night. I felt a strange mixture of relief and exhaustion as I walked through the hallway, carrying a bag filled with leftover decorations from our café booth.

"Jisun!" Yuna called out from behind me, jogging to catch up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, forcing a smile. "Just tired. It's been a long week."

"Tell me about it," she said with a laugh. "But, seriously, that was so much fun. Your café was the highlight of the whole festival. You did amazing!"

I couldn't help but smile at her praise. "Thanks. But honestly, I couldn't have done it without everyone's help."

"Still, you were the one who kept it all together," Yuna said, nudging me playfully. "Everyone was looking at you like you were the queen of the festival."

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're exaggerating. But I'm glad people enjoyed it."

Just as I was about to respond, I spotted Jake down the hallway. He was standing with Sunghoon and Heeseung, laughing about something, and for a brief moment, our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly turned my gaze away, trying to mask the way my stomach fluttered at the sight of him.

"Uh-oh," Yuna muttered under her breath, her eyes following my gaze. "I see that look."

"What look?" I asked, though I already knew exactly what she was referring to.

"You're still thinking about him," she said, her voice light but knowing. "Jisun, you need to admit it already."

"I'm not thinking about him," I lied, though I could feel my cheeks heating up. "It's just... It's hard not to notice him, that's all."

"Uh-huh," Yuna said with a smirk. "Keep telling yourself that."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "I'm serious, Yuna. It's just complicated."

"Well, whatever it is," Yuna said, "it looks like you and Jake have some things to work out." 

---

The next few days passed in a blur. The excitement of the festival had worn off, and the usual routine of school settled back in. But despite the return to normalcy, I found myself unable to shake the tension between Jake and me.

He was quieter now—less of the sarcastic, mocking Jake I was used to, but still distant in his own way. Every time our paths crossed, there was an unspoken weight in the air, something neither of us acknowledged but both felt.

One afternoon after school, I was gathering my things from my locker when I heard a voice behind me.

"Jisun."

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It was always him.

"Jake," I said, trying to keep my voice even as I slammed my locker shut.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" he asked, sounding almost... surprised.

"Yeah, I've got stuff to do," I said, adjusting the strap of my bag. "Why?"

Jake leaned against the locker next to mine, crossing his arms. "No reason," he muttered, then after a pause, he added, "Just making sure you didn't vanish like you usually do." 

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond to that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, you disappear after school like you've got something better to do," he said, glancing at me with a faint smirk.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "I have my own life, Jake. You don't own my time." 

He chuckled, a little quieter than usual. "Right. Of course, I don't."

There was a pause, a strange silence hanging in the air between us. Neither of us knew what to say. I felt the weight of the words unsaid, the way we danced around whatever was going on between us. 

"Well," I said after a long beat, "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." I turned to walk away, but just before I could take a step, Jake's voice stopped me. 

"Jisun." 

I paused, not sure whether to turn around or keep walking. But something in his tone made me stop. 

"Yeah?" I asked, glancing back at him. 

Jake hesitated, his eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite read. "Thanks," he said quietly. "For everything at the festival. You really pulled it all together." 

I stared at him for a moment, taken aback by his sincerity. Was he actually complimenting me? The Jake I knew would have never been so... direct. 

I nodded slowly. "It was nothing. You helped, too." 

His eyes softened slightly, and for a moment, we just stood there, a strange understanding passing between us. But before I could say anything else, Jake stepped back, a little awkwardly, and nodded. 

"See you, Jisun." 

And with that, he walked off, disappearing into the crowd of students. I stood there for a few seconds, still processing the moment, before I finally turned and walked the other way. 

---

As the week wore on, I found myself thinking about Jake more than I cared to admit. His small acts of kindness, his quiet moments of sincerity—things he'd never shown before. Every time I saw him, there was this new layer to him, something deeper that I hadn't noticed until now. 

But just as quickly as these thoughts crept in, I pushed them away. I wasn't ready to face whatever this was between us. It was easier to pretend nothing had changed, to focus on school, my friends, and everything else. 

But deep down, I knew that ignoring it wouldn't make it go away.

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