when the stars align | sim jaeyun

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It's funny how something as simple as a conversation can change everything. The weight I'd been carrying for weeks seemed to lift after that moment in the library. Jake's words echoed in my mind long after he'd left: *I'll make it right. I promise.* It wasn't a grand gesture, no dramatic confession, but there was something about the way he said it—something that made me believe him.

The next day at school, things were... different. Not drastically different, but there was an unspoken shift in the way we interacted. He still teased me, still kept his distance in the way that only Jake could, but there was a warmth in his eyes now, a softness to his tone. It wasn't the same coldness I had grown used to. And for the first time in months, I could see the old Jake beneath the layers of defense he'd built up.

"You know, you're still really bad at math," Jake said during homeroom one morning, as he slouched in his seat beside me.

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow, looking at him. "I'm the best at math in our grade. You've seen my scores."

Jake grinned, his usual cocky smirk in place, but there was a flicker of something more genuine there. "I'm just saying, you make it look too easy. It's almost annoying."

"Annoying, huh?" I teased, nudging him with my elbow. "Well, maybe you should try studying for once."

Jake snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah, like that's going to happen."

But his smile—his real smile—lingered a little longer than usual. The playful banter was still there, but something about it felt more... grounded now. Like the walls we'd built between us were finally starting to come down, piece by piece.

After class, we walked out of the room together, Yuna and Yunjin trailing behind us. There was an easy rhythm to our conversations now, a strange sense of normalcy I hadn't realized we'd been missing.

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something," Jake said suddenly, his voice dropping lower, pulling me away from the group.

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"I was thinking about... what we talked about the other day," Jake said, his expression serious. "And I don't know where to start, but I just want you to know that I meant what I said. I don't want things to be weird between us anymore."

I felt a small flutter in my chest at his words, but I pushed it aside, trying to stay calm. "I know," I said, my voice quieter than usual. "I don't want things to be weird either."

Jake nodded, his eyes a little softer than before. "Good. So... maybe we can start fresh, yeah?"

I smiled at that. "Yeah. Starting fresh sounds nice."

---

The next few weeks were full of subtle changes. Jake and I spent more time together, but it wasn't like before. There was still that hesitation between us, but there was also this new understanding. We weren't rushing anything. It felt more... comfortable. More real.

One evening, after school, I was at home, finishing some homework when I heard a knock on the door. I frowned, wondering who it could be. When I opened it, I found Jake standing there, looking a little awkward but determined.

"Hey," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I brought you something."

I raised an eyebrow. "You brought me something? Why?"

"Because," he said, pulling out a small paper bag and handing it to me, "I thought you might like it. After everything with the festival and... well, you know."

I glanced inside the bag and saw a small potted plant, its leaves green and vibrant. "Is this... a peace offering?" I asked, holding up the plant with a smile.

Jake scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Uh, kind of. I mean, I wasn't sure what else to bring. But, yeah. I figured it's better than showing up empty-handed."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's cute. Thanks, Jake."

He grinned, clearly relieved. "No problem. It's just a little something to say... I'm sorry. For everything."

The sincerity in his voice hit me again, like a quiet wave. I nodded, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I appreciate it. Really."

Jake took a step back, his expression softening. "I should go. But... maybe we can hang out again soon? Like, for real this time. Not just in the halls."

I felt a flutter in my chest at his words. "Yeah. I'd like that."

And with that, he turned to leave, but not before flashing me a grin that made my heart skip.

---

The days that followed felt lighter. Jake and I spent more time talking, joking, and even studying together. It wasn't perfect, and we still had our moments of awkwardness, but there was something there. Something I couldn't quite put into words.

Even my friends started noticing the change. Yuna and Yunjin had stopped teasing me about Jake, and instead, they seemed to watch from a distance, quietly approving of the shift.

But there were still moments when I caught myself overthinking things. Moments when I wondered what was really going on between Jake and me. He was still Jake—sarcastic, funny, and guarded—but I could feel the change. And I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

One afternoon, as I walked out of school, I spotted Jake leaning against the gate, waiting for me.

"Hey," I said, my voice catching slightly as I approached him. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Jake said with a grin. "Just waiting for you. Thought we could walk home together."

"Sure," I said, smiling back at him. As we started walking, the familiar banter between us picked up again, but there was something different now. Something lighter.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we were heading in the right direction.

---

As the days progressed, we continued to take things slow, but the connection between us deepened in ways I hadn't expected. It wasn't all about the grand moments. It was in the small things: the way he would help me with homework, the way we'd share lunch, the inside jokes that no one else understood.

Jake still had his moments of distance, still had his walls up, but I could see them crumbling a little at a time. And I wasn't rushing him. Not anymore.

We were moving forward, together. Slowly, but surely.

And I wasn't sure what the future held for us—whether it was friendship, something more, or even something in between. But I was willing to find out.

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this is your reminder to never settle for less!!
words ≠ actions
actions are much more meaningful than words as words are easier to say, but can they actually show that they meant what they said?
if they can't then that just means they're all-talk and you deserve so much better than that <3