when the stars align | sim jaeyun

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The last few months of high school flew by in a blur of deadlines, exams, and bittersweet anticipation. Everyone was buzzing with excitement about graduation, yet there was an undeniable sense of finality hanging in the air.

Jake and I had settled into a rhythm that felt almost natural now. He was still infuriatingly smug at times, but he had this way of softening my sharp edges and grounding me when the pressure of school felt overwhelming.

"You're thinking too hard," Jake said one afternoon, pulling the pen from my hand as I stared at my notes in frustration.

"I have to," I grumbled, trying to grab it back. "Finals are next week, and I can't afford to mess up."

"You're not going to mess up," he said simply, leaning back in his chair with a confidence I envied. "You're Park Jisun, remember? The smartest, most determined person I know."

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "You're annoyingly supportive sometimes, you know that?"

"Only sometimes?" he teased, leaning closer.

"Okay, most of the time," I admitted, rolling my eyes.

He grinned, satisfied, and handed my pen back. "That's more like it."

---

The days leading up to graduation were a whirlwind of preparations. Between rehearsals for the ceremony, signing yearbooks, and attending farewell parties, it felt like time was slipping through my fingers.

One evening, as I sat on my bed flipping through old photos, a familiar face caught my attention. It was a picture of Jake and me in middle school, grinning from ear to ear as we posed in our school uniforms.

I couldn't help but smile at how much had changed since then. We'd come full circle, in a way, and the thought made my chest ache with a mix of nostalgia and gratitude.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. It was a text from Jake.

1 new message
jakeyy🤍

- meet me at the park in 10

I frowned, glancing at the time. It was already past 9 PM, but curiosity got the better of me. Throwing on a jacket, I snuck out of the house and made my way to the park.

When I arrived, Jake was sitting on the swings, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. He looked up when he saw me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"What's this about?" I asked, sitting on the swing beside him.

"I was thinking," he said, his voice unusually serious. "We've spent so much time worrying about the future—about what comes next—but we haven't really stopped to appreciate this."

"This?" I echoed, tilting my head.

He gestured around us. "This moment. Us. Everything we've been through."

His words made my heart ache in the best way. "You're getting sentimental on me, Sim."

"Don't get used to it," he said with a smirk. "But seriously, Jisun...I'm glad we found our way back to each other."

"Me too," I said softly, reaching for his hand.

We sat there in comfortable silence, the cool night air wrapping around us as the city lights twinkled in the distance. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't worried about what came next.

---

short chapter i'm so sorry
but unfortunately we're reaching the end of the story😖😖😖😖😖😖😖
IM SO SADDDD
next is the graduation😢😢😣😣😣 i'm gonna cry