IZ*ONE University [THE REWRITE]

Chapter 2: I just look at you

"Y-yes..." Chaeyeon said shyly, while Sakura just kept blushing and looking down beside her, "Yena, are you ok?" asked Chaeyeon worriedly, as she tried to change the subject.

"I'm fine. I just want it to be my turn next," I let out a light laugh while I lied. I tried to shake it off and put up a playful façade. But inside, I felt like a balloon slowly losing air, a smile plastered on my face that didn't quite reach my eyes. Everyone seemed to have bought it except for Yuri who kept glancing my way this time, but I kept avoiding her eyes. 

Everyone teased the two and Chaeyeon finally spun the bottle and it pointed at Yujin.

"Dare," Yujin said as she stood up proudly.

"I dare you to shout the name of the person you have a crush on," Chaeyeon said smirking. Every one of us seniors knew who she liked because she was closer to us than the sophomores. Yujin had a huge crush on Wonyoung ever since they were in kindergarten.

Yujin looked taken aback by the question and she immediately sat down and drank her Sprite because Eunbi gave the two freshmen Sprite instead of soju.

"UGHHHH! You're mean, unnie," Yujin whined and everyone laughed at her.

"I'll spin it now," Yujin said and spun it, "omo omo Hitomi Hitomi," Yujin said as the bottle was now slowly stopping at Hitomi, but it suddenly stopped at Yuri, "Omo omo Yuri unnie!"

"Hmm truth," Yuri said smiling and it was so cute.

"Do you like or love someone right now?" Yujin asked and my ears perked up.

"Yes and I'm not afraid to admit this because I have loved this person ever since middle school," she looked so happy but I was hurting inside, "but this person is so oblivious and stupid for never noticing how I feel," she said seriously.

As I listened to Yuri's words, my heart sank a little deeper with each confession. I had always thought she viewed our friendship as something special, but hearing her talk about loving someone else made me feel like I had been left out in the rain. It was a strange mix of disappointment and an odd sense of acceptance. She seemed so happy, and yet here I was, feeling the weight of her oblivious crush hanging over me like a cloud. 

Who did she like? Damn, that person must be so stupid to not see how much Yuri loves them. I knew it although... she always liked someone else.

Yuri spun the bottle and it landed on me.

"Unnie, truth or dare?" Yuri's voice cut through my thoughts, and I wondered if she could feel the heaviness in the air around me.

"Dare," I replied, mustering up some bravado. It felt like a way to distract myself, to act as if everything was still normal.

"I dare you to kiss the first person who comes to your mind right now," she said smugly. My cheeks flushed, not from embarrassment, but from the fleeting wish that Yuri would be that person... Yuri? No, that couldn't be right. We were just best friends, weren't we?

The others urged me on, laughter ringing in my ears, and even though I felt down, I faked a playful grin. "Okay, challenge accepted," I said, keeping my voice light. But deep down, I couldn't help but wonder if I was losing something I never truly had.

Jo Yuri's POV

I knew this was a risk, and it might seem funny because she could end up kissing someone else who wasn't there. My heart was breaking, but I had to say it. I felt so foolish... I felt like such an idiot, Jo Yuri.

I noticed her stoic expression, and everyone was waiting in anticipation. The tension in the room was so high and intense that you could almost hear everyone inhaling and exhaling slowly, along with the sound of the air conditioner blowing cold air.

Suddenly, she stood up and walked toward me.

THUMP!

Why... is she walking toward me?

THUMP!

Why is she crouching in front of me?

THUMP!

She cupped my cheeks, her warm hands sending an electric jolt through my skin. My mind was racing, caught between confusion and excitement. Was this happening? Was she checking to see if I was okay, or was there more to it?

"I—uh..." My words stumbled out, tangled with the chaos of my thoughts. Her eyes locked onto mine, swirling with a mix of emotions that mirrored my own. Each heartbeat felt louder than the last, and I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest.

What is she doing? Do I want this to happen? My heart raced.

No one had ever looked at me like that before—like they were searching for something deep inside. I was a mess of nerves and adrenaline, anticipation bubbling inside me as the room faded away, leaving just the two of us in this moment.

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BTW Sakura said that IZ*ONE was destined to be together. I'm so sad huhu