when the stars align | sim jaeyun

04.

-

After rejecting Sunghoon, I thought things might calm down. But of course, I was wrong. The next few days were filled with sidelong glances, whispers in the hallways, and occasional bursts of laughter whenever I walked past a group of Jake's friends. 

I told myself I didn't care. People could talk all they wanted; it didn't change anything. Still, it was hard to ignore the prickling sensation of being watched, especially when Jake was nearby. 

"Why does he keep staring at you?" Yunjin asked as we walked to our lockers after school. 

"Who?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. 

"Jake, obviously," she said, jerking her thumb in his direction. Sure enough, Jake was leaning against the lockers a few rows down, his gaze fixed on me. 

I frowned, slamming my locker shut. "He's probably just bored." 

Yunjin gave me a look. "Or maybe he's planning something." 

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't want to believe Jake was involved in the bet, but I couldn't be sure. He'd warned me, yes, but that didn't mean he wasn't playing both sides. 

"Whatever it is, I don't have time to worry about him," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Let's just go." 

We started walking, but Jake's voice stopped me in my tracks. 

"Jisun." 

I turned, my heart sinking as I saw him jogging to catch up with us. Yunjin immediately stepped closer, her expression protective. 

"What do you want now?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. 

Jake hesitated, glancing at Yunjin before looking back at me. "Can we talk? Just the two of us?" 

Yunjin opened her mouth to protest, but I shook my head. "It's fine. I'll meet you outside." 

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded and walked away, leaving me alone with Jake. 

"What is it?" I asked, crossing my arms. 

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "I just... wanted to check in. After what happened with Sunghoon." 

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?" 

"I told you," he said, his voice quieter now. "I don't want you getting caught up in all this." 

Something about the way he said it made my defenses waver, just for a moment. "Well, thanks for the concern, but I'm fine." 

Jake nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Good. Just... be careful, okay? Sunghoon doesn't take rejection well." 

"Why do you hang out with him if you know he's like that?" I asked before I could stop myself. 

Jake looked away, his jaw tightening. "It's complicated." 

I wanted to press him further, but something in his expression stopped me. He looked... tired, like he was carrying the weight of something he couldn't share. 

"Okay," I said finally. "Thanks." 

He looked at me then, his eyes softer than I'd seen them in years. For a moment, it felt like we were back in middle school, sitting on that park bench with lemon candies melting in our hands. But the moment passed, and Jake stepped back, his usual smirk returning. 

"See you around, Park," he said, turning to walk away. 

I watched him go, my chest tightening with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite name. 

---

Later that evening, as I sat at my desk trying to finish my math homework, my phone buzzed with a notification. I grabbed it, expecting a message from Yunjin or Yuna, but my breath caught when I saw the name on the screen. 

1 new message
jake.
november 24, 6:52pm

- are you free tomorrow after school??

I stared at the message, my heart pounding. What was he up to now? 

After a moment of hesitation, I typed a reply. 

why? -

His response came almost immediately. 

- we're still paired for the science fair, remember? We need to start working on our project. 

I groaned, completely forgetting about the science fair. We'd been assigned partners last week, and I'd barely even processed the fact that Jake and I would be working together. 

Library at 4. Don't be late.  -

- wouldn't dream of it ;) 

I rolled my eyes, tossing my phone onto the desk. This was going to be a nightmare. 

---

The next day, I walked into the library, my bag weighed down with textbooks and my mood already sour. Jake was waiting at one of the tables near the back, his usual cocky grin in place. 

"You're late," he said as I sat down. 

I glanced at the clock. "By two minutes. Get over it." 

He laughed, pulling out a notebook. "This is going to be fun." 

"Doubt it," I muttered, flipping open my textbook. 

For the next hour, we worked in relative silence, only speaking when absolutely necessary. But every now and then, I'd catch Jake watching me out of the corner of my eye, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. 

By the time we finished, my brain felt like mush. I stood up, stuffing my books into my bag. 

"Same time tomorrow?" Jake asked, his tone surprisingly casual. 

"Sure," I said, already walking away. 

But as I left the library, I couldn't shake the feeling that working with Jake was going to be more complicated than I'd expected. 

---