when the stars align | sim jaeyun

17.

When she spoke, I wanted to snap at her, tell her to just leave it alone, but I couldn't. I had to keep my distance. 

"Not everything's about you, Jisun," I said without thinking, watching as her expression faltered. She had that way of looking at me, like I was some kind of puzzle, and it drove me crazy. 

But that was the point, wasn't it? I had to distance myself. 

---

jisun's pov.

Dinner was the next big event after we unpacked. After a long day of traveling, the entire group of us gathered in the hotel's dining area. The atmosphere was much lighter now that everyone was together, and there was a mix of excitement and exhaustion in the air. 

I sat down with Yuna and Yunjin, trying my best to pretend like I wasn't thinking about Jake across the room. But it was impossible. Even as I tried to enjoy my meal, my eyes kept drifting over to him. He was sitting with his friends—Sunghoon, Heeseung, and Sunoo—laughing about something, but the moment his gaze flickered in my direction, my stomach tightened. 

I quickly looked away, focusing on my food, but it didn't help. 

"You okay?" Yunjin asked, noticing my distant expression. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just tired." 

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You've barely touched your food." 

I glanced down at my plate, realizing that she was right. I hadn't been eating. 

"Just not that hungry," I muttered, pushing my food around with my fork. 

Yunjin looked between me and the boys' table, and her expression softened. "It's okay, you know. You don't have to pretend." 

I felt my face flush, but I quickly brushed it off. "I'm not pretending. I'm fine. Really." 

But the truth was, I wasn't fine. I was nowhere near fine. Every time I looked at Jake, I felt like I was unraveling. This trip was supposed to be a break from everything, but the tension between us only made it worse. 

---

jake's pov.

I wasn't hungry either. Not because I wasn't hungry, but because I didn't feel like eating with everyone around me. I wanted to be alone. I wanted silence. 

But it wasn't possible. The table was filled with laughter, conversation, the usual noise that came with being surrounded by friends. I didn't fit in here—not anymore. Not with them. 

And not with her. 

I could see Jisun at her table, eating alone in a way. She was talking with Yuna and Yunjin, but I knew she wasn't really there. She had that distant look on her face again, the same one she had every time I was around. She probably hated this whole thing, just like I did. 

But for some reason, I couldn't stop watching her. 

---

After dinner, the group gathered outside the hotel, where a bonfire was set up. The night air was cool, and the stars above us shone brightly. It was beautiful here, but as I sat with my friends, all I could think about was the girl sitting across the fire from me. 

Jisun. 

She was laughing with Yuna and Yunjin, her face lit by the flames, her smile brighter than anything else around her. I hated how easy it was for her to look so happy. It made me feel like I didn't belong in her world anymore. 

I wasn't sure if she even noticed that I was staring at her. 

---

jisun's pov.

The night went on in a blur of laughter, games, and group activities. It was clear that everyone was trying to enjoy the trip, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. 

Jake didn't look at me again after dinner, and for a moment, I wondered if I had imagined everything—the tension, the way he used to look at me, the way he always acted like he couldn't stand me now. 

Maybe I was just holding onto something that wasn't there anymore. 

But the longer the night went on, the more I realized something: I didn't know if I could let go. 

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