when the stars align | sim jaeyun

24.

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The next day, everything felt heavier. Whether it was the aftermath of my conversation with Jake in the library or the general exhaustion of being back at school, I couldn't shake the weird knot in my chest. 

"Jisun, did you even hear what I just said?" Yunjin's voice snapped me back to reality as we walked toward our lockers after morning announcements. 

"Sorry, what?" I mumbled, fumbling with my combination lock. 

"I said the winter festival committee needs more volunteers," Yunjin repeated, her tone exaggerated with faux patience. "You should join with me and Yuna. We're in charge of decorations, and I promise we won't make you do all the work." 

"Hard pass," I said with a tired laugh. 

"Oh, come on," Yuna chimed in, pulling a flyer out of her bag and waving it in front of me. "You need a distraction, and this is perfect. Plus, it's great for college applications." 

"Distraction from what?" Niki asked, appearing out of nowhere and draping his arm over my shoulder. 

I elbowed him lightly. "From people who don't understand personal space, obviously." 

"Rude," Niki deadpanned, but he removed his arm with a smirk. "Seriously though, you look like you didn't sleep last night. What's up?" 

Yunjin and Yuna exchanged a look but said nothing, leaving me to fend off Niki's curiosity. 

"I'm fine," I insisted, shutting my locker with a little more force than necessary. "Just tired, that's all." 

"Hmm." Niki didn't look convinced, but thankfully, the bell rang before he could interrogate me further. 

---

In class, Jake was unusually quiet. He sat in his usual seat near the back, doodling absently in the margin of his notebook. Normally, I'd expect him to be cracking jokes with Jay or whispering sarcastic comments under his breath, but today he seemed... distracted. 

Good. Maybe he was finally feeling the same unease that had been plaguing me since Jeju. 

As the teacher droned on about some historical event I couldn't bring myself to care about, I found myself glancing in Jake's direction. He caught me looking, of course, and raised an eyebrow in that infuriatingly smug way of his. 

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my notes, pretending not to notice when he chuckled softly. 

---

After school, I decided to walk home instead of taking the bus. The crisp autumn air felt refreshing, and I needed the time to clear my head. 

Halfway home, I stopped at a convenience store to grab a drink. As I browsed the shelves, I heard a familiar voice behind me. 

"Didn't expect to see you here." 

I turned to find Jake standing a few feet away, holding a can of coffee. His hair was slightly tousled, like he'd been running his fingers through it, and he looked more casual than usual in a hoodie and jeans. 

"What, are you stalking me now?" I quipped, grabbing a bottle of water. 

He smirked. "As if I'd waste my time." 

"Then what are you doing here?" 

"Same as you," he said, holding up the coffee. "Grabbing a drink." 

"Right." I paid for my water and started toward the door, but Jake followed me outside. 

"You always walk home alone?" he asked, falling into step beside me. 

"Why do you care?" 

He shrugged. "Just making conversation." 

I shot him a skeptical look but didn't press further. We walked in silence for a few minutes, the awkward tension between us almost palpable. 

"So," Jake said eventually, breaking the silence. "You're really not going to volunteer for the winter festival?" 

"How do you even know about that?" 

"Yunjin was talking about it during lunch," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Thought it might be your kind of thing." 

"Why? So you can make fun of me for it later?" 

Jake stopped walking, his expression serious. "You really think that's all I do?" 

I froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. "I don't know, Jake. You tell me." 

For a moment, he just looked at me, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to figure out what to say. But then he shook his head and started walking again, leaving me standing there with my heart pounding in my chest. 

---

That night, I couldn't stop replaying our conversation in my head. Jake had been acting so strange lately—like he was trying to tell me something but didn't know how. 

And then there was the way he had looked at me in Jeju, the way his voice had softened when he'd said my name. 

"Jisun?" 

I looked up to see my mom standing in the doorway of my room. 

"You've been staring at that textbook for half an hour," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you actually studying or just daydreaming?" 

"Studying," I lied, quickly flipping a page. 

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press further. "Dinner's ready," she said before disappearing down the hall. 

I sighed, closing my textbook and heading to the kitchen. Maybe a break was exactly what I needed to clear my head. 

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