The car glided through the quiet streets of the neighborhood, the soft glow of streetlamps flickering across the windshield like fleeting memories. Neither of them spoke. The radio remained off, the silence in the car growing heavier with every passing second. Only the faint hum of the engine dared to fill the space between them.
Ahyeon’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. She stole a glance at Chiquita, who sat rigid in her seat, staring out the window as though the passing houses might offer her an escape.
With a hesitant breath, Ahyeon finally broke the silence. “Chiquita… about earlier—at the park—”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Chiquita said abruptly, her voice flat and distant.
That one sentence hit harder than any accusation. Ahyeon’s throat tightened. “So… you really are upset.”
Chiquita didn’t respond. Her jaw was set, and her eyes didn’t waver from the window.
When they arrived at her house, Chiquita unbuckled her seatbelt in silence. She didn’t look back as she muttered a clipped, “Thanks,” before stepping out and shutting the door behind her.
Ahyeon sat still in the driver’s seat, her breath caught in her chest. Then, almost mechanically, she opened her door and followed after her.
“Chiquita!” she called, jogging after her. “Wait!”
But Chiquita quickened her pace, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—let them fall where Ahyeon could see.
She reached her front door and slammed it behind her, hands trembling. Just as she turned to rush to her room and finally break down, she felt a hand close gently but firmly around her wrist.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ahyeon’s voice was soft but tinged with confusion. “Is this about me taking too long to get the food? If it is… I’m sorry.”
“No,” Chiquita mumbled, her voice already cracking at the edges.
“Then why are you running away from me?”
“Why are you even following me?” Chiquita snapped back, eyes still avoiding hers. She tugged her wrist from Ahyeon’s grasp.
Ahyeon stepped forward, frustrated now. “Because you’re acting strange! You got weird the moment you saw me talking to Haruto. Don’t tell me you were—”
She paused, suddenly unsure.
“…jealous?”
Chiquita froze. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Ahyeon’s voice turned bitter, mocking herself. “Oh, right. What am I saying? Of course you weren’t. You don’t like me anymore, right? What a joke. Why would you get jealous in the first place—”
She didn’t get to finish. Chiquita turned around sharply, and this time, her tears had won.
“What if I was?” Her voice cracked as the words tumbled out, raw and trembling.
Ahyeon blinked, caught off guard. “W-What?”
“What if I was jealous?” Chiquita choked out. “What if I’m still in love with you?”
There. She said it.
The admission left her breathless. Her chest heaved like she had just surfaced from underwater, lungs finally catching air after holding it in for too long.
Ahyeon stood frozen, stunned. “You… what?”
“I said I love you!” Chiquita shouted, voice hoarse, desperate, afraid. “I love you, Ahyeon. Damn it.”
Then she turned and made to leave again, overwhelmed, embarrassed, heart racing—but Ahyeon moved fast.
She grabbed Chiquita’s hand, pulling her back gently but firmly. “Wait.”
Chiquita’s breath hitched as Ahyeon cupped her face, her palms warm against her tear-streaked cheeks. Then, slowly, Ahyeon rested her forehead against Chiquita’s, their noses brushing, breaths mingling.
“Say it again,” Ahyeon whispered, eyes fluttering shut.
“You seriously didn’t hear me?” Chiquita asked, voice trembling.
“I did. Just… say it again.”
Chiquita closed her eyes, heart pounding. “…I love you.”
And with that, Ahyeon leaned in and kissed her—soft, sure, trembling with relief. Chiquita stiffened for a second, surprised by the suddenness, but the heat, the honesty of it melted her resistance. Her hands slowly lifted to Ahyeon’s shoulders, then wrapped around her back, holding tight. She kissed her back.
When they finally broke away, Chiquita was breathless, flushed. Her brows furrowed when Ahyeon pulled back slightly, but then she saw it—that sparkle in Ahyeon’s eyes. The kind that had always been reserved only for her.
“I love you too,” Ahyeon whispered.
Her chest rose and fell like she’d just made it to the top of the highest roller coaster—and she wasn’t afraid of the fall this time.
Chiquita’s expression softened, but her brow still held a quiet storm.
“What about him?” she asked, voice barely above a murmur. “That guy… I thought you liked him.”
Ahyeon shook her head instantly. “No. He’s just a friend. We bumped into each other by chance. That’s all.”
She reached out and gently brushed a tear from Chiquita’s cheek. “Honestly? I never stopped loving you. I tried to move on. I tried to forget, but… every time, it was still you. Every song, every memory—everything led back to you. It’s always been you, Chiquita. Since the start. And I swear… it’ll be you until the end.”
Chiquita didn’t say anything—not at first. She simply stared, heart overflowing, breath stilled.
And then Ahyeon kissed her again.
Only this time, they weren’t reaching. They weren’t unsure. They just… were.
Two hearts—bruised, tired, still healing—but finally in sync.
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Tangled Strings
FanfictionChiquita is Baemon's shining star, loved by many-but the only one she wants doesn't care for her. Her obsession with Ahyeon only deepens, despite repeated rejections.
