✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

4 - First Love, Last Love

"When are you going back home?" Areum asked while cooking breakfast. Y/N shifted in her bed, snuggling her blanket. "Get up, you lazy sleepyhead."

"Please just five more minutes." She yawned. "I think next week? I still have the writing club meeting to attend."

Areum sighed and shook her head, her long ponytail swaying slightly. "You and your writing club. You're always so committed to your craft."

Y/N chuckled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Well, you know how important it is to me. I've made some great friends there, and we've been working on a collaborative project. I still have to present my chapter to them, and I want to make sure it's polished and ready." She swung her legs off the bed and sat up, finally surrendering to Areum's persistent urging. She stretched her arms above her head, feeling the stiffness from a night of deep sleep fade away.

"What happened with your hot neighbor?" Areum's question took her off guard and her arms froze midway, making Areum look at her in disbelief. "Oh, I need the tea."

"There's no tea." She cleared her throat. Thinking about what happened angered her and she ended up frustrated so she decided not to. "Nothing happened."

"From the looks of it, something definitely happened."

Y/N sighed, her frustration evident in her voice. "Fine, something happened, but it wasn't what I expected. He was an asshole, a big fucking pain in the ass and I hope I never see him again because if I had to see him a few more times, I'd go crazy."

"That sounds like the start of some enemies-to-lovers book. Just like those you write about all the time." Areum chuckled but Y/N wasn't feeling it. She shook her head, grabbing an empty cup from the counter. 

"No, I know what I write about. Jake is nothing like the brooding, misunderstood bad boys in my stories," She retorted, filling the cup with water a little more aggressively than necessary. "He's just plain rude and arrogant."

"Oh." Areum fell silent, not really wanting to dig deeper. If something bothered Y/N then they certainly didn't have to talk about it. "I'll make you some coffee. Just go and write or else your motivation will fade away."

"Thanks." While Areum busied herself with making coffee, Y/N made her way to her favorite spot in the living room—a cozy nook by the window, adorned with cushions and a small table where she would often find peace in her writing. She settled down, her mind still plagued by thoughts of the frustrating encounter with Jake. 

Taylor Swift had her songs and Y/N had her books. Writing was all she was good at, and it was the only thing that brought her peace of mind. The cursor blinked, waiting for her to begin. But as she sat there, her mind filled with thoughts of Jake, she struggled to find the right words. How could she pour her frustration and disappointment into her writing without letting it consume the story?

She closed her eyes, trying to center herself. In her mind, she replayed the encounter with Jake, trying to dissect the emotions that swirled within her. The annoyance, the anger, the disappointment—each feeling held a thread of truth that she could put into her writing.

Areum approached with a steaming cup of coffee, setting it down gently on the table beside Y/N. "Here you go, Y/N. Freshly brewed just the way you like it." 

"You know, Areum, if writing doesn't work out, I might just become a professional coffee taster. What do you think? Imagine traveling the world, exploring different coffee regions, and experiencing the nuances of every bean. It would be a dream come true."

"I can already tell how long and poetic your reviews would be." Areum laughed, shaking her head as she sat across from Y/N, her laptop on her lap. "Do you think we can travel to Jeju this summer?"

 Y/N's eyes lit up. Jeju was where all her happy memories resided—the beautiful beaches, the calming atmosphere, and her first love. She met him on a summer night as the two of them went out to play on the beach, and she hadn't been able to forget the feeling of sand between her toes and the warmth of his hand in hers. She had often used these emotions to fuel her stories, crafting tales of love and heartbreak set against the backdrop of picturesque Jeju. But in reality, her own love story had ended prematurely, leaving her with nothing but fragments of what could have been.

"We can definitely go. I mean, we should just get plane tickets, and we'll stay at my parents' house since there aren't so many people staying there." She said, oblivious to the way Areum raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"You parents have a house in Jeju?" The question made Y/N tilt her head.

"Didn't I tell you about it?" She paused, trying to recall if she had ever mentioned her parents' vacation home to Areum. "Oops, my bad. I guess I forgot. Yeah, my parents have a small cottage on the outskirts of Jeju. People visit occasionally during holidays, but most of the time, it's unoccupied."

"And you're only telling me about this now? I can't believe you." Areum scoffed, feigning disappointment. "My best friend had been keeping such a beautiful getaway secret from me all this time. I feel betrayed."

Y/N chuckled, playfully nudging Areum's shoulder. "Well, I'm telling you now, right? And besides, it's been a while since I visited Jeju. The cottage has mostly been sitting empty, so it's not like I've been keeping it from you on purpose."

"I'm just kidding, Y/N, gosh," She smiled, her eyes shining with excitement. "But I'll only forgive you if we plan our trip soon. I'll look up flights and you talk to your parents about it. I'm so excited now, we're going to have the best time ever there."

Y/N smiled. So many people made beautiful memories in Jeju, yet some of them were full of longing. Just like her memories with her first love, the one she never met again. She had often wondered what had become of him, where life had taken him after that unforgettable summer. The memories they had created together held a special place in her heart, and even though their paths had diverged, a part of her still carried the hope that they might cross again someday.

"Is it his apartment over there?" Areum asked, gazing over at Jake's apartment. And Y/N rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't care. No, not one bit. "His curtains are closed again. I wonder what he does in life."

"I don't know, and honestly, it doesn't matter," Y/N shrugged. "He's probably not good at anything apart from being annoying and rude and arrogant and- his friends must be the same because that Heran girl is the biggest liar I've ever met in my life. I mean, why would she lie about cleaning his place and making him porridge when I spent all my day being there for him? I feel so infuriatingly frustrated and betrayed."

"What?" Areum's eyes widened. "Is that what happened yesterday? Wait what? You took care of him and she took all the credit?"

"Yeah." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I didn't want to expose her but I was mad and I ended up... slapping him."

"Ouch." A gasp left Areum's lips and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "I can't believe that you, out of everyone, would slap someone."

"I know, I know. It was a moment of anger, and I immediately regretted it. I never thought I'd lose control like that." She never got mad that easily, but right then she felt like she could explode with frustration. "It was unfair how he said she was considerate and helpful... I wanted to hear him say it to me."

Areum's expression softened, looking concerned. "Do you think he'll be okay? I mean, after the slap?"

"He seemed shocked, but physically he'll be fine. I didn't hit him that hard," Y/N said, though deep down she was still regretful about her actions. Slapping him didn't change anything; it just made her feel worse.