just pretend (catnipz)

15. two years ago (written)

two years ago,

in the midst of spring's invigorating embrace, the track meet brought together high school athletes from various corners of the region. among them, minji felt her pulse quicken with both excitement and apprehension. it wasn't just the races she was anticipating; something much more profound was at stake.

for the past two months, hyein had been minji's persistent cheerleader – always screaming into minji's ear that she was catnipz's #1 fan, whatever that meant – and instigator, playfully pushing her to confess her feelings to haerin.

hyein's voice echoed in minji's ear as she looked towards haerin, who was watching minji from the stands, giving her a small smile and wave.

"just do it, unnie! you never know till you try," hyein's encouraging words were a reminder of the task at hand.

minji was well aware that her feelings for haerin, her best friend, had evolved over time. what had started as admiration for haerin's thoughtfulness and unique personality had now grown into something more profound. she had decided that today was the day – the day she would confess her feelings to haerin, regardless of the outcome.

the sun cast its warm glow across the track, painting the scene with an air of determination and competitiveness. minji tightened her shoelaces and cast a glance toward the other competitors.

marsh danielle stood out among them, a competitor who had managed to catch haerin's eye, which is a harder task than one may realize. but that didn't daunt minji. after all, she was haerin's best friend – what was danielle to a bond that had stood the test of time?

as minji's eyes shifted from danielle back to the track, her thoughts raced alongside her heartbeats. this was her moment – countless hours of practice had led to this moment, where she aimed not only to win but to summon the courage she had been mustering. the courage to confess her feelings for haerin.

the track official signaled the imminent start of the race, and minji's focus shifted entirely to the hurdles that lay ahead. each hurdle represented not only the physical challenge of the race but also the emotional challenge that awaited her.

she took a deep breath, her heart pounding in synchrony with the anticipation building around her. the familiar sound of the starting pistol filled the air, and she propelled herself forward with a burst of energy. the hurdles approached, and minji cleared each one with precision, her heart racing in time with her steps. the wind against her skin was a reminder of her determination, her resolve to make her feelings known.

as the finish line loomed, minji's heart pounded, not only from the physical exertion but also from the emotional weight of her confession. crossing the finish line first, triumph surged through her veins. cheers erupted from the crowd, primarily from her own teammates and classmates who had come to support their school in the regional track meet. amidst the celebratory noise, her gaze locked onto haerin's. haerin was waving and smiling, her eyes filled with pride.

breathing heavily but exhilarated, minji approached – sprinted towards haerin, a triumphant grin gracing her features. "did you see that, haerin? i won!"

haerin's eyes gleamed with genuine pride as she clapped above the railing. "that was great, min! i knew all your hard work would pay off."

encouraged by haerin's praise and determined to seize the moment, minji's heart swelled with both excitement and nervousness. now was the time. gathering her courage, she drew another deep breath. "haerin, there's something important i've been wanting to tell you..."

before minji could continue, haerin's eyes lit up with excitement. "minji, hold on! did you see that?"

minji, confused, shook her head no, "no? anyway, i've been wanting to tell you–"

"she waved at me, min! danielle!"

minji's heart sank like a stone. danielle. always danielle. the weight of her victory and her feelings paled in comparison to the radiant light that emanated from haerin when mentioning danielle.

"... that's great, rinnie," minji replied, her voice strained from trying to sound upbeat.

haerin flicked her gaze back to minji after waving back to danielle, "sorry about that, what were you saying?"

in the midst of minji's inner turmoil, she gave out a weak laugh, "oh nothing, just wanted to ask if you wanted to eat dinner together, since it's been a while y'know..."

"sure, sure, whatever you want, minji," haerin smiled, but her gaze shifted once again to danielle. it was a small gesture, but it felt like another blow to minji's already bruised heart.

heart pounding and feeling vulnerable, minji's chest tightened with a pang of disappointment. this was supposed to be her moment, a moment of vulnerability and courage, and yet it seemed as though haerin's thoughts were always elsewhere.

even though minji had just won the 400 meters hurdle regionals race for her school during her senior year — her last year, none of that seemed to matter to haerin. no matter how big the accomplishment may have been for her school, her track team, for minji.

the celebration around her felt hollow as her own victory became overshadowed by the crushing blow that minji felt when haerin looked towards danielle with eyes filled such admiration, and quite possibly, love.

—————————————

woah what she uploaded ??