𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄. 희승

𝗼𝗻𝗲 , happy valentine's day.

★

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SEOLHEE.

the gentle rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains of kim seolhee's dorm room, casting a warm, golden glow on her peaceful face as she stirred awake. the room was devoid of her usually chatty roommates, who had already begun their valentine's day escapades, leaving her to grapple with the solitude that came with her birthday.

as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, an all-too-familiar melancholy settled in her chest. it had been a year, precisely, since lee heeseung had shattered her heart, yet the emotional wounds remained fresh, aching as though it had just happened yesterday.

seolhee reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, her gaze drifting toward her phone with a glimmer of hope. she anticipated the usual flurry of birthday messages to brighten her day. however, the reality was far from her expectations. the screen illuminated, revealing a handful of impersonal messages from distant acquaintances, but conspicuously absent was the one person who used to be the center of her world.

a heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she hastily blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. "why do i even care anymore?" she mumbled to herself, mustering the strength to slip into the day ahead.

down in the bustling college cafeteria, couples reveled in the festivities, their laughter and affection filling the air. the girl couldn't help but feel like a silent observer in her own life, a stranger amidst the spectacle of love. she mechanically picked up a tray and piled food onto it, her senses dulled to the flavors and textures before her. as she scoured the room for a vacant table, her heart plummeted upon spotting heeseung nestled in a corner with his friends.

her initial instinct was to pivot on her heels and retreat, escape the tumultuous emotions that welled within her. but an indomitable urge drove her forward. she needed to prove to herself that she could face heeseung without crumbling, that she had moved on. seolhee selected a table not too distant from his, endeavoring to project an air of casual indifference as she took her seat.

heeseung remained engrossed in animated conversation with his friends, blissfully oblivious to her presence. seolhee turned her focus to her meal, pretending to be absorbed in her food to mask the turbulence of emotions swirling within her. yet, fate had its own intentions.

"hey, heeseung!" one of his friends, park jongseong, called out, causing heeseung to swivel in her direction.

their gazes locked, and seolhee's heart somersaulted in her chest. heeseung's eyes widened momentarily, a trace of surprise flickering across his features. it was as if he had glimpsed a ghost from his past, and for a fleeting second, seolhee dared to believe that he still harbored some semblance of concern.

but then, as quickly as it had surfaced, that vulnerable expression gave way to a hardened facade. heeseung averted his gaze, resuming his conversation with his friends as if seolhee were but a distant memory. seolhee's heart sank like an anchor into the abyss, her appetite vanishing into thin air. she pushed her half-eaten plate aside, a lump of sorrow forming in her throat.

as she rose from her seat, seolhee couldn't help but overhear fragments of heeseung's animated conversation. they excitedly discussed their grandiose valentine's day plans, with heeseung sharing anecdotes about a new girl he'd been seeing.

"you guys won't believe it! jiae is the most incredible girl i've ever met. seriously, it's like she stepped out of a dream. we've been spending so much time together lately. she's into all the same things i am, and her smile... it's like sunshine on a cloudy day.