Jungwon knew he had no right to be jealous.
He was the one who broke the trust.
He was the one trying to fix things.
He was the one who told himself he’d be patient—however long it took.
But none of that logic stopped the bitter twist in his gut every time he saw Jiwon laughing beside Sunoo.
Especially now.
-
Sunoo had always been bubbly and bright, the kind of person who made everyone feel warm just by standing nearby. So when he offered Jiwon half of his mandu and she accepted it with a genuine smile, Jungwon felt something sharp jab at his chest.
He sat two seats away at their lunch table, chewing slowly, pretending not to notice.
But he noticed. He noticed everything.
The way Jiwon leaned in when Sunoo whispered something funny.
The way she playfully nudged his shoulder.
The way Sunoo beamed at her like she was the best part of his day.
Jungwon stabbed a piece of kimchi with unnecessary force.
Jay leaned over and whispered, “You’re chewing like it personally insulted you.”
Jungwon gave him a flat look.
Jay grinned knowingly. “You okay there, champ?”
“Fine,” Jungwon muttered, taking a long sip of water.
Sunghoon, never one to let drama go unnoticed, piped in from across the table, “Are we witnessing a love triangle?”
Jiwon looked up, surprised. “What?”
Sunghoon nodded toward her and Sunoo. “You two look like a couple from a slice-of-life drama.”
Sunoo just laughed. “We’ve been seatmates for like three weeks. She rants to me about art and sometimes threatens to draw me with a clown nose. That’s it.”
Jiwon smirked. “Don’t tempt me.”
Everyone laughed, including Jiwon. But Jungwon didn’t.
He kept his eyes on his tray, picking at the rice, his mood sinking faster than he could mask it.
-
Jungwon didn’t mean to storm off. He just... needed air.
He leaned against the cool hallway wall, trying to collect himself, when footsteps approached.
“Hey,” came Jiwon’s voice.
He turned his head slightly. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look okay.”
Jungwon shrugged. “Just... tired, I guess.”
Jiwon studied him for a moment. Then, with surprising gentleness, she said, “Is this about Sunoo?”
He blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
She crossed her arms. “You’re not exactly subtle, Jungwon. You kept glaring like Sunoo stole your puppy.”
He looked away, jaw tightening. “Didn’t realize I was that obvious.”
“Not to everyone. Just me.”
He hesitated, then sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being stupid.”
“You’re being jealous,” she said plainly.
He flinched. “Is it that bad?”
“Not bad,” she said. “Just... obvious. And unnecessary.”
He turned to her, eyes searching. “Is it, though?”
Jiwon tilted her head. “Sunoo’s my friend.. and also your friend, Jungwon. You know that. He’s helping me figure things out. He listens. Like you used to.”
That stung more than he expected.
Jiwon noticed and added softly, “I didn't say that to hurt you. But it’s true. You were the person I opened up to. And then... everything shifted.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “I ruined it.”
She nodded. “Yeah. But you’re trying. And I see that. But Jungwon, if you’re going to keep looking over my shoulder like you’re afraid I’ll fall for someone else, this isn’t going to work.”
He met her eyes then, something raw in his gaze. “I’m just scared. That I’m too late. That maybe I lost you for real.”
Jiwon’s expression softened.
“I’m still figuring it out,” she said honestly. “But don’t push me away with your insecurities. If you want me to believe in you again... trust me too.”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “I’ll try.”
She gave a small smile. “Good. Because if I were falling for anyone, I wouldn’t be wasting this much emotional energy on you.”
Jungwon blinked. “Wait, is that—”
“Not a confession,” she said quickly, turning to walk off.
“But definitely not a rejection either,” she added over her shoulder.
Jungwon stood there, stunned—and then a small, stupid smile crept across his face.
Maybe green didn’t suit him.
But hope?
That color looked a little better.
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✓ 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥. yang jungwon
Fanfiction( 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥 ) "One dare, one text, and a whole lot of feelings." --- It all began with a simple dare-one that led to an unexpected connection. Jiwon Park, a quiet transfer student, received a random text that read, "I'm cute." Thinking it was...
