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Megan was down bad.
Like—not in the subtle, “oh she has a tiny crush hehe” way. No. This was full-blown, aggressively obvious, borderline comedic levels of down bad.
And the worst part?
Nobody took her seriously.
“Bro, you are not still on this,” Daniela said, not even looking up from her phone as Megan dramatically flopped onto the couch like she’d just lost custody of her will to live.
“I am being misunderstood on a fundamental level,” Megan groaned into a throw pillow. “History will not remember you kindly.”
“History will remember you as ‘girl who tries to kiss her friend every five business days,’” Daniela shot back.
Megan popped her head up. “It’s not every five days.”
“Okay, sorry,” Daniela corrected, deadpan. “Every three.”
From the kitchen, Sophia snorted so hard she almost choked on her drink.
“It’s funny,” Sophia said, wiping her mouth. “Because every single time, Yoonchae just—” she made a dramatic dodging motion—“matrix dodges you like her life depends on it.”
Megan clutched her chest. “That is because she is a coward.”
Right on cue, as if summoned by pure narrative timing, Yoonchae walked into the room.
“Who’s a coward?” she asked, suspicious already.
Megan froze.
Everyone else immediately turned to look at her.
Silence.
“…No one,” Megan said way too fast.
Yoonchae narrowed her eyes. “Why are you all looking at me like that.”
“We’re not,” Daniela said, absolutely looking at her like that.
“Yes you are.”
Megan stood up abruptly. “Hey, Yoonchae.”
“Hi?” Yoonchae said slowly.
Megan took one step closer.
Then another.
Then—
Yoonchae held up a hand. “No.”
Megan stopped mid-step. “You don’t even know what I was gonna do.”
“I do know,” Yoonchae said. “Because you try it every time you say ‘hey’ in that voice.”
“What voice??”
“That voice,” Sophia said helpfully.
Megan whipped around. “You are not helping me beat the allegations.”
“What allegations?” Daniela said. “You’re literally guilty.”
“I am NOT—” Megan turned back to Yoonchae. “Okay, but like. Hypothetically.”
“No.”
“I didn’t even say it yet.”
“I already know it’s a no.”
Megan stared at her. “You’re actually so mean to me.”
Yoonchae shrugged. “And yet you keep trying.”
“Because one day,” Megan said, pointing dramatically at her, “you will fold.”
Daniela actually wheezed. “Fold??? You think this is a card game??”
“It is,” Megan said. “And I’m playing the long game.”
Yoonchae shook her head, muttering, “You’re insane,” and walked past her.
Megan watched her go, hand over her heart.
“…She likes me,” she whispered.
“DELUSIONAL,” everyone else yelled in unison.
---
Here’s the thing.
From the outside, it really did look like a joke.
Megan made it a joke.
She leaned into it, exaggerated it, turned every attempt into some dramatic bit.
“Guys,” she’d say randomly, standing up mid-conversation. “I feel like today’s the day.”
“No it’s not,” Daniela would reply instantly.
“It might be,” Megan insisted, already walking toward wherever Yoonchae was.
And then—
“Yoonchae.”
“No.”
“I didn’t even—”
“No.”
“…okay but just like—”
“MEGAN.”
And then someone would laugh. And then everyone would laugh. And Megan would laugh too, because that’s what you do when you don’t want people to realize you’re being serious.
Because she was.
So, so serious.
She didn’t even know when it started.
One day, Yoonchae was just… Yoonchae. Annoying. Funny. Kind of bossy. Always stealing snacks and acting like she didn’t.
And then suddenly—
She was everything.
The way she laughed, head thrown back like she didn’t care who was watching. The way she got all focused when she was working on something, brows furrowed like it was life or death. The way she absentmindedly leaned into people she liked.
Megan noticed all of it.
Too much, probably.
Definitely too much.
So she turned it into a bit.
Because if it was a joke, then it wasn’t scary.
If it was a joke, then getting rejected didn’t actually hurt.
If it was a joke, then when Yoonchae said “no,” it didn’t mean anything.
Right?
Right.
---
“Okay but real talk,” Sophia said one night, sprawled across the floor. “Why are you like this.”
Megan didn’t even look up from her phone. “Like what.”
“You know what.”
“No I don’t.”
“You’re obsessed with kissing her.”
Megan scoffed. “I am not obsessed.”
“You literally bring it up every day.”
“Not every day.”
“Every other day.”
“…Okay that’s still not every day.”
Sophia rolled onto her side to look at her. “Do you actually like her?”
Megan froze.
Just for a second.
Then she laughed. “Girl please.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
“It’s a joke,” Megan said, waving her hand. “You guys just take everything too seriously.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m serious.”
“Megan.”
“What.”
Sophia sat up. “If she said yes, would you kiss her?”
Megan opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
“…That’s not the point.”
“That is literally the point.”
“I just think it would be funny,” Megan said quickly.
“Funny how.”
“Like. Haha. Comedy.”
Sophia stared at her.
Megan stared back.
“…You’re in deep,” Sophia said finally.
“I’m NOT—”
“Like, ocean levels.”
“STOP.”
Sophia grinned. “You’re gonna lose your mind if she ever actually lets you.”
Megan rolled her eyes. “That’s never gonna happen.”
But her stomach did a weird little flip at the thought.
---
Weeks passed.
Attempts continued.
Rejections continued.
Life went on.
And then—
It happened on a completely normal day.
Which is honestly the craziest part.
There was no dramatic build-up. No slow-motion moment. No cinematic music swelling in the background.
They were just… hanging out.
Everyone was in the living room again, because apparently that’s where all major events in their lives occurred.
Daniela and Sophia were arguing over something stupid.
“I’m telling you, that’s not how that works.”
“It literally is.”
“It’s not.”
“It is.”
Meanwhile, Megan was half-listening, half-scrolling, and fully aware of the fact that Yoonchae was sitting right next to her.
Like, right next to her.
Their shoulders were touching.
Which was already too much.
Megan was trying so hard to act normal.
Keyword: trying.
“Hey,” Yoonchae said suddenly.
Megan nearly dropped her phone. “WHAT.”
Yoonchae blinked. “Why did you yell.”
“I didn’t yell.”
“You yelled.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“…Okay maybe a little.”
Yoonchae snorted. “Relax.”
“I am relaxed.”
“You’re not.”
“I am.”
“Megan.”
“What.”
“You’re doing that thing again.”
“What thing.”
“That weird energy thing.”
Megan froze. “I don’t have a weird energy thing.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
Yoonchae leaned closer.
Megan stopped breathing.
“I think you’re about to try something,” Yoonchae said.
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I’m literally not.”
Yoonchae tilted her head. “Then why do you look like that.”
“Like what??”
“Like you’re planning something.”
“I’m not planning anything.”
“Suspicious.”
“I am not—”
“Okay then do it.”
Megan blinked. “What.”
“Do whatever you were gonna do.”
“…You’re setting me up.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes you are.”
“I’m literally giving you permission.”
Megan stared at her.
This had to be a trap.
There was no way.
“You’re lying,” Megan said.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“Yoonchae.”
“Megan.”
“This feels illegal.”
“It’s not illegal.”
“It feels illegal.”
Yoonchae shrugged. “Then don’t do it.”
Megan hesitated.
Her brain was screaming.
Her heart was doing way too much.
This was it.
This was literally it.
The moment she’d been joking about for weeks.
And now that it was actually happening—
She was terrified.
Because what if it wasn’t a joke anymore?
What if it meant something?
What if—
“Are you gonna do it or what,” Yoonchae said.
Megan inhaled sharply.
“…Okay,” she said.
And then—
She leaned in.
Just a little.
Slow enough that Yoonchae could pull away if she wanted to.
And for a split second, Megan was sure she would.
But she didn’t.
She stayed.
And then—
Their lips met.
Soft.
Quick.
Real.
Very, very real.
And then Megan’s brain completely shut down.
She pulled back like she’d just been electrocuted.
Silence.
Total silence.
Everyone else had stopped talking.
Daniela and Sophia were staring.
Yoonchae blinked.
Megan stared at her.
Then—
“Oh my GOD—”
Megan jumped up so fast she almost tripped over the coffee table.
“SHE KISSED ME—”
“No way—”
“SHE KISSED ME—”
“Megan—”
“SHE KISSED ME—”
She started running.
Actually running.
In circles.
Around the living room.
“SHE KISSED ME SHE KISSED ME SHE KISSED ME—”
Daniela was screaming. “OH MY GOD IT FINALLY HAPPENED—”
Sophia was on the floor. “I KNEW IT—”
“Megan stop running—”
“I CAN’T—”
Yoonchae was just sitting there.
Processing.
Watching Megan lose her mind.
Megan grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.
Then threw it.
Then ran again.
“I WON—”
“This was not a competition—”
“I WON ANYWAY—”
Yoonchae finally stood up.
Walked over.
Caught Megan by the arm.
“Megan.”
“SHE KISSED ME—”
“I was there.”
“IT HAPPENED—”
“I know.”
Megan grabbed her shoulders. “DO YOU UNDERSTAND—”
“Yes.”
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE—”
“Okay calm down.”
“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN—”
Yoonchae laughed.
Actually laughed.
And something about that made Megan freeze.
Because—
Wait.
“Why are you not freaking out,” Megan said.
Yoonchae shrugged. “Why would I freak out.”
“You just—”
“I just what.”
“You just kissed me.”
“…Yeah.”
“AND YOU’RE NORMAL ABOUT IT??”
Yoonchae tilted her head. “Should I not be.”
Megan stared at her.
And suddenly—
The joke wasn’t funny anymore.
Not in a bad way.
Just—
Different.
“Wait,” Megan said slowly. “Why did you let me.”
Yoonchae didn’t answer right away.
Which was already suspicious.
“Yoonchae.”
“What.”
“Why did you let me.”
Yoonchae looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And then—
“…Because I wanted to.”
Megan’s brain stopped working again.
“You what.”
“I wanted to.”
“Since WHEN—”
Yoonchae shrugged. “For a while.”
“A WHILE???”
“Yeah.”
“AND YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING??”
“You didn’t either.”
“I WAS MAKING IT A JOKE—”
“I know.”
“THAT WAS A DEFENSE MECHANISM—”
“I know.”
“…oh.”
Silence.
Daniela whispered, “This is insane.”
Sophia whispered back, “I’m obsessed.”
Megan looked at Yoonchae.
Yoonchae looked at Megan.
And then—
“Can I do it again,” Megan blurted out.
Daniela screamed.
Sophia fell over again.
Yoonchae laughed.
“Maybe,” she said.
“THAT’S NOT A NO—”
“Relax.”
“I WILL NOT RELAX—”
Yoonchae shook her head, smiling.
And Megan?
Megan looked like she’d just won the lottery.
Actually no.
Better.
Way better.