Y/N-

The campus felt quieter now. The familiar bustle of university life had faded as finals came to an end, and I found myself sitting on a bench near the university's courtyard, staring at my phone. My heart wasn't in the celebration of the end of exams. Instead, I felt an odd emptiness, a dull ache that had settled into my chest.

Jungkook and I had been hanging out more lately, but even with the freedom of no classes to worry about, there was something weighing on me. I had written him five letters. Five times I poured my heart out, hoping that maybe—just maybe—he would say something, anything. But nothing. He never mentioned the letters.

It stung, every single time.

We talked like we always did, like nothing had changed. He laughed at my jokes, listened to my rants, and we slipped into our usual rhythm like nothing had ever shifted between us. But I couldn't ignore it anymore—the fact that he had no idea. He wasn't taking me seriously. Jungkook wasn't just my best friend; he was the person I'd secretly longed for, and yet, he was still so unaware.

I glanced over at him as he cracked a joke, his signature carefree grin lighting up his face. His easygoing nature hadn't changed. Jungkook was the same as he'd always been—fun, lighthearted, and completely oblivious to the truth I had been trying to tell him for weeks.

And I realized something in that moment: **I had been waiting for him to notice. But maybe he never would.

I looked down at my phone screen again, scrolling mindlessly. I should be excited about the break, about the fact that we were both free from the stress of exams. But instead, I felt an unexpected pang in my heart. What would I do now?

Without the university's routine to tether us together, the days felt so much longer. I wouldn't see Jungkook every day. Our schedules were already changing, and I had no idea when or how often I would get to spend time with him again. The thought made my stomach twist in knots.

Was I ready for that?

"Y/n?" Jungkook's voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up to see him standing next to me, holding two cups of iced coffee. He smiled brightly, handing me one. I couldn't help but smile back, even though the ache inside me grew sharper.

"Thanks," I murmured, taking the cup and sipping it slowly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern. He sat beside me, his gaze still locked on me, waiting for an answer.

I paused for a moment, not sure what to say. How could I explain this? How could I tell him what had been bothering me without making everything feel awkward? He'd never seen me like this—vulnerable, unsure, heart open and raw.

"Yeah, I'm just..." I trailed off, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know. It's weird, isn't it? The semester's over, and everything's changing. I guess I'm just trying to get used to it."

Jungkook nodded, clearly understanding what I meant. "I get it. It's like everything's been moving so fast, and now it's all just... done. But hey, we'll still hang out, right?" His smile was reassuring, but I could tell he didn't understand the weight of what I was feeling. For him, it was just another phase, another chapter that closed, and life would go on as usual.

I nodded slowly, trying to hold back the lump in my throat. "Yeah... of course."

But the truth was, I wasn't sure anymore. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that everything between us had been easy because we were always in the same place—literally and figuratively. We were always at the university, always part of the same routine. Now that the exams were over, that routine was over too, and with it, the daily interactions that had kept me so close to him.

For the first time, I felt like maybe it was time to let go.

But how could I let go of him? How could I stop caring about someone who had been my best friend for so long, who had been my everything, even though he didn't know it?

The silence stretched between us for a few seconds. Jungkook was focused on something in the distance, but I couldn't seem to stop my thoughts from spiraling.

"Jungkook..." I started, hesitating for a moment. The words felt foreign on my tongue, but they were there, waiting to be spoken. "Do you ever think about the future?"

His gaze flickered back to me, a curious glint in his eyes. "The future? Yeah, I guess. I mean, we're almost done with school, right? Got to start thinking about what comes next."

"I guess..." I trailed off again, unsure how to voice what was really on my mind. How do you tell your best friend that you're silently aching inside, that your heart is filled with words you can't speak aloud?

Jungkook set his coffee down beside him and gave me his full attention. "You don't sound like you're okay. What's going on, Y/n?" His voice was gentle, concerned, but I could tell he had no idea what I was really feeling.

"I don't know," I admitted, my heart pounding. "I think... I think I've just been feeling lost lately. Everything's changing, and I'm not sure where I fit anymore. And I won't get to see you as much, which I'm not ready for."

Jungkook smiled, clearly not understanding the full extent of what I was saying. He reached out and ruffled my hair, his touch warm and comforting. "You'll always be my best friend, Y/N. Nothing will change that, okay? We'll always hang out, even if things change."

I nodded, forcing a smile, but it felt strained. "Yeah... I know."

I wasn't sure if I was lying to him or to myself, but the truth was, the distance I was feeling wasn't just physical. There was an emotional gap growing between us, one that I didn't know how to cross. I had given him everything—my friendship, my time, and now, my heart—but he hadn't even noticed.

And maybe he never would.

The thought was harder to swallow than I expected. Maybe it's time to let go.

But how could I? How could I let go of the one person I had always relied on, the one person who had never known the truth about how I felt?

JUNGKOOK-

The feeling of freedom was incredible—our final exams were finally over, and the world felt wide open with possibilities. I'd been hanging out with Y/n almost every day, savoring the moments of laughter and the ease of our friendship before life pulled us in different directions. She was my best friend, the one person who had been there through everything. But lately, there was something... different.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was a quiet distance in Y/n's eyes, something she wasn't telling me. I'd catch her sometimes, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. When I'd ask her what she was thinking, she'd smile, brush it off, and quickly change the subject. It wasn't like her to be so guarded, and I found myself worrying, wondering if something was wrong.

It was strange, too, that in these last few weeks, I'd started receiving letters from a girl who wouldn't reveal her name. She was anonymous, but her words had a way of making me feel... different. She wrote with a sincerity that I found myself appreciating, even though I didn't know who she was. Her letters hinted at feelings she couldn't say out loud, but the anonymity made it all feel like a puzzle I couldn't quite solve.

When I was with Y/n, I couldn't help but wonder if she knew anything about it. She was my best friend, after all, the one person I would have trusted with something like this. Yet every time I thought to bring it up, I held back. Something about her expression lately made me hesitate. Maybe it was better to leave it be.

And yet... something in me couldn't ignore the strange feeling that lingered when I read the letters. They felt close, somehow familiar. It wasn't that I suspected Y/n, it was just that these letters seemed to speak from a place that was genuine, a place that reminded me of the bond I already shared with her.

If I was being honest, I was starting to wonder who in my life could care about me like this, but feel afraid to say it. Each letter I received made me curious, made me think about the words someone had taken the time to write. But it wasn't like me to get caught up in these kinds of thoughts.

So here I was, sitting next to Y/n, laughing and teasing her like always. I knew things were about to change, that once graduation hit, life would take us down different paths. And yet, there was something I couldn't quite let go of. I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, somehow, there was something I was missing—a truth I hadn't yet seen.

If I were being honest, the idea of saying goodbye to Y/n made my chest feel heavy. She'd always been a constant in my life, and now, as we both stood on the edge of something new, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd taken our friendship for granted. Would things change between us? Would she drift away?

I looked over at her, watching as she laughed at something silly I'd said, her eyes lighting up the way they always did. I had a feeling I'd miss that laugh.

----------------------