I groaned as sunlight streamed through the blinds and fell across my face, forcing my eyes open. *Ugh, another day*, I thought, reluctantly pulling myself into a sitting position. My life was just a never-ending cycle of routine and sameness, and today felt like more of the same.

Despite my initial resistance to getting out of bed, I went through the motions of my morning rituals on autopilot, trying in vain to find something to look forward to in my tedious existence.

I grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen, taking a sip as I stared out the window. The view outside was mundane and familiar, doing nothing to alleviate the boredom that seemed to permeate my entire life.

Taking a deep breath, I mentally prepared myself for the long day ahead. My phone let out a familiar chirping sound, notifying me of a new message. I reached for my phone, hoping for something to break up the monotony of my morning routine.

As I reached for my phone, I braced myself for the usual string of notifications and mundane messages. However, as I unlocked my phone and looked at the screen, my heart raced with surprise. There was a message from my best friend, Avery, and the excitement and anticipation that filled me at the sight of her name on my phone screen was a stark contrast to the usual dreariness of my mornings.

"Are you free today? We need to talk," her message read. My curiosity was piqued. What could Avery possibly want to talk about? We saw each other almost every day, and our conversations were usually just casual banter. But something about her message made my heart flutter with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

I quickly typed out a reply, my fingers trembling on the keyboard. "Yeah, I'm free. Everything okay?" I hit send and waited anxiously for her response.

The seconds felt like minutes as I waited for her reply. Finally, the screen lit up with notification, and I eagerly tapped on the message. "Yeah, everything's good," she assured me. "But I have something important to talk to you about. Can you meet me at our usual cafe around noon? Nfl awards....."

As I read Avery's response, my mind raced with possibilities. What could she possibly need to talk to me about that was connected to the NFL awards? I'd been attending the awards every year with her and my brother, but I didn't see how they could be relevant to whatever it was she wanted to tell me.

Nevertheless, curiosity and excitement took over. I quickly typed back, "Sure, noon works. See you there," and hit send. I had no idea what she was about to tell me, but I knew it was important. The remainder of my morning routine passed in a blur as I impatiently awaited our meet up.

As I walked towards the cafe where we always met, my heart raced with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. I arrived at the cafe and spotted Avery sitting at our usual table, sipping on a cup of coffee. She looked up as I approached, a nervous smile on her face.

"Hey," I said as I slid into the seat across from her. "You look like you've got something big to tell me." My hands fidgeted with the edge of the menu, my anticipation growing with each passing moment.

Avery took a deep breath, her expression growing even more serious. "You're right, I do. But before I tell you, I need you to promise you won't freak out, okay?"

My stomach dropped, my mind racing with all sorts of worst-case scenarios. What could be so big that she'd preface it with a promise not to freak out? I forced a smile, trying to remain casual.

"Of course I won't freak out," I assured her, even though my insides were twisting with nervous anticipation. "Just tell me what's going on."

Avery took deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "Okay, so... You know how I've been doing some work for the NFL awards ceremony lately?"

She took another sip of her coffee, gathering courage before continuing. "So, there's this guy," she began, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

I leaned forward, my interest piqued. "Who is he? Someone from the awards planning team?"

Avery shook her head. "No. It's this guy who's nominated for the awards, Ja'Marr Chase." She looked down at her coffee, her expression a mix of embarrassment and excitement.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Ja'Marr Chase?! The wide receiver for the Bengals?"

Avery nodded, a bashful smile creeping across her face. "Yeah, that's him. I've been working with him pretty closely lately, and... I've developed a crush on him."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of shock. Avery had always been the more levelheaded one of us, and here she was confessing she had a crush on one of the most famous football players in the league.

"Avery, that's... Wow. I had no idea," I managed to say, still processing the news. "He's a huge celebrity, and you're a regular person like me. How did you even end up working with him?"

Avery shrugged, still avoiding my gaze. "I guess he was impressed with some of my work for the awards ceremony, and they asked me to work with him on his media appearances. We've been spending a lot of time together, and it's just... I don't know. He's really sweet and down to earth, and it's hard not to fall for him."

I could hear the infatuation in her voice, and it was a side of her I'd never seen before. "But... aren't you worried? I mean, he's a football player, and those guys are kind of known for being players."

Avery sighed, finally looking up to meet my gaze. "Yeah, I know. That's what's been holding me back from doing anything about it. I don't want to get hurt, you know? But... I can't help how I feel about him."

As I listened to Avery spill her heart out about Ja'Marr, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for her. She was hopelessly smitten with a man who was not only a celebrity, but also a player. It was clear she was torn between her feelings and her fear of potential heartbreak.

"But enough about me," Avery suddenly exclaimed, her bright smile returning. "There's actually another reason I wanted to meet with you today."

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah? What else do you have to tell me?" I asked.

"You know how I mentioned I've been working closely with Ja'Marr," she began, her excitement mounting. "Well... there's this huge after-party planned for after the awards ceremony, and he's invited me and you as a plus-one."

My heart skipped a beat. An invite to the awards after-party? That was a big deal. All the biggest names in the NFL would be there, and I'd always wanted to attend but never had the chance.

"Are you serious?" I asked, my eyes wide with excitement. "He invites you, and you get to bring me?"

Avery nodded, her smile growing even wider. "Yeah! He's got a private table reserved for us and everything. It's going to be so much fun, and we'll get to see all the famous athletes and celebrities up close. But... I need to tell you something else."

My curiosity was now at the brink of exploding. "What is it?" I asked, my heart racing with anticipation.

"There's a catch," Avery said, trying to suppress her grin. "Ja'Marr said he invited a friend of his who's interested in meeting you."

My heart skipped a beat as her words sank in. "Wait... A friend of his who's interested in me?" I asked, a mixture of surprise and nervousness coursing through me.

"Yeah," Avery confirmed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "He's a fellow NFL player, Jayden Daniels. He plays quarterback for the Commanders. He's your type, trust me."

My heart rate soared, and a blush crept up my cheeks. Jayden Daniels. I'd seen him play before, and he was unquestionably one of the most attractive and talented athletes in the league. And he was interested in me?

"Are you serious? Jayden Daniels wants to meet me?" I asked, my voice betraying my mix of disbelief and excitement.

We chatted for a while longer, and Avery continued to fill me in on the details about the awards after-party and Jayden Daniels. The thought of meeting him both frightened and thrilled me. The prospect of being surrounded by such fame and glamour was both exciting and daunting.

As we said our goodbyes and I walked home, my mind was spinning with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The idea of attending the awards after-party and meeting Jayden was a significant event in my otherwise monotonous life.

As I arrived home, I found my brother, Younghoe Koo, lounging in the living room, his eyes glued to the TV. He was dressed in a comfortable hoodie and sweatpants, a stark contrast to the suit I'd worn to meet Avery.

"You're home early," he commented, not tearing his gaze away from the game playing on the screen.

I shrugged and tossed my keys onto the coffee table. "Yeah, I was just meeting with Avery," I replied, plopping myself down on the couch.

"How's she doing?" Younghoe asked, his eyes flickering over to me for a moment before returning to the game. "She's always so busy lately with those NFL award preparations." He said.

"She's good," I replied, leaning back against the couch cushions. "But she did drop some news on me. You won't believe it."

He raised an eyebrow, muting the TV and looking at me with interest. "Oh yeah? What kind of news?"

I took a deep breath, still processing the news myself. "She invited me to the awards after-party," I said, a hint of excitement seeping into my voice.

Younghoe's eyes widened in surprise. "The awards after-party? That's huge!" he exclaimed, sitting up a bit straighter. "I'll meet you there then, huh?"

I nodded, feeling a surge of both nerves and excitement. "Yeah, she said Ja'Marr Chase invited her, and she brought me along. But there's more...."

He cocked an eyebrow, a perplexed expression on his face. "More? What could possibly be more significant than being invited to the awards after-party?" He asked.

"Well..." I began, my cheeks heating up. "Ja'Marr invited a friend of his who's interested in meeting me. His name is Jayden Daniels. He's a quarterback."

Younghoe's eyes widened in disbelief. "Jayden Daniels? The Commanders quarterback?" He echoed, sounding annoyed after realizing he lost to his team a few weeks back.

I nodded, my heart rate increasing as I confirmed it. "Yeah, the very same," I replied, fiddling with a loose string on my jacket. "And apparently, he's interested in meeting me."

Younghoe let out a low whistle, shaking his head in a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Damn, sis. You're pulling some serious weight now. A player like Jayden Daniels is interested in you."

I chuckled, feeling both flattered and baffled. "I know, ridiculous, right?" I replied, leaning back against the couch cushions again.

Younghoe shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Hey, stranger things have happened. You never know, maybe Jayden Daniels has a thing for down-to-earth regular girls."

We spent the rest of the evening chatting and watching the game. Younghoe made a few playful jokes about me being the envy of all the gorgeous women in Washington. But despite his teasing, I could detect an underlying hint of pride in his tone.

@hannahkoo: be my summer in a winter day.
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@averyshutupzz: wifeyy wifeyy wifeyy

@user1: i need that outfit

@user2: 😻😻