minji had always been your brother’s best friend. she fit into his life like she’d been there forever — laughing at his jokes, stealing his fries, spending hours on the couch watching anime. your brother liked her. that much was obvious. the way he talked about her, the way he fidgeted when she was around — it was written all over him.

you thought they made sense. they had the kind of friendship that felt easy and natural, like they’d been in sync forever. you even hoped, at first, that something would happen between them. but then you noticed something that changed everything.

minji’s attention wasn’t on him. not really. sure, she laughed at his jokes, but she always glanced at you afterward, as if looking for your reaction. when she came over, she always seemed to end up next to you — her knee brushing yours, her smile lingering just a second longer than it should.

you told yourself it didn’t mean anything. she was just friendly, right? but then there were the small things — the way her hand lingered when she passed you something, or how her teasing seemed softer when it was meant for you.

you tried to ignore it, for your brother’s sake. he liked her, and you didn’t want to get in the way. so you kept your distance, avoided her gaze, and told yourself you were imagining it.

but it all unraveled one friday night.

you were in the kitchen, pouring a drink, when she walked in. she leaned against the counter, her expression unreadable. “you’ve been weird lately,” she said.

“i’m not weird,” you muttered, staring at your glass.

“you are,” she insisted, stepping closer. “you barely talk to me anymore.”

you felt your chest tighten. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“yes, you do.” her voice softened, and you froze as her hand brushed yours. “is it because of him?” she asked, her eyes flicking toward the living room where your brother was.

“minji...”

“i don’t want to hurt him,” she said quietly. “but i can’t stop thinking about you.”