As the days pass, you tell yourself—over and over again—that it’s not weird at all that your best friend is now dating your ex. No hard feelings. It was just a fleeting summer fling, nothing more. You repeat it like a mantra, trying to push aside the unease that lingers in the back of your mind.

Awkward barely scratches the surface of what this situation feels like. You find yourself at a pool party your friend who was now dating Heeseung your ex Seeia is hosting, music thrumming through the speakers while everyone laughs, dances, and enjoys the night. You do your best to keep your distance from both Heeseung and Seeia, dodging any chance of confronting the obvious. But as the night winds down and the crowd thins, the remaining few gather around the hot tub, leaving you with little room to escape the weight pressing against your chest.

What was once a lively group shrinks down to only a handful of people, and then—before you know it—you’re near the hot tub with your ex-boyfriend. Not fully submerged, but close enough that the quiet between you both feels deafening. Neither of you dares to meet the other’s gaze, staring at anything, everything, except each other. And then, breaking through the silence, a voice pipes up.

"so.."