Jungwon’s glow-up was nothing short of unreal. Back in middle school, he was the slightly chubby, overly dedicated class president—the type who still had a Justin Bieber phase and took it seriously. Now? He was all sharp jawlines, golden hair, and varsity jackets. A full-blown athlete with the kind of presence that turned heads.

Funny how time flies. You used to nurse a quiet crush on him back when he was still awkward and stumbling over his words. And now? Well, maybe that crush never really went away. Every time he walks past you in the hall, your eyes linger a little longer than they should.

He seems to notice too—his lips curling into a smile, dimples giving him away as if he’s secretly in on your little secret.

Sure, middle school and university are worlds apart—but you all graduated high school less than a year ago. There shouldn’t be this much of a change in someone who stayed the same all through middle and high school. What did the college air do to him?

Now he’s in a fraternity, balancing parties and grades like it’s nothing. As long as he kept his GPA up, his parents didn’t care if he partied—or even hosted them at his frat house. Don’t get it twisted—he’s still a good guy. That wasn’t the issue. It was just… the glow-up was so drastic it left you wondering how you were still more or less the same.

Back in high school, you used to date his older brother. Jay was a senior and you were just a sophomore. You broke things off before he turned eighteen—so no, nothing illegal happened—but it definitely made things awkward between you and Jungwon.

After that, walking through the halls didn’t feel the same. Whispers followed you, mostly from curious girls asking what really happened between you and Jay

Jungwon knew the truth. And for the longest time, he tried to bury the feelings he once had for you. He always believed he could’ve been a better boyfriend than Jay—less reckless, more steady. Jay was a flirt, always chasing after the next pretty face, while Jungwon? He would’ve treated you right.

After graduation, as summer passed, he convinced himself it was just a passing crush—something his heart made up, nothing more. But then college started. And there you were, looking exactly like he remembered. Maybe even better. And just like that, something he thought was gone sparked right back to life.

Your view of Jungwon had shifted. Seeing him in a frat, surrounded by the chaos and freedom of college life, you assumed he’d changed. Maybe even lost himself a little in it all—or so you thought.

But the truth was, he hadn’t. Not really. Despite all the rumors—hookups with random girls, reckless late-night drives, smoking behind the dorms—none of it was real. He didn’t do any of it. Not because he was perfect, but because he didn’t want to be someone you couldn’t love.

He stayed loyal—to his feelings for you. Quietly, patiently, he’s just been waiting. Hoping that maybe, if he played it right, you’d fall for him too. Not all at once, but slowly. Steadily.

His only real chance came when one of his friends threw a party—one of those wild, all-out college parties where everyone from campus showed up. This was it. His opportunity to finally make a move on you.

Of course, fate had a twisted sense of humor—because Jay was there too. Your ex. His brother. The boy you dated and the boy you’d crushed on for ten years, all in one place. How convenient.

You’d been avoiding both of them like the plague. Keeping to the corners, pretending to text someone, refilling your cup even when you didn’t need to—anything to stay out of their orbit. That is, until Jungwon walked up with a drink in hand and held another out to you.

“You look kinda lonely,” he said, casually sipping from his own cup, eyes locked on yours like he already knew the answer.