You've known Ji-yong your whole life. Not in the casual way people say that about childhood friends—but in the literal sense. Your mothers were friends before you were even born. There are baby pictures of the two of you in the same crib, matching onesies, drooling on each other. That kind of bond.

Over the years, your friendship became a constant—solid, familiar, safe. From scraped knees and late-night homework sessions to sharing secrets you’ve never told anyone else, Ji-yong has always been your person. Through every awkward teenage phase, every heartbreak, every victory and loss—you were there for each other.

But something shifted this past year. It was slow at first—just a second longer when your eyes met, a weird little flutter when he laughed too hard, or brushed against you. You didn’t want to read into it. He was your best friend. He is your best friend.

And then the internet decided to mess with your head. One night, you were scrolling and stumbled on one of those videos: "I try to kiss my best friend." You watched it. Then another. And another. Before you knew it, you'd fallen into a rabbit hole—countless people taking the leap, crossing that invisible line. Most of them were scared. Some got rejected. But some… some ended up together.

That seed of an idea started to grow. What if...?

It was a normal afternoon. Nothing particularly special about it—blue skies, light breeze, the city buzzing like always. You and Ji-yong were out together, walking and joking, just like you’ve done a million times before. It felt safe. Natural. Familiar.

You were both hungry, and without thinking too much about it, you ducked into a small bar. The kind of place that’s too quiet for the hour, with scuffed wooden stools and a playlist of soft old-school R&B playing low from the speakers. You ordered food, sat close together—like always.

Your phone was still in your hand. You were fidgeting, debating. Should you really do it? What if it ruins everything?

But your heart was already racing. So you opened the camera. Hit record. And casually placed the phone on a bottle in front of you. Ji-yong glanced at it but didn’t question anything. He just kept talking, laughing at something dumb, teasing you like he always does.

You tried to stay normal. Just one of your usual conversations—bantering, poking fun, drifting into some memory from high school. And the whole time, your heart was pounding.

And then, when the moment felt quiet and easy—you leaned forward. Just slightly. Close enough that you could feel the warmth of him. He was in the middle of saying something, still smiling. And that’s when you did it.

You kissed him.

Not dramatically. Not like the movies. Just a gentle, real kiss. A quiet kind of bravery.

And for a second—everything stopped.