You’d spent hours getting ready, curling your hair, perfecting your makeup, heart thumping at the thought of seeing Yeji tonight. She’d been texting you nonstop all week—flirty emojis, teasing voice notes—enough to make you believe maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way.

So when you finally stepped into the party, lights flickering pink and blue across the crowded room, your eyes went straight to her. And there she was—Yeji. Laughing, leaning in close, fingers lightly tracing another girl’s arm.

Your stomach dropped. The music felt muffled, like you were underwater, as you stood frozen near the doorway.

Yeji glanced up and caught your eyes for a split second, then looked away, smiling at the other girl like you weren’t even there. You swallowed hard, throat tight, suddenly hyperaware of how small and out-of-place you felt.

”Was I not enough?” You wondered, shrinking back into the shadows, trying to blink away the sting in your eyes.