The night was alive with luxury. The ballroom glittered under chandeliers, and every detail of the event—from the meticulously folded napkins to the soft hum of the jazz band—was perfection. It was a world where every glance, every gesture, meant something. The room smelled of roses and expensive perfume, a place where people came to see and be seen.


Yu Jimin hadn’t planned to come tonight. The invitation had sat on her dresser for weeks, an afterthought among the wreckage of her recent breakup. But here she was, standing in a corner, wearing a perfectly fitted Prada suit. The tailored striped jacket hung effortlessly on her tall frame, sharp but understated, making her feel like she belonged in this world of elegance, even though her insides were in disarray.


She took a sip of champagne, trying to ignore the tightening in her chest. It had been a week since she and Alice had broken up. Alice, who had been sweet, kind—everything Yu thought she needed to move on from Kim. But even in the tenderness of her relationship with Alice, the ghost of Kim had lingered in every quiet moment, every kiss that didn’t quite feel right.


Yu sighed and set her glass down. Her eyes wandered, scanning the room full of strangers. But then, they landed on a figure that made her freeze.


Kim.


She was across the room, framed by golden light, standing near the grand staircase with a glass of red wine in her hand. Her Ralph Lauren dress was a deep emerald green, elegant and graceful, flowing as she moved. Kim’s blond hair fell in soft waves down her back, and Yu’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.


Kim Winter hadn’t changed at all, at least not in the way she looked. She still held herself with the same quiet confidence, the same grace that had drawn Yu in years ago. But there was something else there now—something hard and cold in her eyes, as if the warmth they once shared had been extinguished by time and anger.


Yu hadn’t seen her since that night. The night when everything had gone wrong.


They had been in love, the kind of love that makes you believe nothing could ever tear you apart. But love had its cracks, and misunderstandings had a way of making those cracks feel like chasms. A text, a name that Kim didn’t recognize, and suddenly, everything had shattered. Kim had accused her of cheating, and in the heat of the moment, Yu hadn’t been able to explain. By the time she had the words, Kim was gone.


Now, a year later, Kim was standing across the room, beautiful and distant, like a memory Yu couldn’t shake.


Yu’s breath caught in her throat. She had no idea how Kim would react to seeing her here. Would she be angry? Indifferent? Yu wasn’t sure which would hurt more.

But she knew one thing for certain: she couldn’t leave without at least trying to talk to her. She owed it to herself—to them both.


Yu made her way through the crowd, each step feeling heavier than the last. Her heart pounded in her chest as she approached Kim, unsure of what to say, unsure if she even had the right to speak after all this time.


"Kim," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the music.


Kim turned slowly, and when their eyes met, Yu felt a rush of emotions she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in months. Kim’s expression was unreadable, her lips pressed into a tight line. There was no smile, no warmth, just the cool, calculated gaze of someone who had built walls around herself.


"I didn’t expect to see you here" Kim said, her voice flat.

"I didn’t expect to be here" Yu admitted. "But… I saw you, and I just—"


"Thought you'd come over and say hello?" Kim’s tone was sharp, cutting through the air between them. "After all this time, after everything?"


Yu flinched, the bitterness in Kim’s voice hitting her harder than she’d expected. "I didn’t come to fight. I just… I wanted to talk."


Kim let out a humorless laugh. "Talk? After a year of silence, now you want to talk? What could there possibly be left to say?"


There was a long pause. Yu glanced down at the floor, trying to find the right words, trying to make sense of the tangled emotions inside her.


"I never wanted to hurt you, Kim," she said quietly. "You have to know that."


Kim’s jaw tightened. "But you did. You hurt me in ways I didn’t even think were possible."


"I know," Yu said, her voice trembling. "And I’m sorry. I should have fought harder that night. I should have explained. But you were so angry, and I didn’t know how to reach you."


"Reach me?" Kim shook her head, her eyes flashing with anger. "You didn’t even try. You let

me walk away thinking you’d been with someone else."

"I never cheated on you," Yu said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I never even thought about it. That text you saw—it was from a friend, nothing more."


Kim stared at her, her expression softening for a brief moment, before the anger returned. "Why didn’t you tell me that then? Why wait until now?"


"I don’t know," Yu admitted. "I was scared. Scared you wouldn’t believe me, scared it wouldn’t matter."


Kim’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she blinked them away, refusing to let Yu see her break. "You should have told me, Yu. You should have fought for us."


"I know," Yu whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’ve spent the last year wishing I had."


Kim let out a shaky breath, and for a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between them.


"You hurt me, Yu," Kim said finally, her voice breaking. "I spent so long trying to figure out where we went wrong, trying to make sense of it all. And now… now you show up, telling me you didn’t cheat, that it was all a misunderstanding?"


"I know it’s too late to fix things," Yu said softly. "But I had to tell you. I had to let you know the truth, even if it doesn’t change anything."


Kim’s gaze softened, and for the first time that night, Yu saw a glimpse of the woman she had fallen in love with—the woman who had once looked at her like she was everything.


"It doesn’t change what happened," Kim said quietly. "But it does… help."


Yu nodded, her heart aching. She knew this wasn’t a reunion. It wasn’t a second chance. It was just the closing of a chapter, a bitter but necessary ending to what they once were.


"Are you happy?" Yu asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

Kim hesitated, her eyes flicking away. "I don’t know," she admitted. "I’m trying to be."

Yu felt a lump form in her throat. "I’ve missed you" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kim looked at her, her eyes soft but sad. "I’ve missed you too..." she admitted.

And in that moment, Yu knew that they still loved each other. Maybe they always would. But love wasn’t enough to heal the wounds of the past.

As Kim turned to leave, Yu watched her go, her heart heavy with the weight of what could have been. The distance between them felt insurmountable, but there was a bittersweet comfort in knowing the truth had finally been spoken.

The night carried on around them, full of light and laughter, but for Yu, it was over.

And perhaps, in some quiet corner of her heart, she believed that their story wasn’t entirely finished. But for now, it was time to let go.