for you. // itzy, syn. // one-shot.
in which your childhood best friend tries to distract you from the fact that you’re totally flunking all of your classes by taking you to the places you considered were special to you when you were younger, and you remember why they were so close to your heart in the first place.
word count: 4.8k
author’s note: writing this was really fun, i hope you all enjoy 💓 i apologize for the inconsistency of my updates, i don’t have a scheduler, i literally just drop these out of nowhere and call it a day,,, as for the requests, i will get them done eventually! i am sorry for the long wait, i swear i am just,,, lacking inspiration lately lmao.
genre: high school au, fluff all the way baby, friends to lovers (although, the ‘lovers’ part isn’t specifically stated anywhere.)
tw: mild violence, brief mention of blood.
“(Y/N), I believe you have a clue as to why you're here when classes have concluded?" The guidance counselor, Ms. Jung, said as her assuming eyes traveled from a piece of paper to your eyes. You sat quietly across from the older woman, anxiously bouncing your leg and scratching the cushion you were sitting on. Being called to the guidance counselor's office was something that hasn't happened to you before and not knowing the reason why you're there makes everything just a tad bit more scarier.
On a normal day, you would be walking home with your best friend at this time of day. And speaking of your best friend, you dreaded seeing the look on her face when you meet her by the school gate so late. You had promised to treat her to some ice cream after getting the results for the important test you both took today.
Oh, yeah, that's why I'm here, you thought. You couldn't help but sigh deeply at the realization of it all. You completely butchered the test, and now you were getting the talk from the counselor.
"Your teachers always talk about how you're a well-mannered student who is loved by everyone since the day you entered this school. However," Ms. Jung pushes the piece of paper towards you. You leaned forward to look at the paper and feel your head spin at the sight of so many... failed tests. "You don't make an effort to try at all." The counselor said.
You leaned back on your chair and stared at the bulletin board behind the counselor's desk in an attempt to avoid the older woman's gaze. You could not tell her that you have been trying to get your grades up ever since the first time you got a C+ on a test because you realized that you would just sound dumber than you already look.
You felt your heart swell at your wasted efforts and oh, you just wanted to go home and shut yourself off from the world for a little bit to clear your head, but you know that it wouldn't do anything to your grades. Now you were regretting rejecting an older student's offer to tutor you.
I really shouldn't have brushed off that opportunity. There's no way Jisu can make time for me now. She's a graduating student, I know she must be busy with more important things, you thought. You dread for the time when you have to go home and show your parents your current grade. They never really showed mercy at these kind of things.
You left the guidance counselor's office with a heavy heart. What would your best friend think of you now? The two of you were competing to beat the other into getting the higher grade this school year, there's no doubt that she'll make fun of you because of this.
You can already see her big, toothy grin in your head and if you weren't so devastated, you would've laughed because your best friend's face really puts you at ease. But for some reason, it was doing the opposite at the moment.
You walked past the doors of the building and from the top of the five steps that lead to the door, you could see your best friend's tall figure standing near the school gates.
Shin Yuna, looking cute as ever, had a pout on her face as she leaned against the gates. Her long, lustrous blonde hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail and she wore a big grey jacket on top of her school uniform. It was your jacket. Her tan legs stretched out from under her plaid skirt and you still can't wrap your head around the fact that she was nearly two heads taller than you and the two of you are the same age!
As you walked closer to the gates, you watched as Yuna kicked a pebble solemnly. She hated waiting. It makes her anxious, especially if you don't say anything beforehand. But then again, it's not like you were expecting to get pulled into the guidance couselor's office at the end of the school day.
Yuna turns her head and almost immediately, her frown was replaced with a big smile, "There you are!" She says.
You try to mirror her smile, "Sorry. I got held up by Ms. Jung." You replied, letting your eyes wander to the bright pink hair tie that held Yuna's golden locks together.
"The guidance couselor? What for?" Yuna asked. You flinch at her question, you were hoping that she would whine about you being late and totally ignore how miserable you looked at the moment. You avoid your best friend’s gaze for a minute, staring blankly at the tall trees across the street. You let out a heavy sigh and flashed Yuna a lazy smile, followed by a shrug.
For most people, you were a mystery. Mainly because you never really talk to anyone except for a select few. But for Yuna, you were like an open book. You have been friends since elementary school, so of course you know everything there is to know about each other.
And when you’re being stubborn about hiding what you’re feeling, Yuna makes it her mission to bring it out of you.
Surprisingly enough, however, Yuna doesn’t say anything this time. As weird as it is, you appreciated it. You weren’t in the mood to talk about it anyway.
“Well, whatever then. You didn’t forget your promise, right?” Yuna asked, grinning as she looped her arm around yours. She started dragging you away from the school gates and the two of you were finally out into the streets. You feel the early evening breeze kissing your face as you treaded the pavement. Your tense shoulders finally relaxed as you felt Yuna resting her head on top of it.
You turn your head slightly, “Of course not. And even if I did, you’d make me remember.” You said. Yuna giggles, she knows you’re right. As the two of you walked towards the small ice cream parlor down the street, you realized that you were still holding the piece of paper that had your grades on it. No doubt that Yuna hasn’t seen it, but you still slipped it inside your school blazer. You could see your best friend staring at you from the corner of your eye but you ignore it, staring into the distance.
“Hey,” Yuna tugs on your sleeve, successfully getting your attention. “Are you cold? You can have your jacket back if you like.”
You shake your head, “I’m okay, Yu.” You replied weakly. You were close to the end of the street and across from the little stoplight there was Yuna’s favorite ice cream parlor, but all of a sudden, you felt yourself getting pulled back.
“We’re going somewhere else,” Yuna said. You can tell that she was starting to get bothered by your recent behavior. “I’m not really craving ice cream right now.”
You allow yourself to get dragged around the streets and you realized that your best friend was taking you to the underpopulated part of the town. This section of the city belonged to those who weren't doing very well in terms of money and therefore the quality of the houses, and pretty much everything else, were less than ideal.
Your family used to live here and while your childhood wasn't always pleasant, you still found ways to enjoy every moment of it. Mostly because there was this unnecessarily tall kid that never failed to make your day better just by being herself.
"Yu, why'd you take me here?" You asked as you looked around. It was quiet, but that doesn't mean that it was safe. The scariest things happen in this part of the city, you were lucky that you didn't experience any of them when you were younger. "Oh my God, did you get yourself involved with shady people now? I told you to stop hanging out with Ryujin! Like, I get that she's hot but she's bad news!"
Yuna sputters. "What?! No! Wait," She stops walking and looks at you like you grew three heads. "You think Ryujin is hot?" She asked.
You tilt your head to the side, "You don't?" You didn't get an answer. Instead, Yuna keeps walking forward, muttering something about how she didn't even know what she was trying to do at the moment. You jog up to her side and catch her hand with yours, locking your fingers together.
It's not that you hated this part of the city. The only things you really remember were the worst things. Like that time your puppy passed away, or those numerous times your parents fought, or that time when you didn't catch the string of your balloon fast enough to stop it from flying away to the sun.
The first stop was an old park that was squeezed the numerous run-down apartments in the neighborhood. The fountain at the center of the park had stopped working and vines covered most of it.
"I think... this was where I saw you cry for the first time," Yuna speaks. She staring at the fountain blankly. It was like she was reliving that exact moment on the spot. You don't remember that though. You cried a lot, and you don't exactly keep count. "You were upset because some dumb boy from our old elementary school called you names."
You chuckled lightly, "Oh, that. Didn't you get in trouble for punching him the next day?" You asked.
"It was worth it." Yuna replied with a cheeky grin.
Yuna came to your house late in the afternoon that day. There was a cut on her lip and she bled quite a lot. She tried to look tough but you didn't miss the single tear that squeezed out of her eye when your father patched up her lip. That day, you wondered why Yuna would go through such lengths for you, but that was before you realized that you would also punch a boy twice your size just for her.
“Didn’t we make this our unofficial hangout spot?” You asked as you stood on the fountain. Now you were able to see the top of Yuna’s head, for once. You remember a time where you could still look at each other eye-to-eye, but then she suddenly grew. And then she grew again. Maybe she will never stop growing!
“Yeah, but only because whenever you do that,” Yuna said and pointed at you with a smirk on her face. She suddenly put her hand on your arm and pushed you gently. You let out a yelp as you try to maintain your balance, but you failed and you feel yourself falling forward. You closed your eyes, ready to embrace the pain, only for it to never come. You slowly opened your eyes and of course, Yuna caught you in her arms. “I can do this.” She whispered with that mischievous glint in her eye.
You pushed Yuna away and hopped off of the fountain, “You suck. What if you hadn’t caught me in time?”
“That’s impossible. I’ll always catch you when you fall.” Yuna replied almost immediately, as if she predicted your previous statement. You adjusted your school blazer, making sure that not one spot was dirty, ripped, or folded. And then you reached inside, searching for a certain piece of paper. Your heart nearly dropped down to your stomach when you couldn’t feel the familiar material in one of the pockets.
You looked back at the fountain and of course it was right there for the whole world to see. You quickly snatched it, hoping to the gods that your best friend didn’t see it.
Your wishes ended up being ignored, however. “What’s that?” Yuna asked.
There was basically no point in hiding it. Even if Yuna doesn’t feel like asking you about your feelings now, there will always be that small voice in her mind that will keep reminding her that you were upset about something in this particular day, then she’ll bring it up and you will have no choice but to answer.
You slowly turn around, only to see your best friend eyeing the piece of paper that was trapped between your fingers. “This little thing? Uh, i-it’s nothing. Just... trash, haha.”
Yuna stares at you with an incredulous look on her face, and you sigh, finally giving in. You unfold the piece of paper and handed it to Yuna, your eyes glued to the ground to avoid any more humiliation.
You could see your best friend come closer to look at the paper and a second later, you hear her laughing. Your head snapped up at the sound of her beautiful laugh but you didn’t feel like laughing with her. Instead, you felt frustration building up inside you and you toss the paper towards Yuna, hitting her in the face.
You started walking away. “No! Wait! (Y/N), let’s talk!” You hear yell from behind. You ignore her calls and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t stop tears from falling down your face.
“(Y/N), please, don’t go.” You could still hear Yuna giggling and when you stop to face her again, her smile was replaced with a look of sadness mirroring yours. She immediately ran up to you and reached out her hand, attempting to touch your face and wipe your tears away. However, you don’t give her the chance to do it, you swat her hand away.
Yuna persists, reaching out again with both hands and of course, you were just as stubborn, so you pushed her hands away again. You sobbed as you dodged her attempt to comfort you, blinded by sorrow and anger.
“(Y/N), just let me hug you!” Yuna said, stepping closer. You started to push her away with more strength, but of course you had to get tired. You had to stop resisting Yuna and allow her to embrace you, and you did exactly that.
“I needed you... to say something nice but you just laughed.” You sobbed into her shoulder.
Yuna started caressing your back, “I’m sorry.”
“You can be so mean sometimes.” You added, hitting the taller girl’s hip weakly.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯
After that, Yuna led you to an abandoned playground. You remember just how many... interesting things have happened in that exact playground. The one you vividly remember was the one time you, Yuna, and some other kids from the neighborhood played tag. Yuna scraped her knee when she fell while running away from the tagger and you had never seen her cry so hard. You ended up taking her to your house to clean the wound.
You thanked the gods for making your father a nurse because if he wasn’t, then Yuna would probably have a lot of scars at present. She wasn’t the most careful kid back then. Whenever you met up with her in the park or in this playground, she would always have a bruise or two because she either fell from the monkey bars, tripped on air, or got into a petty fight.
If the park was where you shed a lot of tears, then this playground was definitely where Yuna shed hers the most.
“So,” Yuna started as she watched you carefully. The two of you sat on the swings, and yes, this was one of the very many places where Yuna fell flat on her face. “Why are you so upset?” The tall girl asked.
The paper has now been discarded so you couldn't see shoved it up to Yuna's face, "Did you not see my grades? I am flunking my classes, Yu. All of it." You said.
"It's not the end of the world! You can do better next year," Yuna replied. "And you will do better! If there's one thing you can do, it's picking yourself up and pushing past your limits."
You groaned and buried your face in your hands, "Yuna, I love you, and your optimism, but can we be realistic here? I can't keep on going like this. You know that." You lamented.
You feel Yuna's gentle hands pry your hands away from your face. She was kneeling down in front you, wearing her signature goofy grin, and you felt your heart skip a bit when you saw that familiar wonder in her big bright eyes.
"Times like this is when we need to be unrealistically optimistic the most! We need to set up a goal or something! Like, if you manage to do this, then I'll reward you that!" Yuna exclaimed, holding your hands tightly.
You look away and pouted, "Well, clearly I can't do anything, so..." You sighed. You hated being a pessimist, but you really couldn't help it in this situation. Studying hasn't always been your forte, mainly because you thought that you didn't need to do it. You always managed to get decent scores on tests and quizzes without studying. It wasn't until this school year that your grades started getting lower and lower.
"I'm so stupid." You muttered.
Yuna makes a sound of disapproval, "Don't be like that! You know you're smart! You just have to get back on your feet." She said. She started listing out the things the two of you can do to bring your energy back and get you out of that sunken place you were stuck on, but you barely listen.
You thought it was cute how Yuna would gasp loudly when she thinks she thought of the best idea ever. Her eyes would just shine with excitement and she would start bouncing, then she would yell at you to get up and get going.
At that moment you just wanted to hug her tightly, but for some reason, you thought that it would be too much.
Random hugs were cute back in the day, but something about doing them now, in this time and age, makes it weird. And not the good kind. At least not for you.
When you were younger, you loved the feeling of Yuna's embrace. You still do, and you always will, but things a bit... different. You always find yourself wanting to stay close to her for at least a second more, and sometimes you just want to stay in her arms forever.
Her scent puts you at ease and the feeling of her warmth makes you think that nothing can go wrong ever again. It was a dangerous feeling, and you didn't know what to do about it.
"Wanna know how I did in my test?" Yuna asked, sitting back down on the swing beside yours. She grabbed her backpack and pulled out a paper from it with a wide grin on her face. You didn't know what you were expecting, but you definitely didn't predict that Yuna, of all people, would get a D.
Seeing how much your eyes widened, Yuna lets throws her head back laughing.
"Yuna! What the hell happened?!" You asked, hitting your best friend in the arm lightly.
The taller girl slipped the paper back inside her bag and let out a shaky breath. She anxiously fiddled with her hands, and it was almost as if she didn't want you to know. Yuna slowly lifts her eyes from the ground and onto you, "I... I wanted you to win that stupid challenge." She said.
You blinked, "So you can treat me instead? Yuna, you know that I'd buy you ice cream regardless, right?" You asked, chuckling.
"I know! But... I like seeing you smile when you win," Yuna averts her gaze to the ground again, biting her lip out of embarrassment. "God, what am I saying?" She muttered.
You shake your head, still laughing, "You really didn't have to purposely fail an important test just to see me smile, you know."
"But it's you." Yuna replied. You didn't know what to say to that. What does that even mean? As much as you wanted to ask, you were afraid that your best friend might combust at the spot, so you simply did not respond.
(Unbeknownst to you, Yuna was regretting letting those words slip out of her mouth.)
A sudden burst of wind suprises you, and you couldn't stop yourself from shivering. You let out a breath and suddenly you were being pulled to your feet by Yuna, who wore an unreadable expression on her face. "Come with me. There's one more place I want to visit before we go." She said in a soft voice.
Yuna led you to an unfamiliar street. It’s either you have never passed by this part of the area or it was just your bad memory acting up once again. Your hand once again finds Yuna’s, you hadn’t even realized that you were holding your hand until you felt your palm dampening. You look at Yuna and saw that the tips of her ears were reddening as seconds pass. Weird.
Eventually, you realized that Yuna just walked you through another road to your old middle school. It shut down weeks after your graduation and a new and better one was built near the road that connects the shabby and honorable parts of the city.
“It’s a little sad how they don’t even try to demolish these old places. They just leave them here to rot on its own,” You said as you and your best friend neared the building. There were graffiti all over the walls, they looked amazing. “At least it’ll rot with art on it.”
From the other end of the wall, you hear Yuna laughing, “Hey, (Y/N), take a look at this.” She said, waving you over. You stood beside Yuna and followed her gaze. You couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of ‘RYU was here’ written near the bottom of the wall in big dark blue letters. Yuna takes out her black marker and writes ‘Hey, Ryu :) - Yuna, (Y/N)’ right under it, snickering at the thought of her friend spotting it one day.
“So, did you take me here to commit a crime? I thought we weren’t supposed to do that until like, third year of college when we’re sad, miserable, and regretting ever being born?” You asked, following the taller girl to the back of the building. You can see the way Yuna’s cheeks hunched up, indicating that she was smiling and definitely up to something. You just hope that neither of your parents will pick you up at the police station by the end of the day.
Right. I still have to deal with their initial reactions to my petty excuse of a grade, you thought, sighing to yourself.
“We’re here,” Yuna says as she stops walking. In front of you was a small hill that you and some other students from the school used to hang around in. On the other side of the hill was just another part of the area, so there wasn’t anything special about it. But you do remember laying down with Yuna and falling asleep while staring at the clouds. You have never felt so at peace. “I kind of wrestled a lot with Ryujin here which led to a lot of detention and suspension warnings. I’m sure you remember that part!” Yuna explains while pulling you towards the hill.
You hum in agreement, “Ah, yeah. Ryujin went here too.” You said. The two of you haven’t always been on each other’s good side. Ryujin hated how you allegedly forced Yuna to do all these goody-two-shoes things and you absolutely despised how Ryujin would get in trouble and drag Yuna down to hell with her. And until today, both of you still feel the same towards one another, but you have do doubt that you’d jump to defend Ryujin with your life when someone opposes her. She would do the same too, but she doesn’t tell you that.
Yuna lays down on top of the hill, using her backpack as her pillow, and pulled you down to join her. Her sweet cinnamon scent filled your nose and you already felt your nerves relaxing as she puts her arm around you shoulders, pulling you close. She rested her chin on top of your head (where you couldn’t see her beet-red cheeks).
“Do you feel better?” Yuna asked. You nodded, although you were still unsure of what to feel at the moment. You feel your heart racing uncontrollably, almost as if it wants to break out of your ribcage and leap out of your chest. Whenever you were this close to Yuna, it always happened. You always kept yourself still, afraid of the stupid thing you might do if you even move an inch.
(Yuna feels the same.)
“You know, when we were little brats, we promised each other that we won’t keep any secrets from one another no matter how horrible they are,” Yuna says as she slowly caressed your hair, feeling each lock between her fingers. Your eyelids started getting heavy and all you could do was nod weakly while you fought against the temptation to fall asleep. “Well, there’s this one thing I’ve been hiding from you for a while.” Your best friend continues.
Your eyes snap open upon hearing her words, “How long?” You asked.
Yuna pauses and takes a deep breath, “A few years.” She admitted.
Truth to be told, you were more surprised than pissed. Yuna never shuts up once she finds something interesting to talk about, so for her to keep a secret from you, who can basically pass as her other half, is something that has never happened before, ever. You were excited to find out what your best friend could be hiding all this time. A few years is a long time after all.
A wide grin spreads across your face, “This better be good, Shin Yuna.” You said.
“That’s up to you,” The taller girl muttered. She swallows thickly before starting her little story. “Towards the end of our first year here, we were laying down on this same spot. You felt tired from all the stupid work and games we did during recess, so I told you that you can rest with me. While you slept, Ryujin suddenly came up and... teased me, but I told her to shut up because I didn’t want you to wake up... since you looked so beautiful when you’re at peace like you were back then.” She spoke softly and carefully. She has always been afraid to spill way too much emotion than needed, you knew that. But you also knew that this was probably something she has been wanting to get off her chest.
You looked up, your heart beats a little louder when you meet Yuna’s gentle eyes, “Is... that it?” You asked.
Yuna releases a silent laugh and continues, “No. While you were sleeping, I thought about... about how I just wanted time to stop at that moment so that I can keep you in my arms forever, away from all the bad things out there, from Ryujin, and everybody else. I thought that it wouldn’t be so bad if I get to... spend the rest of my days with you. It sounds ridiculous because we were like, I don’t know, twelve that time... but that’s how I felt. And that’s how I still feel.”
It was weird. The way you felt exactly the same as Yuna, the way you would occasionally get lost in her eyes, the way everything seems to slow down just for you and her. Everything was weird, and it felt surreal.
Your breath hitches when Yuna lifts her hand and pushes your hair back, her fingers grazing your skin just a little and leaving a trail of goosebumps. “Then... I kissed you. Right... here.” She taps your nose with her index finger and smiles nervously.
You take her hand in yours, intertwining your fingers, and leaned closer, “The only bad thing in all of this is that I missed that kiss since I was passed out.” You said as blood rushed to your cheeks at the realization of what you were trying to do.
Yuna pulls you closer and she embraces you tighter, now you could feel how her heart was racing as fast as yours were, “Can I do it again, then? Properly this time?” She asked.
Your eyes fluttered close and that was the only answer Yuna needed. She leans down and plants a sweet kiss on top of your nose. At the same time, butterflies invaded in your stomach, making you laugh all of a sudden and hide your face on the crook of Yuna’s neck.
Yuna laughs with you, she was just as embarrassed but hearing your laugh made everything seem a little better.
“Hey, Yu?” You lean back to look into your best friend’s eyes again. She raises her eyebrows, prompting you to continue. “Thank you.” You say.
Yuna smiles brightly, and it was like thousands of suns were shining down on Earth, “Anything for you.”
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