They say bad things come all at once.
And apparently, that saying was true.
Because it didn't end there.
I don't know if Lily followed Lucas after seeing him, or if she had already been there for a while.
But somehow, she saw us talking near the stage.
The moment she realized what was happening, she quickly turned around and ran out.
Everything suddenly became a complete mess—like Murphy's Law had decided to ruin my life.
Lucas, whom I had called here with completely different intentions, confessed to me.
Lily, my best friend who liked Lucas, saw the whole thing.
And as if that wasn't enough…
he appeared.
The one person I had been trying so hard to forget.
And he saw everything too.
This kind of ridiculous situation felt like something straight out of a dramatic movie or a messy TV drama.
But the crazy part was…
it was actually happening to me.
My mind was completely blank.
Still, I forced myself to say one thing to Lucas.
"Let's… talk later."
Then I immediately ran after Lily.
She was running down the hallway toward the emergency stairwell.
I chased after her as fast as I could.
As soon as I pushed open the emergency door, I shouted,
"Wait! Please, just listen to me!"
Lily had already reached the floor above me.
She looked down at me from the stairs.
"I only called Lucas because I wanted you two to get closer," I said quickly.
"I had no idea he would say something like that. I'm really sorry."
Lily stared at me for a moment.
Then she said quietly,
"No… you shouldn't have done that."
And just like that, she disappeared.
I couldn't say anything back.
I couldn't even chase after her.
My mind was still spinning from everything that had just happened.
I couldn't think.
I couldn't speak.
I couldn't even move.
How did my perfectly normal life suddenly turn into something so ridiculous?
Not even a love triangle…
but a love square.
If I had to describe Jake…
He was basically what you would imagine if someone said "a prince from a fairy tale."
He had light brown eyes, clear pale skin, and even though he was only about 5'8", his handsome face made up for everything.
He was smart.
Good at basketball.
Polite.
And ridiculously good-looking.
Everyone liked him.
As if that wasn't enough, he could also play the acoustic guitar.
He even performed the music for the drama club's stage productions.
Honestly, sometimes it felt like that position existed just for him.
After all, more people would come watch the play if Jake was involved.
The truth is…
Jake was my boyfriend.
Or maybe I should say ex-boyfriend.
Actually…
I'm not even sure what to call him anymore.
Our relationship was complicated.
But why did he have to appear at that exact moment?
Why did he have to see Lucas confessing to me?
And why now…?
After all this time without contacting me?
The truth is, what happened between Jake and me is hard to explain.
A few days after we kissed…
he suddenly started pretending he didn't know me.
Even when we ran into each other.
Even when I sent messages.
He never replied.
So what were we?
Something more than friends?
Boyfriend and girlfriend?
Or just… nothing?
It all started last summer.
After I broke up with a guy I had dated for a few months, I was feeling pretty lonely.
Maybe Lily noticed.
Because she suddenly asked me to meet her at an ice cream shop.
"I hate it when people keep telling me stuff like that," I complained.
"Like who he's dating now or who he broke up with. I don't even care anymore, so why do they keep telling me?"
I sighed.
"I could date anyone too, you know!"
Lily, who was usually shy around the guy she liked but loved joking around with me, suddenly grinned mischievously.
"Then let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"Whoever walks through that door next," she said, pointing at the entrance.
"Man, woman, grandma—doesn't matter. You have to confess that you like them."
"And if you do it?"
"I'll grant one wish. Anything you want."
I immediately answered,
"Deal."
The reason I agreed so quickly was simple.
I was planning to use my wish to make Lily text Lucas first.
So it didn't matter who walked in.
But Lily frowned slightly when I agreed without hesitation.
Then she added another rule.
"But you have to confess with a letter."
"And you have to get a reply."
"Only then does it count as winning."
Typical Lily.
She never liked losing.
Lily had transferred to our school in fifth grade.
She had moved into the house near mine.
We actually met for the first time in front of her house rather than at school.
At first, some kids picked on her.
Maybe because she was pretty.
Or maybe they just didn't like the new girl.
Because of that, other classmates hesitated to approach her.
But since we were in the same class and lived close to each other, we started walking home together.
And when we talked…
I realized she was funny, bright, and easy to get along with.
Eventually everyone in class warmed up to her.
And just like that, we became best friends.
Now we knew each other better than anyone.
Even in tenth grade, we had never fought for more than a single day.
So when Lily suggested the bet, I laughed and agreed.
"Ellie, getting a reply to a confession letter?"
"That's adorable!"
"But don't worry," I said confidently.
"I'll win."
And then we both stared at the ice cream shop door.
Waiting to see who would walk in next.
Maybe it was because we were staring too hard.
Or maybe no one wanted ice cream on such a hot summer day.
We waited.
And waited.
Talking about random things.
Then suddenly—
Click.
The door opened.