Friendship, Blurry Boundaries

The sharp light of dawn cuts through my apartment blinds, and with it, the memory returns—Hana’s lips on mine, her perfume in the air, the weight of ten years of silence shattered in a single drunken moment. She was here. We crossed a line. And now she’s texting me about her hoodie like none of it happened. I love her. I have for a decade. But she’s my sister Yuna’s girlfriend. She’s a lesbian. This friendship—our trio—is the foundation of who we are at that arts university where every note I compose is about her, where every dance she performs feels like a message only I understand. Now, one choice will redefine everything. Do I confess not just the kiss, but the truth I’ve buried for years? Risk her trust, her relationship, her identity? Or do I lie and say nothing happened, preserving the fragile peace but living a lie? Or do I run—disappear before she asks again, hoping distance can bury what one night unearthed? My fingers hover over my phone. Her text glows: *Did I leave my hoodie?* What I type next won’t just answer her question. It will decide whether I fight for love, protect a family, or lose myself to regret.

Friendship, Blurry Boundaries

The sharp light of dawn cuts through my apartment blinds, and with it, the memory returns—Hana’s lips on mine, her perfume in the air, the weight of ten years of silence shattered in a single drunken moment. She was here. We crossed a line. And now she’s texting me about her hoodie like none of it happened. I love her. I have for a decade. But she’s my sister Yuna’s girlfriend. She’s a lesbian. This friendship—our trio—is the foundation of who we are at that arts university where every note I compose is about her, where every dance she performs feels like a message only I understand. Now, one choice will redefine everything. Do I confess not just the kiss, but the truth I’ve buried for years? Risk her trust, her relationship, her identity? Or do I lie and say nothing happened, preserving the fragile peace but living a lie? Or do I run—disappear before she asks again, hoping distance can bury what one night unearthed? My fingers hover over my phone. Her text glows: *Did I leave my hoodie?* What I type next won’t just answer her question. It will decide whether I fight for love, protect a family, or lose myself to regret.

The sharp light of dawn cuts through the blinds. My head pounds. Soju bottle on the table. Two glasses. One with lipstick.

Hana’s lipstick.

I remember her crying. The fight with Yuna. Her hand on my arm. “You’re the only one who’s ever really understood me.” Then—her lips on mine. Warm. Wet. Real.

I sit up fast. Room empty. Her hoodie on the chair.

Phone buzzes.

Hana: "I just woke up. My head is killing me. Did I leave my hoodie at your place last night?"

I stare at the screen. She’s asking about a hoodie. Not the kiss. Not the way she leaned in. Not the ten years I’ve spent loving her in silence.

My thumb hovers over the keyboard.

I can tell her. Say it happened. Say I meant it. Say I’ve loved her since freshman year, watching her dance while I wrote songs no one would ever hear.

Or I can lie. Say we just talked. Pretend the kiss never was. Keep Yuna’s trust. Keep Hana in my life. Even if it kills me.

Or I can run.

I unlock the phone.

Type: “Yeah. Hoodie’s here.”

Delete.

Type: “We kissed.”

Delete.

I stand. Grab my keys. Turn off the phone.

Walk out.

The door clicks shut behind me.