The sun had started to set, casting golden light over the rides, the booths, and your intertwined hands. You and Jungkook walked lazily toward the photo booth tucked into a quiet corner near the cotton candy stand.

“Come on, let’s take some silly pictures.”

Jungkook grinned, tugging you inside.

The booth was tiny, forcing you two to squeeze together, your knees brushing, your shoulders pressed close.

“Okay, silly face first!” he said, setting the timer.

Click. Tongues out, peace signs up.

Click. Puppy pout and finger hearts.

Click. You looked at him. He looked at you. No poses this time.

“Hey…” he whispered softly, a little breathless from laughing.

You tilted your head.

“Hmm?”

“You’re really beautiful.”

You blinked, surprised. He wasn’t teasing. He wasn’t playing. His voice was soft and honest.

Your heart skipped. The camera flashed.

You were still looking at him when he nervously leaned in.

“Can I…?” He didn’t finish the sentence.

You gave a tiny nod. Lips parted slightly.

And then it happened.

A soft, shy kiss. No rush. Just hearts thumping fast and eyes fluttering shut as the camera clicked once more.

It wasn’t fiery. It was sweeter than cotton candy. Gentle. Pure. Like two hearts whispering “I like you… a lot.”

When you pulled back, you were both smiling like fools.

“We’re gonna look so red in those pictures,” you laughed, covering your cheeks.

“Then we’ll frame them. Proof of our first kiss,” he said, pulling you closer with the proudest grin.

Back in college, Niya wasn’t sulking anymore. She was scheming.

She’d waited until the next day, when you and Jungkook returned to class hand-in-hand, looking happier than ever.

That’s when she pounced.

Catching Jungkook alone near the campus café, she acted casual.

“So... heard you had fun yesterday,” she said, sipping her iced coffee.

“Yeah, we needed it,” Jungkook smiled, clearly still floating.

“Hmm. That’s... cute. Except,” she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice,

“you sure she was only with you yesterday?”

Jungkook’s smile faltered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just… saw a couple of things. Before you arrived. She was with some guys. Laughing. Real close, y'know? One of them even had his arm around her. You weren’t there, so… maybe she got bored waiting.”

She shrugged innocently.

“Niya—what the hell are you saying?”

Jungkook’s voice dropped into something more serious.

“Nothing! Just looking out for you, that’s all.” She smirked slightly.

“You trust people too easily sometimes, Kook.”

Before he could reply, she walked away, leaving him confused and a little uneasy.

That evening, you waited for Jungkook by the courtyard, excited to give him the small scrapbook you had made—filled with pictures from the amusement park, including that precious photo booth strip.

But when he approached, his usual warmth was missing. He looked distracted.

“Hey…” you greeted with a bright smile.

“Hey,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You okay?”

“Can I ask you something?”

His voice was softer now, uncertain.

“Were you with any other guys yesterday? Before I came to pick you up?”

Your smile faded.

“What? No. Why?”

“Niya said she saw you… with some guy. Laughing. Close.”

You stared at him, stunned.

“You believe that?”

“No! I mean—I don’t know. It’s just... she said it so seriously. I don’t want to think that, YN. I just... I had to ask.”

Your heart ached. Not because he asked—but because Niya’s poison was working.

The photo strip of you and Jungkook—your shy kiss captured forever—was tucked gently into a handmade scrapbook. You had decorated it with little doodles, inside jokes, and the words:

“The Day I Fell Harder for You 💗”

You were so proud. So excited.

But Jungkook’s face as he walked toward you felt... off.

“Were you with any other guys yesterday?”

His voice echoed in your chest.

You blinked.

“What?”

Your smile dropped.

“No. Jungkook… why would you even ask that?”

“Niya said—”

“Niya? You believed Niya over me?”

Your heart clenched. Not from guilt—but from hurt.

“No! I mean… I didn’t believe her. I just—I didn’t want to assume anything. I’m sorry, it just… messed with my head.”

“I waited for you at the park gate. Alone. I didn’t even talk to anyone except the lady selling lemonade. If Niya saw something, it wasn’t me.”

Your voice shook slightly, but you kept your head high.

He looked down, ashamed.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve known better. You’ve never given me a reason to doubt you.”

You took a breath, steadying yourself.

“Jungkook, she doesn’t like me. She never did. And I didn’t say anything for a long time because I didn’t want to come between your friendship. But if she’s trying to make you doubt me… then maybe you need to look at her differently.”

Later that afternoon, you saw Niya standing near the library with two of her friends, laughing and whispering.

Your chest burned.

You walked up, quiet but bold.

“Got a minute, Niya?”

She looked at you with a fake smile.

“Sure, what’s up?”

You gestured for her to step aside.

Once alone, you looked her straight in the eye.

“Why are you lying to Jungkook?”

Her smirk faded.

“Excuse me?”

“You know I wasn’t with any guys yesterday. You’re making things up to cause problems between us. Why?”

Niya crossed her arms.

“Wow. So defensive. Maybe because it’s true?”

“Or maybe because you can’t stand seeing him happy with someone who isn’t you.”

Her smile cracked.

“You’re just some temporary crush. He was mine long before you showed up, and when you’re gone—which you will be—I’ll still be here.”

Your voice dropped to a calm, icy tone.

“You’re not just insecure. You’re cruel. And you’re playing with his heart like it’s a game. But I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

You walked away, leaving her fuming in silence.

That evening, Jungkook lay in bed, your scrapbook in his hands.

He turned the pages—pictures of the rides, your doodled hearts, the soft little note at the back:

“You’re my first, and I want you to be my always.”

His chest tightened with guilt.

Then he remembered the look on Niya’s face when she told him that lie. The way she said it. Too smooth. Too practiced.

And suddenly... he remembered other moments:

The time she "accidentally" spilled coffee near your bag.

The way she rolled her eyes when he complimented you.

The snide comments you always laughed off.

His expression hardened.

“She’s trying to ruin us,” he muttered to himself.

“And I let her plant the seed.”

He picked up his phone and typed.

Jungkook: "Hey... I’m sorry. For even letting her words shake me. It won’t happen again. You mean everything to me."

You: "I know. Thank you for saying it. I just want honesty between us. Not her poison."

Jungkook: "I’ll handle it. No one gets to make you feel like that. Not even her."

Niya thought she could pull you two apart.

But she Underestimated something far stronger than her games—

Jungkook’s love for you.

Now he sees the cracks.

And next… he’ll decide if that friendship is worth keeping at all.

To be continued...