[ YEONJUN'S POV ]

"fuck, my head." i awoke to the piercing rays of sunlight that seemed to stab at my temples. the throbbing ache in my head intensified as i tried to make sense of my surroundings. blinking against the brightness, i gradually became aware of the softness beneath me and the comforting weight of a blanket.

i groaned, feeling the aftermath of a night filled with a bit too much beer. "i drank too much again." i quickly looked around hazily, realizing i wasn't on my bed but rather found myself sprawled out on the couch with a blanket on me.

grudgingly, i forced myself up. memories of the previous night were elusive, a hazy fog lingering over my mind. i could vaguely recall the laughter. i glanced at the digital clock, the numbers 12:03PM slowly became unblurry. as i rubbed my temples, trying to summon more coherent thoughts, the doorbell echoed throughout the apartment.

i winced at the sudden noise, head throbbing in protest. dragging myself off the couch, i stumbled towards the door. i swear my hair and attire was disheveled. opening it, y/n stood there, holding a steaming bowl of soup.

"morning... or afternoon," y/n grinned, holding the bowl a bit higher. the smell wafted through the air, into my nose. "figured this might help."

"you didn't have to," i mumbled. "but thank you."

"it's alright. it's the least i can do for a friend."

there was a moment of silence until y/n spoke, "so how do you feel?"

"like shit."

the girl burst into laughter. "you're quite a drinker."

"sorry," i sighed with a chuckled. "was i hard to manage? did i blabber stupidly? sorry if i was difficult..." i apologized, finally looking into the gentle eyes of y/n's. for a moment, i saw how she stiffened and her lips parted, "difficult is an exaggeration. you just fell asleep."

"really?" y/n simply nodded with a small smile. "you should go freshen up. drink the soup while it's still warm, okay? rest well. i might come see you again later."

closing the door behind her, i felt the full force of the hangover hitting me. the sunlight streaming through the windows intensified the throbbing in my head. in haste, i made my way to the bathroom, hoping the cold water would bring some relief. as I splashed my face, the memories of last night's blurry escapade started to resurface and like a lightning bolt, a vivid memory struck me.

"oh and that girl was a headache! it was so hard for me to bring them together but alas, i made them date and they were so cute together! they're getting ready to marry soon."  y/n was in the midst of telling me something regarding her friend and his lover. i think that was what she was telling me. she kept rambling. it went from her telling me something about her helping out a relationship, to her travelling countries to saying i'm drunk. i don't know. i think that's what's happening.

in my intoxicated state, her words blended into a soft melody. i drunkenly glanced at her lips that moved non stop as she was talking. they looked... kissable. lines between reality and illusion blurred as the alcohol in me painted a vivid mirage. in that moment, the girl in front of me was no longer y/n but the love of my live. she became hari, my ex.

my hari is back.

"hari?" i slurred. a drunken smile formed on my lips as i staggered forward. hari smiled at me. a wave of past emotion flooded me as i embraced her. "i... i've missed you so much." i mumbled, the words heavy with the raw emotion that lingered beneath the surface. the room seemed to spin but i held onto hari as if she was a lifeline i lost to the world.

i clung to my girlfriend. in that embrace, the pain of missing hari manifested, and tears welled up, streaming down my face. "yeonjun?" hari whispered. i could ever so clearly hear the surprise and shock in her voice. i smiled lazily.

in the haze of intoxication and longing, the line between reality and illusion blurred further. a fleeting thought that this couldn't be real flashed through my mind, and i paused, my lips hovering right above hari's.

the weight of the moment hung in the air—a kiss, a bridge between what was and what could be. but reality crashed back, and i withdrew, my voice a whisper. "this... this feels unreal."

hari flickered and y/n appeared instead. i glanced at her lips, "this isn't hari's lips..." i backed off, groaning. i leaned against the couch and closed my eyes. "you okay, yeonjun?" was that hari or y/n?  i couldn't tell. i hear hari but my soul tells me it's y/n.

"you should rest." hari told me. no. that was y/n. hari is no longer in my life.

the cold water from the tap ran over my face again, a feeble attempt to wash away the shame that clung to me like a second skin. staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, the image seemed to mock my lapse in judgment. how could i have mistaken y/n  for my ex girlfriend?

grumbling to myself, i trudged back to the living room, the hangover persisting like an unwelcome companion. the soup y/n had prepared sat on the coffee table. the warmth it exuded clashed sharply with the embarrassment that loomed large in my mind.

seating myself on the couch, i mechanically picked up the spoon and dipped it into the soup. each mouthful felt heavy yet tasty. my eyes widened at how good it tasted, mouth kinda watering. the hangover intensified my discomfort, the throbbing in my head keeping pace with the relentless replay of events.

as i mechanically chewed and swallowed, my mind continued to dwell on the almost-kiss. the spoon clinked against the bowl. lost in my thoughts, i grumbled with each bite, the echoes of the previous night's embarrassment haunting me. what must y/n think of me now?

finishing the soup, i set the empty bowl aside, a sigh escaping me as if releasing some of the pent-up tension. leaning back on the couch, i closed my eyes, hoping to escape both the physical and emotional throbbing. the room felt emptier now. i mean, it had always been empty. but, it's been a long time since i had someone over. it's been a long time since i had a little fun.

"i messed up big time all because of me." i gritted. "still so foolish over hari and now i'm seeing everything as her. stupid."

[ Y/N'S POV ]
(the previous night)

"your alcohol intake worries me," i murmured. yeonjun who was tipsy slurred incomprehensible words, making me chuckle. following his actions, i had leaned my head against the couch and rested my head. "can i take the last chicken?" i asked.

"hari."

huh?

the atmosphere changed abruptly. the way yeonjun stared at me also was different. my cupid instincts grew as his raw emotions slapped me.

the image of his ex lover flickered in my mind.

he told me he had missed me— his ex, i mean. he held onto me like i was a delicate petal, his warm hands around me like a vine. soon, tears watered on me. it stained my shirt. i could only softly call him out, needing to wake him up so he knows that i am not his ex girlfriend.

but his delusions were winning.

i could tell that the tone in my words that i delivered to him were something sweet to his ears.

before i could utter out another word, yeonjun's lips were right above me. they were 5 centimeters away.

yes, i measured.

surprise caught me as i rooted frozen to the floor. one wrong move and his lips could latch itself onto mine. my breath hitched as i glanced at his lips then to his eyes. you're drunk. don't do something you will regret, my eyes spoke to his own drunk ones.

thankfully, his actions had hesitance. "this... this feels unreal." he backed off himself and i let out a sigh of relief. he whispered to himself, "this isn't hari's lips..."

"you okay?" i asked. yeonjun who was tipsy nodded after knocking his head. before i could remark more, his eyes fluttered shut and faint snores left him. amused, i shook my head and stood up. using the strength in me, i dragged his body up, laying him properly before i pulled his legs up. i strolled into his room, grabbing a blanket and laid it on the sleeping boy before cleaning up the mess. it took me 5 minutes probably, though my mind was clouded by the fact that i was almost kissed.

i'm a cupid. i make people kiss, not to be kissed.