"Before You Go" | Bae x Male Reader

The late afternoon sun poured golden light into the classroom, painting the old wooden desks and faded blackboard in honey tones. A soft breeze carried the scent of sakura petals through the open windows.

Your heart pounded as you stood near the front of the room, one hand nervously ruffling your dark hair.

“Hey, everyone,” you said with voice tight.

Your classmates looked up from their chatter. Conversations stalled; laughter faded. Twenty sets of curious eyes settled on you.

“I… I’ve got something to tell you,” You continued, forcing a smile. “My family's gonna take me. To the States. And... I'll be studying there starting next week.”

For a second, the room was dead quiet. Then—

“What?!”

“No way!”

“Dude, seriously?!”

Shock rippled through the room. You laughed softly, the sound slightly hollow.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “It’s been decided for a while. I didn’t know how to tell you all.”

A flood of voices followed.

“Man, we’re gonna miss you.”

“Ayo, promise you’ll keep in touch!”

 “Who’s going to carry the soccer team now?!”

They swarmed him, clapping his back, pulling him into hugs, already begging for photos and contact info. You smiled through it all, a strange knot tightening in his chest. He didn’t realize leaving would feel like this.

But his eyes kept drifting toward the corner of the room — to Bae.

She stood leaning against the wall, arms folded, her chestnut hair catching the sunlight. Her expression was unreadable, lips set in a line. As the others surrounded You, she turned slightly away.

“Hmph,” she muttered, loud enough for you to hear. “Good riddance.”

Your lips twitched. Typical Bae, you thought.

They’d danced this dance for years — her sharp tongue, his easygoing smiles, a pattern neither dared break. But under her scolding and eye-rolls, you had seen something fragile, something unspoken. And now, time was running out.

That night, you sat cross-legged on your bed, phone in hand, thumb hovering over her contact.

You stared at the blinking cursor in the chat box.

Your finger hovered.

Then, in a burst of breath, you typed:

Hey… can you come over tonight? There’s something I want to tell you before I leave.

You hit send before you could chicken out.

Bae lay on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest, phone on her stomach. The message lit up her screen, sending her heart into a wild sprint.

She sat up abruptly.

“Tch… this idiot really had to disturb me in the middle of the night,” she whispered under her breath, cheeks flushing. She glanced at the mirror, frowned at her reflection, ran a hand through her hair.

Why was she even hesitating?

With a frustrated growl, she snatched up her coat and stormed out of the house.

The living room was dim, the only light coming from the soft flicker of the TV. You sat at one end of the couch, elbows on your knees, fingers laced tightly. Bae perched stiffly at the other end, knees drawn close, arms wrapped tightly around herself. The air between them was thick with unspoken words.

“Thanks for coming,” You said quietly, his voice rough at the edges.

Bae gave a tiny shrug, staring hard at the floor. “Whatever. You said you had something to say, so… say it. Don’t you dare waste my time and effort going in here just for your silliness.”

You drew in a long breath, chest rising and falling, eyes flicking to her face — to the curve of her lashes, the stubborn set of her mouth, the faint flush in her cheeks.

“I’ve been watching you,” you murmured.

Bae’s brow shot up. “The hell? That’s creepy,” she snapped, though her voice trembled slightly.

You laughed under your breath, shaking your head. “No, sorry. I don’t mean like that. I mean… all this time. I noticed.”

She shifted, arms crossing even tighter over her chest. “Noticed what?”

“The way you always left a bottle of water by my desk after practice, pretending you ‘just had extra.’ The way you’d nag me about studying, pretending you didn’t care. The way you were always there at games, yelling at me to ‘try harder, idiot’ from the back of the crowd.”

Her cheeks flamed deep red. “W-well someone had to keep you from flunking or falling on your face.”

Your smile turned gentle, wistful. “You were always there for me, even when you were pretending not to be. And… I loved that about you. I wanted you to come here tonight, just us together, for you to hear it from me that… I love you, Bae.”

The words fell between them like a stone dropped into still water.

Bae’s breath hitched audibly. Her mouth opened, then closed again. Her fists clenched in her lap.

“Why… why now?” she whispered. Her voice cracked on the last word, and she shot to her feet, trembling. “You… you idiot!” She pounded a weak fist against your shoulder. “You can’t just say something like that and leave!”

Her fists hit your chest again, and again. “Why… why didn’t you say anything before?! Why didn’t I…?” Her voice broke into a quiet sob.

You gently caught her wrists, pulling her toward him. Your arms closed around her, uncertain at first, then tightening as she sagged against you, burying her face in your shoulder.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then Bae’s voice came, muffled, raw.

“I hated you,” she whispered. “I hated you so much, YN.”

You froze — but her fingers fisted in the fabric of your shirt.

“I hated you for making me feel this way. From the beginning, you’ve always saw me different and you got me on that. For always smiling at me like I was just your annoying classmate. For not noticing how hard it was for me to pretend I didn’t care.” She hiccupped softly, shoulders shaking. “I hated knowing you were leaving and the fear of the thought that I’d never—never get to tell you that I…” Her voice cracked again.

Your hand slid up, fingers tangling gently in her hair.

“I love you,” she whispered, fierce and trembling. “I love you, you idiot. I’ve always loved you. And I was too scared to say it, but now I had to because… realizing that I may never be able to let you know because you’ll be gone would bring me down.”