#lara jean and peter kavinsky

[jibbi]

Peter Kavinsky liked Lara Jean before their fake relationship

So, after watching the entire second season of XO Kitty, I felt the need to rewatch To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I was trying to think back to what happened and the plot had completely slipped my mind (shame on me, I know lol). It's so cute and such an iconic, classic teen romcom of my generation...I genuinely don't know how I forgot it.

Anyhow, something I love is that Peter very clearly liked Lara Jean from the very, very beginning. I feel like it can't be considered "feelings that just happened to develop from more time together" trope. It's just the two of them being silly, stupid teenagers who don't pick up on their own feelings from the start and then it further develops from like to love. So, this post is dedicated to this. I love this movie. It's so comforting. I could go on about it for ages lol.

Disclaimer: I have not read any of the books. I have not watched any of the sequels. This post is entirely based off of the original movie.

The idea of the "fake relationship"

Unlike Yuri and Dae, who had a faux relationship due to Yuri being closeted, Dae struggling financially, and Yuri's family wanting a better reputation, Peter thinks a faux relationship with Lara Jean is a good way to make his ex-girlfriend want him back. But, let's seriously think about this. There was no 100% guarantee Gen would try to get him back. Sure, she was jealous that Lara Jean kissed him. BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean she'd try to wreck their relationship to get back with him. She could've just sat there fuming jealously without doing anything or just turn away and move on, knowing they're together.

Not only is there no guarantee, but Peter is committing to months of being seen with Lara Jean and had it in mind to kiss her as a way of being more convincing (yeah, "more convincing" my ass). This leads me to my next point.

Being "convincing"

If Peter didn't like Lara Jean, if he didn't think she was pretty, if he thought she wasn't anything special, he would NOT have thought of this idea in the first place, nor tried to be so convincing that their relationship is real. But, he came up with this crazy idea AND wanted to kiss her to really go in on this faux relationship. No guy who doesn't feel that way about a girl would go all-in the way that he did unless they were the biggest player out there who's incredibly altruistic.

Mind you, they had dates behind the scenes. They agreed to two movie nights right from the start which only they - and Kitty - are going to see, nobody else. Peter also didn't need to take Lara Jean to his friends' party - he could've just said, "She couldn't make it. She had something else going on."

Peter had truly convinced himself that he was doing this all to simply get Gen back and that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Lara Jean, especially since she was less popular and he'd just gotten out of his relationship with Gen. But, again, no normal guy would think of the idea to start a faux relationship and go as far as kissing and going on dates with the fake girlfriend. Hell, his first instinct when Lara Jean said, "Let's do this." was to kiss her passionately in front of all his teammates - Gen nor friends of hers were there to witness.

He got jealous of there being more than one love letter

Peter originally thought she had only written one letter just for him. When Lara Jean explained there was five letters, all for different guys, he got really defensive. He was trying to play it off as nonserious and sarcastic, but we all know it hurt that it wasn't just him. I know it's a shot to the ego, but there's too many other reasons supporting him liking Lara Jean that it more so hurt Peter's feelings than just his ego.

He knows she liked him before

This all started from Lara Jean's old love letters. However, even though it's old, that doesn't necessarily mean Lara Jean stopped liking Peter, despite what she claimed. Feelings can linger or reignite, plus people can have multiple crushes. So 1) Peter didn't consider this, 2) He knew and was secretly hoping it'd turn into a real relationship, or 3) He knew it could be possible but chose to disregard it.

Peter most likely didn't consider it, but we don't know that for sure. It's not talked about (at least in the first movie). So, Peter might have known and secretly hoped without realizing it (or he pushed those feelings down). But, no matter what, he still knew Lara Jean at least used to have feelings for him and still put himself at risk being in a faux relationship with her (although we all know this was no risk for him).

Peter liked her back then, too

Lara Jean's crush on him started with that kiss back in middle school. But notice how Peter also mentions how that kiss was hot for him back in 7th grade. It's clear that Gen just had the confidence to get in a relationship with him and steamroll Lara Jean who didn't have that same confidence to ever confess her feelings to Peter. But, that obviously doesn't mean Peter never liked Lara Jean. He never pushed away from the kiss or thought badly of it.

So, with that being said, Peter definitely had his own lingering feelings for Lara Jean in high school, but just picked to date Gen first. It also doesn't help that Lara Jean isn't a popular kid like Peter and Gen, and she sadly isn't considered "conventionally attractive" by high school standards.

And, in the end, we do learn from Gen that she was intimidated by Lara Jean and that Peter doesn't have as much confidence as most people think he does. That explains it all. I liked that they added that touch in the end. It's nice seeing the "mean girl" own up to her self-projections.

I also wanted to add, Peter didn't make fun of Lara Jean's boots like Gen did. He noticed them and later told Lara Jean that he thought they were cool. Him not siding with Gen just because they were together and actually paying attention to her boots in the first place speaks volumes. If someone picks up on and remembers small details about you, they care about you a lot.

Conclusion

There's way too many signs that Peter liked Lara Jean right from the start, he just didn't realize or care to admit it. I think it's cute that this is how the plot went - made to seem like a "feelings just happened to develop from more time together" trope, but there were definitely feelings there all along. It's a perfect teen romcom and I'll never not enjoy it.

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

#Hot Tub Parallel I Repeat Hot Tub Parallel

[winnie-the-monster]

[moonminho]

to all the boys i've loved before // xo, kitty (s02e02)

[sophia-becketts]

covinsky x mooncovey parallels

[larajeanandpeter]

When am I going to learn to mind my own business? All I ever do is ruin things for myself and for other people. Hey, that is not true.

[adam-scott]

Lara Jean Song Covey & Peter Kavinski in To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) vs. Kitty Song Covey & Min Ho Moon in XO Kitty (2023-) (part 1)

[nsain25]

S2 SPOLIER ALERT ( watch at your own risk !! )

MY MAN IS STILL HAS OBSESSED AS EVER AND I AM SOBBING 😭

[poguelandia]

TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE 2018 | dir. by Susan Johnson

[marie-moreaus]

COVINSKY & MOONCOVEY PARALLELS losing my mind actually btw

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

✌️✌️✌️

[to-all-the-boys]

there is something so hilarious to me about the way peter kavinsky

lets lara jean kiss him completely out of the blue

seeks out her company (see: milkshakes in the diner)

suggests the whole fake dating thing unprompted

goes out of his way for her (see: yakult)

suggests he writers her notes every day and then writes her *actual* notes instead of just pretending/writing something generic

continually finds excuses to keep the scheme going (ski trip)

increases the stakes by involving other people - getting to know her family and introducing her to his own, as well as his friends

goes along with her contract and her various requirements to the scheme, even if they don't particularly serve him (e.g. no kissing rule)

and lara jean still thinks he's completely in love with gen and her crush on him is entirely unrequited. girl????

[trvqvoiisee]

Between Us

Part 3- Love Finds a Way

Part 2- The Almost Moment

Part 1- A Glimpse of More

Y/N stood, brushing crumbs off her jeans. “I should probably get going.”

Minho turned back to her, his hand still on the door where Maddison stood. “You don’t have to leave.”

Maddison looked between them, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the strap of her designer bag. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked, her voice light but pointed.

“No,” Y/N said quickly, grabbing her bag. She didn’t want to deal with Maddison’s subtle jabs or Minho’s obliviousness to them. “I have some reading to catch up on anyway.”

Minho frowned, stepping away from the door. “Y/N—”

But she was already halfway to the door, smiling stiffly at Maddison as she passed. “See you later, Minho.”

She barely made it down the stairs of his apartment building before the tears started.

For the next few days, Y/N kept her distance, burying herself in schoolwork and dodging Minho’s texts. She told herself it was for the best. Whatever feelings she had, they would pass—just like every other fleeting crush she’d had before.

But this didn’t feel fleeting.

Friday night rolled around, and Y/N found herself curled up on her couch with a blanket and a pint of ice cream. The familiar opening chords of a rom-com played in the background, but her heart wasn’t in it.

A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts.

“Coming,” she called, dragging herself off the couch. She swung the door open, only to find Minho standing there, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets.

“Minho?” she asked, startled.

“Hey,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’ve been busy,” she lied, folding her arms over her chest.

“You’ve never been too busy for me before,” he countered, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

Y/N closed the door, leaning against it. “What are you doing here?”

“I had to see you.” His voice was quiet, but there was an urgency to it. “Something’s been off, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Y/N’s throat tightened. “Minho, I’m fine. Really.”

“No, you’re not,” he said, moving closer. “You’ve been pulling away, and I don’t know why. Did I do something?”

She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze.

“Then tell me what’s going on,” he pressed.

The dam broke.

“I’m in love with you, okay?” she blurted, her voice trembling. “And it sucks, because I know you don’t feel the same way. So, yeah, I’ve been avoiding you. Because it hurts to be around you when all I can think about is how much I want us to be more than just friends.”

Minho stared at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, she thought he might laugh or say something to ease the tension. But he didn’t.

Instead, he stepped closer, cupping her face in his hands.

“Y/N,” he said softly, “how could you think I don’t feel the same way?”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“I’ve been in love with you for years,” he admitted, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “But I was too scared to ruin what we had. I didn’t want to lose you.”

She searched his eyes, her heart pounding. “You mean it?”

“Every word.”

And then he kissed her.

It wasn’t like anything she’d imagined—it was better. His lips were warm and soft, and the way he held her made her feel like she was the only person in the world.

When they finally pulled apart, Minho rested his forehead against hers, grinning.

“So,” he said, his voice teasing, “still think I don’t feel the same way?”

Y/N laughed, her heart lighter than it had been in days. “I might need some more convincing.”

“Gladly,” he murmured, kissing her again.

Outside, the city buzzed with life, but inside, in their little corner of the world, everything felt perfect.

For the first time, Y/N realized that their story wasn’t ending—it was just beginning….

An: Like,comment or repost if you want a part 4 also thank you for all the likes on parts 1 & 2 I appreciate it!!

[yalnizligamahkumbirkiz]

🫰💌❤

[larajeanandpeter]

You know, I think he totally likes you still. Whoa, whoa. No. Nope.

[nezziewasadiver]

the nostalgia 💘