#ahn sooho

This was your routine. It had been for months now, ever since you had made it official after one too many late night convenience store runs where he had paid for your strawberry milk and you had teased him about the bruise on his jaw.

"You're quieter than usual today," you said, glancing up at him.

Your voice was soft, the kind that always cut through whatever thought was looping in his head. You wore your uniform skirt a little longer than most girls, blouse tucked neatly, hair falling in loose waves past your shoulders.

Nothing flashy.

Just you.

The girl who waited for him every single day after the final bell, even when he came out with a sleepy face and low mood.

Soo-ho shrugged, flashing you that crooked grin that never quite reached his eyes when he was thinking about trouble. "Just thinking about work later. Boss wants me stacking boxes till nine tonight. Boring stuff." He squeezed your hand. "But I'll walk you all the way home first, like always. Promise."

You bumped your shoulder against his arm. "Good. I was gonna drag you to the convenience Store for those new honey butter chips anyway. You owe me after you ate the last bag yesterday."

He laughed, the sound low and easy. "Yeah, yeah. I'll buy you two bags to make up for it."

You were halfway down the usual backstreet route. It was narrow, lined with parked scooters and carried the faint smell of street food from the corner stall.

That was when Soo-ho's phone buzzed in his pocket. Once. Twice. Then a third time, insistent. He fished it out with his free hand, frowning at the screen.

You watched his face change. It was subtle, but you knew him well enough to catch it. The slight tightening around his eyes. The way his jaw set.

"What is it?" you asked.

He looked at you. You could tell he was deciding how much to say. "Bumseok," he said finally. "Sieun's in trouble. Someone paid some guy to jump him after school. Alley behind the old gym... " He paused. "I don't care."

"But... Sieun... He's going to get hurt."

"My love, why would we care?"

She looked at him with obvious eyes, giving him a light tap on his arm. "Because they're crossing the line... Sieun has never done anything wrong, besides, he promised that he would give me chemistry tutoring."

Sooho looked at her, puzzled. "Are you getting tutoring?"

"Yes... Do you remember the last one... That doesn't matter! I'm telling you that you have to go help Sieun".

Another message made the cell phone vibrate. Sooho rolled his eyes looking at the screen. For a moment, his gaze lit up, looking at you out of the corner of his eye, as if he was thinking about whether to tell you what the message said or not.

"What?"

"Nothing, you're right, my love, come on, let's help our classmate."

He squeezed your hand again, harder this time.

"You stay back when we get there. Behind me the whole time. Promise me."

"I promise."

The old gym alley was a ten minute detour. It was dim even in daylight, flanked by chain link fences and overflowing dumpsters. The kind of place where fights happened and no one called the police.

You had seen places like this before. You had never liked them.

Soo-ho spotted them first. He always did. He had eyes for that kind of thing in a way you did not.

Sieun was backed against the wall. His uniform was rumpled and there was a fresh split on his lip. His breathing was hard but his eyes were sharp. Facing him was a broad shouldered guy. Older. Maybe early twenties.

The kind of guy you paid to throw punches without asking questions.

Soo-ho did not hesitate. He let go of your hand and gently guided you behind a stack of crates. "Stay here," he murmured. "Do not move from this spot."

You nodded. You could not speak. Your throat felt tight.

He stepped forward, his shoulders squared. The easy going mask was gone. In its place was something harder. Something you had seen before but never gotten used to. "Hey," he said to the guy. "Back off. He is not fighting today."

The guy turned, sizing him up. "Who are you, asshole?"

"None of your business," Soo-ho shot back. He was already rolling up his sleeves. Bumseok shot him a grateful nod. Sieun's sharp eyes met his in silent thanks.

Then the fight exploded.

It happened fast. The hired guy swung first, a heavy punch aimed at Sieun's head. Soo-ho intercepted, shoving Sieun aside and taking the blow on his own shoulder. You saw him flinch, but he grinned through it.

That was his way. He countered with a sharp hit to the guy's ribs, then a knee to the thigh that buckled the bigger man's stance.

You watched from behind the crates. Your heart was pounding so hard you could feel it in your ears. You hated this. You hated the sounds of fists on skin and the grunts and the way Soo-ho's face went hard and focused. But you trusted him. You had to trust him. He always came back to you after.

But then the hired guy recovered faster than anyone expected.

He roared and lunged wildly. Not at Sieun or Soo-ho. In a blind arc that clipped the edge of the crates where you were hiding. One of the wooden slats cracked and flew. You tried to dodge, stepping back quickly, but the guy's follow through swing missed its target and connected with your shoulder instead.

The impact spun you around. You hit the ground hard. Pain bloomed across your upper arm and collarbone, sharp and immediate. Your bag spilled open. Your notebooks scattered across the dirty pavement. A small cry escaped your mouth before you could stop it.

Everything froze.

You saw Soo-ho's head snap toward the sound. His eyes locked on you. You were crumpled on the ground, clutching your shoulder, your face twisted in pain. You could feel blood trickling down your cheek from where you had scraped it on the fall.

His face changed. You had never seen that look before. It was fury, yes, but something else too. Something worse.

"You son of a—" His voice cracked.

Then he moved.

You had seen Soo-ho fight before. You had seen him angry before. But this was different. This was something you could not look away from. He hit the guy. There was no more holding back. His fist connected with the man's jaw in a sound that made you wince. Another punch to the gut doubled the guy over. Soo-ho grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall hard enough to rattle the fence.

"You touched my girl?," he ask. His voice was low and shaking. "Answer me, you piece of shit."

Bumseok and Sieun tried to pull him off. You heard Bumseok's voice, urgent and scared. "Soo-ho, enough. He is down."

Soo-ho shrugged them away. He landed two more hits before the guy finally slumped, groaning, blood on his lip.

Only then did Soo-ho drop him.

He spun toward you and dropped to his knees beside you so fast that his scraped knuckles left smears on the ground. His hands hovered over you, afraid to touch but desperate to. His face was pale. His eyes were wide.

"Hey," he said. His voice cracked again. "Hey, look at me. Where does it hurt? I am so sorry. I told you to stay back."

You sat up slowly. Everything hurt. Your shoulder throbbed. Your cheek stung. But you reached for him anyway. Your fingers curled into his uniform jacket. You tried to make your voice normal, even though it came out shaky.

"It is okay. Just my shoulder and my cheek. I did not mean to get in the way. I was trying to move."

His face crumpled. The anger drained out of him and left something raw behind. Something guilty. He cupped your uninjured cheek with one hand, his thumb brushing away a tear you had not even realized had fallen.

"No," he said. "This is on me. I brought you here. I should have made you wait at the corner or something." He swallowed hard. "If he had hit you harder—"

He did not finish the sentence. He pulled you carefully into his chest instead. One arm wrapped around your waist. The other cradled the back of your head like you were made of glass. His heart was hammering against your ear, fast and unsteady.

Sieun stood a respectful distance away. He was wiping blood from his own lip, watching both of you in silence. Bumseok hovered nearby, looking guilty himself. "Soo-ho," he said. "The guy is out. Yeongbin will probably hear about this. But Sieun is safe."

Soo-ho did not look up. "I do not care about Yeongbin right now." His voice was low and fierce. Then, to you, softer: "Can you stand? I will carry you if it hurts too much. We are going home. Screw work. The boss can fire me for all I care."

You shook your head against his chest. The pain was still there, but you did not want to be carried. You did not want to feel helpless. "No carrying. I can walk. Just stay close. And do not blame yourself. You were helping. That is who you are."

He made a sound that was almost a laugh but not quite. It came out wet and humorless. "Yeah, well, my girlfriend getting punched because of it was not part of the plan."

He helped you to your feet carefully. His arm stayed around your waist for support. His free hand brushed your hair back, his eyes scanning your face for more injuries. The small cut on your cheek had stopped bleeding, but it would bruise. So would your shoulder.

"We are stopping at the pharmacy on the way," he said. "Ice pack, bandages, whatever you need." A pause. "And those chips. Extra spicy, like you like."

Bumseok gave a hesitant thumbs up. "I will handle everything from here, thanks. Seriously."

Sieun gave a short nod. That was his version of gratitude. Then he slipped away down the alley. Soo-ho barely acknowledged either of them. His world had narrowed to you.

The walk back was slower than the walk there.

Soo-ho kept his pace matched to yours. His arm never left your waist. Every few steps he would glance down at you, checking your expression, muttering apologies under his breath. "Should have told you to go straight home. Should have handled it alone."

You elbowed him gently with your good arm. "Stop. You are my boyfriend, not my bodyguard twenty four seven." You tilted your head up and gave him a small smile, even though your shoulder ached. "Besides, now I get to say I survived a fight. That is kind of cool, right?"

He groaned, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Not funny. I am never letting you near another alley again. We are taking the long way home from now on. Main roads only."

At the pharmacy, he fussed like a worried parent. He grabbed ice packs and painkillers and antiseptic wipes and a ridiculous cartoon bandage with little stars on it. "For the cut," he said when you raised an eyebrow. "It will make it heal faster or something."

The woman behind the counter raised an eyebrow at his bloody knuckles and your bruised cheek. But she said nothing. Soo-ho paid with a quiet "keep the change" and you both left.

Outside, he made you sit on a low wall. He pressed the ice pack to your shoulder himself, his touch light. "Tell me if it is too cold." His voice had gone soft again. "I am sorry. The second I heard you hit the ground, I- I'm so sorry, baby..."

You leaned into the cold press of the pack. Your eyes were half closed. "I know. And I love that about you. Also, I was the one who asked you to go help Sieun." You reached up with your free hand and traced the fresh bruise forming on his jaw from earlier in the fight. "You got hurt too. We are a team, okay? Even if the team sometimes gets punched."

He chuckled. The sound was warm and relieved. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. Then one to the uninjured side of your cheek. He was careful not to press on the cut. His forehead rested against yours for a long moment. His eyes were closed.

"Team," he said. "Yeah. I like that." A pause. "I love you, you know that? even when you feed me broccoli"

"I love you too," you whispered back. You were smiling now. "Now take me home before I make you buy me three bags of chips."

The rest of the walk was quiet and comfortable.

By the time you reached your door, the sky had deepened to twilight. Streetlights were flickering on one by one. Soo-ho lingered on the step with his hands in his pockets. He had handed you the pharmacy bag already.

"Text me when you are inside," he said. "And if the shoulder swells or anything, call me. I will come back. Work can wait."

You stepped closer and rose on your toes to kiss him properly. It was soft and lingering. "I will. Go to work, just because Bumseok paid you doesn't mean you have the right to skip work"

Sooho was surprised, watching her smile and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Go ahead, baby, I'll pretend I didn't see the messages."

He grinned. It was the full one, the bright one that made his eyes crinkle. "Goodnight."

He waited until the door clicked shut behind you. Then he turned and walked away. His shoulders relaxed for the first time all evening.

Inside, you pressed your back to the door. The ice pack was still clutched to your shoulder. A soft smile played on your lips. You pulled out your phone and typed a quick text.

"Work safe. Love you more than chips. See you tomorrow?".

His reply came almost instantly.

"Always, babe. Sleep good. I love you more than bulgogi".

You laughed quietly in the hallway. Your heart was full despite the ache in your shoulder.

He pulled up to a non-descript apartment building, the kind with long, sterile hallways and identical doors. The delivery was for unit 4B. As he walked down the hall, the sound of his own footsteps was the only thing that broke the silence. He knocked on the door, the knuckles of his hand making a solid, firm sound.

You, on the other side, had just finished a long night of studying. Your textbooks were spread out on the floor, a tangle of Korean vocabulary lists and grammar notes. The knock on the door startled you slightly, a momentary break in the quiet solitude of your new life in Seoul. You were still finding your footing in this city, a stranger in a strange land.

The door opened, and Suho's world came to a halt.

You stood there, framed by the warm glow of your apartment light. Your hair, damp from a recent shower, was a dark contrast against your soft, casual clothes. Your eyes, accustomed to the silence and isolation of your apartment, met his with a look of simple indifference. To Suho, however, they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. The rain-streaked fluorescent hallway and the smell of the night faded away, replaced by the warmth of your presence. He felt an unfamiliar knot form in his chest, a flutter he hadn't experienced before.

He held out the plastic bag, a jumble of fried chicken and condiments. "Uh... your delivery," he managed to stammer, his voice a little rougher than he intended.

You tilted your head slightly, a small frown forming on your lips. The Korean words were still new, often sliding right past your comprehension. "Pardon?" you asked, your voice soft and clear, the accent from your country, Y/C, an unfamiliar but beautiful melody to his ears.

He felt his cheeks heat up, a blush he couldn't control. This was a new and completely unexpected situation. He had never been at a loss for words, but here he was, fumbling like an idiot. He took a breath, slowing down, and repeated the words, "Your delivery. It's here."

You nodded, the frown disappearing as the meaning finally clicked. You reached for your wallet, your fingers brushing against his as you took the bag. The brief contact sent a jolt through him, a strange electric shock that left his skin tingling. He found himself staring at your hands, then at your face, unable to tear his eyes away.

You saw him staring and felt a little awkward. "Thank you," you said, a small, polite smile on your face. You were about to close the door when he spoke again, a sudden, almost desperate question on his lips.

"Where... where are you from?" he asked. The question was unprompted, unprofessional, but he couldn't help himself. He just needed to hear you speak again.

You paused, your hand still on the doorknob. You weren't used to people asking you questions like this in Seoul. "I'm from Y/C," you answered simply, the name of your country feeling like a piece of home you could share. "I'm here for university."

Suho nodded slowly, a genuine, if slightly dazed, smile spreading across his face. "Ah. That's... cool," he said, the word feeling utterly inadequate. He wanted to say more, to ask what you were studying, what you thought of the city, anything to prolong the conversation. But he saw the look in your eyes, the quiet exhaustion, and knew he was keeping you from the rest of your night.

The moment stretched on, a silent space filled with unspoken thoughts and the sound of rain. He knew he had to go. The next delivery was already waiting. He took a final, long look at you, trying to commit every detail of your face to memory. He'd never forget your eyes, your voice, the way the light caught in your hair.

As you finally closed the door, a soft click separating your two worlds, Suho found himself pulling out his phone. He typed your apartment number, 4B, into his notes, a simple act that felt monumental. It was an anchor, a piece of information that tethered him to this moment, to you. He knew he'd be back. He'd make sure of it. His next delivery, and the one after that, would be to unit 4B.

The next morning, the city was washed clean. The rain had passed, leaving behind a crisp, cool air that carried the faint scent of blossoming trees. Suho's usual restless energy felt muted, replaced by a strange, quiet hum that seemed to resonate with the city's new atmosphere. He wasn't thinking about the next delivery or the fight that was brewing in the back alleys. His mind kept replaying the image of a dimly lit hallway and a girl with eyes like a calm sea.

He was sitting in the high school canteen, the usual cacophony of students' chatter and clanging trays a distant noise. Sieun sat across from him, his head buried in a book, a textbook on philosophy, of all things. Beomseok was beside him, picking at his food with a look of quiet contemplation. The two of them were the constants in Suho's life, the anchors in a sea of chaos.

"Hey," Beomseok began, his voice soft, "you're really quiet today. Everything okay?"

Suho just sighed, pushing his food around with his chopsticks. He couldn't bring himself to eat. He was too full of... something he couldn't quite name. Longing? Hope? He didn't know. He just knew he was different.

Sieun, without even looking up from his book, spoke with a dry, sarcastic tone that was uniquely his. "He's probably fallen in love. That's the only thing that could make him this pathetic."

Suho's head snapped up. "It's not pathetic! And I didn't fall in love, not yet anyway," he grumbled, a blush creeping up his neck.

Beomseok gave a small, awkward smile. "So, what happened? You met someone?"

"Last night. On a delivery," Suho said, the words tumbling out like a confession. "She was... she was beautiful, man. Like, really beautiful. The most beautiful person I've ever seen. She was from some other country, here for studies."

Sieun finally lowered his book, a look of mock seriousness on his face. "A foreign girl? Wow, Suho, you're really expanding your horizons. Did you get her number? Or did you just stare at her like a lost puppy?"

Suho scowled at him. "I didn't get her number! She's still learning Korean, I barely even talked to her. And I didn't stare like a lost puppy!" He knew it was a lie, but he had to say it. "I just... I don't know, man. There was just something about her. The way her eyes looked, the way she spoke... It was just her. She was the one."

Beomseok tried to be helpful. "Well, do you know where she lives? Maybe you can find a reason to go back?"

Suho's eyes lit up. "I do! I wrote down her address. I'm going to make sure my next delivery is to her place. I'll even ask for that route if I have to."

Sieun shook his head, a resigned sigh escaping his lips. "He's lost. We've lost him. To some girl he met for five minutes and now he thinks they're destined to be together." He picked up his book again, as if the conversation was too much for him to handle.

Suho ignored him, his gaze distant, seeing not the crowded canteen but a single, brightly lit apartment door. The knot in his chest from last night was back, but this time, it felt less like a knot and more like a hopeful, fluttering warmth. "It's her," he whispered, mostly to himself. "I know it is.”

The phone screen was a constant source of agony, a digital mirror reflecting Suho's growing frustration. For three days, his fingers had automatically refreshed the delivery app, scanning a sea of addresses for just one specific unit number. He was in a group chat with Sieun and Beomseok, his thumb hovering over the keypad, a new complaint forming on his tongue.

[Suho]

Still nothing. Not a single delivery to that apartment complex. It’s like she just vanished or something.

[Sieun]

Maybe she's not ordering in anymore. Or maybe she found a boyfriend and is eating home-cooked meals. Lol.

[Beomseok]

Don't say that, man. She's probably just busy with school. You know how it is.

[Suho]

Yeah, maybe. But I'm starting to think I just imagined the whole thing. The light, her eyes... it all just feels like a dream now.

He was about to put his phone away, a heavy sigh escaping his lips, when a notification flashed on the screen. A new batch of orders. He swiped to open it, his heart not even bothering to quicken its pace. He was prepared for the familiar disappointment. But then, as he scrolled, a line of text seemed to leap out at him, a beacon in the digital darkness.

Unit 4B.

He froze, his breath catching in his throat. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, but the words remained, clear and vibrant. It wasn't a dream. It was real.

[Suho]

GUYS. I FOUND IT. I HAVE HER ADDRESS. IT'S HER!!!

A moment of stunned silence from the group chat, then Sieun's message popped up.

[Sieun]

Don't have a heart attack, Romeo. Go get her.

Suho didn't even bother to reply. He shoved his phone into his pocket, the screen still glowing with his moment of victory. His eyes found the package, a simple brown bag with her name on it, sitting innocently on the counter. He snatched it up, the paper warm against his cold hands, a new kind of energy coursing through him.

The bike roared to life, the sound a powerful, angry growl that matched the rhythm of his beating heart. He sped through the city, but this time, his focus wasn't on getting the deliveries done as quickly as possible. Instead, he found himself meticulously planning his route, a new strategy taking shape in his mind. He would do all the other deliveries first, the ones that didn't matter. He would save hers for last.

Every other drop-off became a stepping stone, a hurdle to clear before he could finally see you again. A burger to an old woman, a pizza to a family, a box of fried chicken to a group of rowdy high schoolers. Each one felt like an eternity, a pointless task standing between him and his goal. With each ring of a doorbell, with each exchange of money and a nod, his anticipation grew. The world outside his little bubble of hope and anxiety seemed to slow down, the city's usual chaos muted and distant.

Finally, the last delivery was made. The last package was gone. All that was left was the bag for you, nestled in his insulated delivery box. He took a deep breath, the cold night air filling his lungs. It was time. He took off again, the city streets a blur of neon and headlights. He found himself at the familiar apartment complex, the same sterile hallway, the same door. He was back where his world had been turned upside down.

He walked to your door, the package held tightly in his hands. He took a moment, staring at the number 4B, to compose himself. He wasn't the fumbling, stuttering delivery boy from three nights ago. He was Ahn Suho, a guy who knew what he wanted and was determined to get it. He knocked, a firm, confident rhythm, and waited. His heart, however, was a frantic drum solo against his ribs.

His confident facade shattered the moment the door clicked open. You were standing there, just as he remembered, just as beautiful. But this time, a soft, small smile touched your lips when you saw him. A flicker of recognition in your eyes. That simple, genuine smile was all it took to turn his carefully constructed composure into dust. The confident Ahn Suho who had meticulously planned his route and rehearsed his lines was gone, replaced by the stuttering boy from three nights ago.

"Hi," you said, your voice a little more familiar now, a little less cautious. "You again."

He held out the bag, the paper rustling in his trembling hands. "Your... your delivery," he managed to say, the words feeling foreign on his tongue.

You chuckled softly, a sound that made his heart skip a beat. "I know. It's the same thing as last time. I guess I have a bad habit of ordering this late." You reached for your wallet, your fingers brushing against his again as you took the bag. The shock was still there, but this time, it was a little sweeter, a little less surprising.

"No, it's fine," he said quickly, the words a messy jumble. "I mean, it's not bad. It's... good."

You looked at him, a genuine look of amusement in your eyes. "Are you okay? You seem a little nervous."

"I'm fine!" he blurted out, then immediately regretted it. He took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. "Sorry. I'm just... tired. Long night."

You nodded, a knowing look on your face. "I get it. I'm trying to finish my assignments, so I'm not sleeping much either. That's why I need the food." You paused, then added, "Thank you, by the way. For the delivery."

The conversation felt a little more natural this time. You weren't a stranger anymore, but not quite a friend either. He was desperate to keep the moment from ending. "So," he started, "how's... how's studying? The Korean, I mean."

"It's hard," you admitted with a small laugh. "The grammar is so confusing. I think my brain is going to melt."

"Yeah, it's pretty tough," he agreed, a small, genuine smile on his face. "But you're doing good. I can understand you."

You beamed at him, a warmth spreading through his chest. "Thank you. That actually means a lot."

The silence returned, but this time it wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, a shared space between two people who were no longer strangers. He knew he had to go, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He had to take the risk. It was now or never.

He took a deep breath, his hands balling into fists inside his pockets. "Hey," he began, his voice a little lower, a little more serious. "I know this is weird, but... would you be willing to give me your number? I could help you with the Korean, or we could just... talk. If you want." The words came out in a rush, a clumsy, honest plea.

You looked at him for a long moment, a gentle, thoughtful look in your eyes. The smile returned, and this time, it was different. It was a little shy, a little hopeful. You reached for your phone, unlocking it and holding it out to him. "I'd like that," you said simply, your voice soft and clear. "I'd like that a lot.”

The next day, the high school canteen was loud and boisterous as usual, but to Ahn Suho, it felt different. The air tasted sweeter, the chatter of students sounded like a celebratory anthem, and even the bland lunch tasted like a gourmet meal. He was practically vibrating with an energy he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

He sat with Beomseok and Sieun, barely touching his food, a wide, goofy grin plastered across his face. He kept pulling out his phone, staring at the new contact he had saved. Y/n. Just her name, but it felt like a whole world.

Sieun, ever the perceptive one, looked at him with a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "What's with you? You look like you just won the lottery."

Suho couldn't contain himself. He practically shouted, "I did! I got her number!"

Beomseok’s face lit up with a genuine smile. "Seriously? That's great, Suho! I told you it would work out."

Suho nodded enthusiastically, a ball of nervous energy. "I know, right? I just... I had to ask. And she said yes! I was so nervous, I almost screwed it up. But she gave it to me." He held up his phone, showing them the contact, as if it were a trophy.

Sieun just shook his head, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "You know, for someone who can take down a whole gang of guys without breaking a sweat, you really crumble when you see a pretty girl."

"It's different!" Suho shot back, not even bothering to be offended. He was too happy. "This is... she's different. I don't know, man. It just feels... right."

Beomseok leaned in, his smile soft and warm. "So, what are you going to do now? Are you going to text her?"

Suho's expression turned serious for a moment. He looked down at his phone, his thumb hovering over her name. "I don't know what to say. 'Hey, it's the delivery guy?' That's lame."

Sieun let out a dramatic sigh. "Okay, let me give you some advice, you clueless romantic. Just say hi. Ask her about her studies. Be yourself. Not this hyper-caffeinated maniac version of yourself."

Suho ignored the jab, his mind already racing. "I could ask her if she needs help with her Korean. We talked about that. Yeah, that's it. It's the perfect excuse." He looked up at them, his eyes sparkling with newfound purpose. "I'm going to text her. Right now."

He put his phone down on the table, a new, determined look on his face. The energy that had been buzzing in his veins settled into a focused resolve. It was a new kind of fight, a new kind of challenge, and he was ready for it.

The lunch tray in front of Suho remained untouched. His focus was entirely on the phone in his hands, his thumb hovering over the conversation with Y/n. He had sent a simple "Hi, it's Suho," and was now waiting with a level of anticipation that was completely out of character.

"Eat something," Sieun said, pushing a piece of meat from his own tray toward Suho's plate. "You're going to pass out from a lack of food and an excess of infatuation."

Suho barely registered the gesture. "I can't," he mumbled, his eyes glued to the screen. "I'm talking to her."

Beomseok smiled. "Did she reply?"

Suho's face lit up as a new message notification popped up.

[Y/N]

Oh, hey! I wasn't sure if you'd text.

"She replied," Suho announced, his voice a breathless whisper. A wide, uncontrollable grin spread across his face as he began typing.

[Suho]

I had to. Just wanted to make sure you were real and not a figment of my imagination.

"Seriously?" said Sieun, shaking his head. "You're going to embarrass yourself before you even get to the first date."

"No way. It's funny. She'll think it's funny." Respond Suho with a smirk on his face, his eyes never leaving his phone.

A moment later, his phone buzzed again.

[Y/N]

Haha, I promise I'm real. Just finished studying, actually. My brain is officially fried.

Suho's eyes widened, a new plan forming in his head. This was his opening.

[Suho]

That's what I figured. I'm no expert, but if you ever want help with Korean, I'm a pretty good tutor. You can get me to help you out if you want.

Sieun groaned. "You're not a tutor. You barely pay attention in class."

"Shhh," Suho hissed, his fingers flying across the keypad. "I can teach her what I know."

[Y/N]

That's so nice of you! I might have to take you up on that sometime. My textbook is a little confusing sometimes. Thanks!

Suho let out a triumphant "Yes!" and finally reached for his chopsticks, taking a large, satisfied bite of food.

"See?" he said to Sieun, his mouth full. "Smooth. It's all about being smooth.”

A few days had passed, filled with a steady stream of text messages that quickly moved from the nervous and awkward to the comfortable and easy. You and Suho had talked about everything from your classes to his job, and the promise of a "study session" had finally turned into a plan. The meeting spot was a small, cozy cafe just a few blocks from your apartment building, a place Suho had never been to before.

He was there early, a large tumbler of iced coffee sitting untouched in front of him. He felt ridiculously out of place, surrounded by students hunched over laptops and soft music playing from unseen speakers. He wasn't in a back alley, he wasn't on his bike, he wasn't in a classroom. He was in a cafe, waiting for you, and his heart was a frantic drum solo against his ribs.

He was just about to text you to ask if you were on your way when the little bell over the door chimed. He looked up, and for the second time in his life, the entire world seemed to blur, leaving only you in sharp focus. You were wearing a simple sweater and jeans, a backpack slung over one shoulder, and the biggest, most genuine smile he had ever seen.

"Hi," you said, walking over to his table. "Sorry I'm a little late. I got caught up with an assignment."

"No, it's fine!" he said, suddenly finding his voice. "I was just... uh, waiting. I'm glad you came."

You sat down across from him, pulling out a heavy Korean textbook and a notepad filled with notes in your language. The scent of your shampoo filled the air around them, and Suho found it hard to focus on anything else.

"Okay," you said, opening the book to a dog-eared page. "So this part here... I just don't understand it at all. The sentence structure is so confusing."

He leaned in, his eyes scanning the page, the words a familiar blur of characters he had learned his entire life without a second thought. But now, with you beside him, they felt new and important. He took a deep breath, trying to be the tutor he had so confidently proclaimed himself to be.

He started explaining, breaking down the grammar rule into simple, understandable pieces. You listened intently, your brow furrowed in concentration. He noticed the way your pen would pause in mid-air as you thought, the way your eyes would light up when something finally clicked. He found himself more engrossed in watching you learn than in the actual lesson itself.

"Oh! I get it!" you suddenly exclaimed, the sound of your voice a triumphant melody. "So it's like this..." You wrote a perfect example sentence in your notebook, the characters a little shaky but correct.

He looked at the sentence, then at your face, a proud smile spreading across his own. "Yeah," he said, his voice soft with genuine admiration. "Exactly like that. You're doing great."

You laughed, a joyful, bright sound that filled the small cafe. "I think you're just a good teacher."

The conversation drifted away from the textbook, moving to small talk and shared laughter. The iced coffee melted into a watery mess, and the pages of your textbook went unread.

The real lesson that day wasn't in grammar or vocabulary. It was in the simple, quiet magic of two people connecting.

The walk back to his bike was colder than the walk to the cafe had been, but Suho barely noticed. The world had gone from a series of routine tasks to a vibrant, living thing, and he felt a part of it in a way he hadn't before. He had spent the entire afternoon with you, the hours melting away as you talked about your life in Y/C. He learned about your family, your traditions, and the small, unique details of a life lived a world away from his.

He was still replaying the sound of your laugh in his head when he unlocked his front door, the small, cramped apartment a stark contrast to the cozy cafe and the endless conversation they'd shared. The fluorescent kitchen light flickered on, and he pulled out his phone. A flurry of notifications from his group chat with Sieun and Beomseok lit up the screen.

[Beomseok]

Hey, where'd you go? You disappeared.

[Sieun]

Did you die on your way to see her? Is this a ghost typing?

[Beomseok]

Suho? Are you okay?

Suho grinned, the tired ache in his muscles forgotten. His fingers flew across the keyboard.

[Suho]

I'm alive. I'm more than alive. We met up. It was perfect.

[Sieun]

And? What happened? Did you talk? Or did you just stare at her like a goldfish?

[Suho]

We talked for hours. She's from y/c y'know. It's so different. She told me about her family and the way things are there.

[Beomseok]

That's amazing, Suho! I'm really happy for you.

[Suho]

I know. She talked about everything. And I just... I kept thinking about how different her life is from mine. I've always just been in this one place, doing the same things. But she comes from somewhere else, with all these different experiences. It's so cool.

[Sieun]

You sound like you've been brainwashed. Did she join a cult?

Suho laughed out loud, the sound echoing in the silent apartment. He ignored Sieun's message, his mind already drifting back to the afternoon. He remembered the way your eyes lit up when you talked about your home, and the way you laughed when he tried to explain some of the strange slang he and his friends used. The difference between your lives wasn't a wall between you; it felt like a bridge. It was new, exciting, and he felt a pull toward you that was stronger than ever.

He sat on his bed, the phone resting on his lap. He wasn't just attracted to you; he was fascinated. He had a million questions he wanted to ask, a thousand things he wanted to know. He realized that this feeling was different from anything he'd ever experienced. It wasn't just about a pretty face or a quick crush. This was about a connection, a window into a world he never knew existed.

The days turned into a blur of text messages, late-night phone calls, and shared moments that solidified the budding connection between you and Suho. He found himself thinking about you constantly—not just as the beautiful girl from the apartment, but as someone who genuinely listened to him, someone who made his world feel a little bigger. His friends, Sieun and Beomseok, were the only ones who truly understood the extent of his newfound happiness. He would talk to them about you constantly, sharing every small detail of your conversations and every laugh you shared.

[Beomseok]

So, did you tell her about the time you almost got hit by a bus trying to save a stray dog?

[Suho]

No, not yet. I don't want her to think I'm crazy. You're the one that almost got hit.

[Sieun]

She probably already thinks you're crazy. You've been talking about her for weeks and we still haven't met her. Are you sure you didn't just make her up in your head?

[Suho]

I didn't make her up! She's real. And you're going to meet her. Today.

Sieun's teasing was a constant, but Suho knew his friends were genuinely happy for him. They had been there for all the boring, lonely days, and now they were there for this. He had made up his mind. It was time to introduce the two most important parts of his life to each other. He was going to introduce you to his best friends, and he was going to introduce his best friends to the girl he had been longing for.

The meeting spot was a small, bustling noodle shop, the air thick with the scent of spices and conversation. Suho arrived first with Sieun and Beomseok, the two of them a familiar, grounding presence on either side of him. He was a nervous wreck, his usual calm demeanor replaced by fidgeting hands and a racing mind. This wasn't just a date; this was a test, a merging of two separate worlds he had kept apart for so long.

"What if you guys don't like her?" he mumbled to Beomseok, his voice tight with anxiety.

Beomseok gave him a reassuring look. "We already like her, Suho. We've heard all about her."

Sieun, ever the silent observer, just watched the restaurant door, a faint smirk on his lips. "Let's hope she's as real as you say she is."

Just then, the bell over the door chimed, and every ounce of Suho's anxiety vanished. You were standing in the doorway, a small, tentative smile on your face as your eyes scanned the room. The bustling noise of the restaurant faded into a distant hum. You were wearing a simple sweater and jeans, a little out of place in the chaotic atmosphere, yet you were the only thing he could see.

Your eyes met his, and the smile on your face brightened, washing away the last of his fears. He stood up, a genuine, relieved grin spreading across his face, and walked over to you.

"Hi," you said softly, a hint of shyness in your voice.

"You're here," he replied, as if he still couldn't quite believe it. He gently took your hand and led you back to the table, his friends watching their every move.

The introductions were a mix of awkwardness and warmth.

"Y/n, this is Sieun," Suho said, gesturing to the silent, observant boy. Sieun gave a brief, almost imperceptible nod, his eyes studying you carefully.

"And this is Beomseok," Suho continued, his hand resting on Beomseok's shoulder. Beomseok offered a wide, kind smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Suho talks about you all the time."

You laughed, the sound putting Suho at ease. "I've heard a lot about you guys too. He made it sound like you're his two best friends."

Suho's heart swelled. He looked from you to his friends, a silent, thankful look passing between them. For a moment, the three most important people in his life were all in one place, their separate worlds finally connected. And it felt exactly as he had always hoped it would.

The initial awkwardness of the introduction quickly melted away, replaced by the easy flow of conversation. You, Sieun, and Beomseok found common ground surprisingly fast. Beomseok, with his gentle nature, was a natural at making you feel comfortable, asking about your studies and life in Korea with genuine curiosity. Sieun, despite his initial standoffishness, proved to be an astute observer, interjecting with a witty comment or a sharp question that made everyone laugh.

Suho, for his part, was content to just watch, a quiet smile on his face. He’d never seen you interact with his friends before, and it was a revelation. Your laughter was a bright, clear sound that filled the small space around their table. You told them stories about your country, and they listened, captivated by a world so different from their own.

"So, you're the reason Suho's been acting like a lovesick puppy for the past month," Sieun finally said, a mischievous grin on his face.

Suho's cheeks flushed, but you just laughed. "Is that what he's been telling you?"

"Something like that," Beomseok chimed in, a fond look in his eyes. "He said you were the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen."

Suho shot them both a glare, but his heart was pounding with a mix of embarrassment and happiness. The words were a testament to the way he felt, and he was glad you could hear them. He found himself looking at you, a silent question in his eyes. You looked back at him, your smile soft and your eyes holding a warmth that made him feel like the only two people in the room.

The afternoon ended as the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the city. They walked you back to your apartment building, the conversation a comfortable, quiet hum. As you stood at your front door, the same one where this all began, Suho found himself struggling for words again.

"Thanks for today," you said, a genuine warmth in your voice. "It was really nice to meet them."

"Yeah," Suho said, his hands in his pockets. "They liked you. A lot."

You smiled, a soft, beautiful expression that made his heart skip a beat. "I liked them too. They're good friends."

You were about to go inside when you turned back to him, a sudden thought crossing your mind. "Hey, do you want to... walk me to school tomorrow? My university is close to your school, right?"

Suho's eyes widened, a rush of pure joy shooting through him. "Yeah," he said, the word coming out a little breathless. "Yeah, I'd like that. A lot."

As you disappeared behind the door, Suho stood there for a long moment, a wide, genuine grin on his face. The cold, lonely nights of deliveries were a thing of the past. A new chapter had begun.

Weeks had blurred into a rhythm of shared walks to school, late-night texts, and quiet study sessions. Suho’s world, once a series of monotonous deliveries and silent classrooms, was now painted with the vibrant colors of your presence. He knew he was in love. The feeling wasn't a sudden storm but a steady, quiet sunrise that filled him with warmth and purpose. The ache to tell you, to put a name to the feeling that consumed him, had become a dull roar he could no longer ignore.

He was sitting with Beomseok and Sieun at their usual lunch table, but his food sat untouched. This time, his quietness wasn't a sign of nervousness, but of a fierce, determined resolve.

"I'm going to tell her," he announced, his voice low but firm.

Sieun looked up from his book, a rare expression of genuine surprise on his face. "Tell her what? That you secretly follow her home and watch her from the shadows?"

Beomseok smiled, a mix of hope and concern in his eyes. "Tell her you like her, you mean?"

Suho nodded, his gaze distant as he thought of you. "No. More than that. I'm going to tell her that... I think I'm in love with her. I can't keep it inside anymore. I feel like I'm going to explode."

Sieun finally closed his book, giving Suho his full attention. "You really are serious, aren't you? After all this time, you're finally going to do it."

"Yeah," Suho said, a new, nervous energy sparking in his veins. "I have to. I have to know if she feels the same. If she doesn't... at least I'll know. But I can't keep pretending."

His friends gave him their silent support—a firm nod from Beomseok, a rare, un-sarcastic look of encouragement from Sieun. They knew what this meant to him.

That same evening, the city was draped in the soft glow of streetlights, the air cool and calm. Suho was on his final delivery of the night, a single, unassuming paper bag in his hands. He had meticulously planned his route, just like that first night, but this time, the order was for you. This delivery was a pretext, a final, necessary ritual before he took the biggest step of his life.

He walked up to your apartment door, the familiar number "4B" a beacon in the quiet hallway. His heart, usually a steady drum, was now a chaotic rhythm of fear and hope. He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, and knocked.

The door opened, and you stood there, a soft, warm light from your apartment framing you. Your eyes widened a little when you saw him, a smile beginning to form on your lips.

"Suho," you said, your voice a soft, beautiful melody. "I wasn't expecting you."

He held out the bag, the words he had planned so carefully catching in his throat. He looked at your face, at the gentle warmth in your eyes, and all his rehearsed lines vanished. He just saw you. The real you.

"Y/n," he began, his voice a little shaky, "I'm not here for a delivery." He put the bag down on the floor, his hands suddenly feeling heavy and useless. He took a step closer, his eyes pleading with yours. "I'm here because... I can't keep doing this. I can't keep pretending I'm just your friend, or your delivery guy, or your study partner."

He took another deep breath, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Y/n, I'm... I'm in love with you.”

A breathless silence hung between you, a heavy, beautiful weight. Suho’s confession had been a raw, unfiltered rush of emotion, and now all he could do was stand there, waiting. The fluorescent light from the hallway seemed to flicker, and the world held its breath.

You looked at him, your eyes wide with surprise, a mix of emotions playing across your face that he couldn't decipher. Fear, hope, confusion—he saw it all. The silence stretched on, and a cold dread began to seep into his bones. He was ready for a fight, for a verbal sparring match, but this silence was a new kind of terror. He braced himself for the worst, for the polite rejection that would shatter the world he had so carefully built with you.

Then, a slow, gentle smile began to form on your lips.

It started small, a shy curve that quickly blossomed into a radiant, genuine expression of pure joy. The tension in the air vanished, replaced by a warmth that was uniquely yours.

"I wasn't expecting that," you said, your voice a soft whisper.

"I know," he managed to say, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry, I just... I had to."

You took a small step forward, closing the distance between you. Your hand reached up, your fingers gently touching his cheek. The contact sent a jolt through him, a powerful, electric shock that he had felt from the very first time you met.

"You don't have to apologize," you said, your eyes shining with a mixture of tears and laughter. "Because I'm in love with you too."

The words were a cascade of light and music, a beautiful sound he had been longing to hear for weeks. The world snapped back into focus, brighter and clearer than ever before. He wasn't just a delivery boy anymore, or a student, or a friend. He was yours. And you were his.

He leaned down, a silent question in his eyes. You nodded, a small, encouraging gesture. He gently closed the final distance between you, and in the soft light of your apartment hallway, he kissed you. It was a kiss that held all the fear, all the longing, all the hope of the past few weeks. It was a new beginning, a quiet promise made in a simple hallway, a promise that had started with a delivery and ended with a confession. The world kept turning, but for Suho, it was finally turning in the right direction.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

You had never been one to spend much time in the dating scene. Maybe the occasional confession from the boys from Byuksan Middle School but none of them had ever caught your eye. You were one of the girls who could be described by the word ‘sweetheart’. Whether it was true or not, the boys at Byuksan Middle School couldn’t care less.

Maybe it was true, your grades weren’t stellar or your piano skills weren’t amazing, but you were amazing enough to have people admire you.

It was around six in the afternoon as you made your way out of school, walking on the designated pavements as you took a step out the school gate. The cold winter air was starting to arrive and you pulled your brown coat closer to your body, hoping it would be enough to keep you warm until you arrived home. Your AirPods were in your ears, a classical song playing. The piano and violin made your steps fast as you walked down the hill from the school to the bus stop. That was, until your AirPods decided to die.

“Shit…” you muttered as you stopped, taking out the case from your pocket and putting your AirPods in them. Instead, you took out wired headphones from your bag pack as you untangled them.

“Oh Mama!”

You looked up in confusion at the exclamation as you saw a boy, definitely around your age, clasping his hand over his mouth with his eyes wide as he looked straight at you from across the street. He was tall, very tall. Had a weird haircut but his face made up for it.

Your eyes went from his hair, eyes, lips then his uniform as the familiar logo caught your eye.

“Byuksan Middle School,” you muttered as you smiled politely at the boy but quickly made your way to the bus stop, knowing the type of guys that roamed in that school.

There was no in between; nerds, delinquents, bully victims and then you have the type where their only weakness is their personal problems.

From the sight of his muscles, he was definitely a delinquent type.

“Not my cup of tea” you muttered to yourself as you put your earbuds in.

────୨ৎ────

Sooho was starstruck. The poor lovesick fool sat in the cafeteria with a big grin. Sieun and Beomseok shared a look as Sieun snapped his fingers in front of the boy’s face.

“Are you sick or possessed?” Sieun said as he sat back in his seat, unapproving.

“If you’re not feeling well, we could just eat in the classroom? Or go to the nurse’s office?”Beomseok suggested as Sooho suddenly slammed his fists on the cafeteria table in determination, causing Beomseok and everyone in the area to flinch from the sudden sound.

“I’m going to find her,” Sooho suddenly stated in resoluteness.

Sieun raised an eyebrow as he said, “Who?”.

Sooho simply gave him a smirk.

────୨ৎ────

Sieun could’ve slapped his friend right then and there. Sooho had dragged the two to the same spot he had seen you the previous day, wanting them to experience the same eye-opening experience.

“I have Math Academy, you idiot. I need to go,” Sieun said as Sooho had a tight grip on his coat still.

“No, you’re not getting it! If you had seen her, you’d be lovestruck too! The way she walked down the hill with the wind in her hair!” Sooho said as he practically had heart eyes, his expression dreamy.

Beomseok had a smile as he said, “Okay, let’s see if she’s here today. Do you remember how she looks like?”.

“Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure I saw her in my dreams last night. Or was it this morning? I can’t remember. Her face is imprinted…” Sooho said as he grasped his hand over where his heart was, his expression desperate, “In my heart”.

Sieun had his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his friend in disgust, “Good Lord”.

“Girls from the school down the street are known for being pretty. Maybe you’re right, she’ll really have us that smitten too” Beomseok spoke, trying to understand Sooho’s behaviour.

“Right on the jackpot my friend!” Sooho said as he gave Beomseok a slap on the back.

It had been well over an hour and Sieun wasn’t happy. The boy had a frown as he kept checking the clock on his phone. Most of the girls from the school down the street had gone home, and it didn’t seem like you were coming anytime soon.

“Sooho, maybe she’s already gone home?” Beomseok said as Sooho desperately paced the pavement with Sieun’s jacket in the grip of his left hand, forcing the boy to pace with him.

“It can’t be. She was going home at the same time yesterday!” Sooho said as he looked like a sad puppy.

“Maybe she had extra classes or club activities, idiot. She might’ve had free time after school and went home already,” Sieun said as he took the opportunity to poke Sooho in the side, causing the taller boy to release his grip on his jacket.

Sieun sighed as he said, “Maybe your little fantasy girl will appear tomorrow. Just get to your job already, you’ll be late”. The boy looked at his phone as he grumbled, “I’m already late to my academy, i’ll get going now”.

Beomseok patted Sooho on the shoulder as he reassured his friend, “Maybe Sieun’s right. She’ll be here tomorrow, I can feel it. I’ll accompany you to work, how about that?”.

────୨ৎ────

“Boss! I’m here!” Sooho sang as he walked into the restaurant and went to the back as he put on his apron.

“Sooho! Help me with these orders!” The boss, a woman in her late fifties said as she prepared the food, placing the raw meat on a tray and handing it to Sooho. “There’s also orders for more soda at table five!”.

“Right away ma’am!” Sooho saluted as he got the meat to tables six, two and ten, before going to the fridge to get the four sodas, holding it to his chest as he walked over and placed it on the table.

“Four sodas,” Sooho said as the customer turned and made eye contact with him.

“Oh Mama”.

His breath was taken away right then and there. The idiot couldn’t believe his eyes. Sieun and Beomseok were right. You had gone home. But now you were here, eating barbecue with your friends, at his workplace. Smiling and giggling with them as you engaged in conversation.

“Oh it’s you” you couldn’t help but say as you recognised him.

“Yes, it’s me” Sooho wiped his hands on his apron as he cleared his throat and stood up straight, puffing up his chest.

The other girls at the table couldn’t help but notice the exchange as you asked, “I saw you and your two friends standing outside the school for an hour. What was that about?”.

Sooho gulped. How was he supposed to explain that he had waited for an entire hour with two of his friends just to catch a glimpse of you? You’d think he was a total creep.

“I wasn’t. I.. had to pick up… my cousin!” Sooho said as he tried to play off the situation. “She’s a student there so I had to pick her up. Can’t let her go home on her own. Dangerous world out there”.

The other girls at the table giggled as you raised an eyebrow and scoffed in disbelief, a smile ghosting your lips, “your friend dragged you away from the school, I’m pretty sure. Picking up your cousin? That’s a new one. Usually they outright admit they were waiting for us and beg us for a date”.

Sooho was as finished as the meat on the grill. You had definitely caught on and knew what he was up to. Sooho cleared his throat as he said, “I have a good explanation, I’m sure. Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you. I mean, you’re so pretty and I wanted to ask you out!”.

Sooho realised what he had said as he looked at you in shock. The girls at the table also stopped as they realised what he said rambled. You looked at him, not saying a word, causing the poor boy to sweat till no tomorrow.

“I mean- Only if you’d want to?” Sooho tried to save the situation.

You looked at the boy from his head to his feet as you took in his appearance.

Tall, good looking, hard worker from the fact he was working a part time job so late at night, seems outgoing, hilarious. No cons so far.

“Are you a delinquent?” You asked him as he instantaneously denied it. “No! What would make you even think that?”.

You shrugged, “You just have the look for it”.

“Tell you what, put your number in,” you said as you handed him your phone. A chorus of ‘ooohs’ sounded from the table as Sooho hastily punched in his numbers, his palms sweaty and feeling as if he’d drop the phone at any second.

He left a missed call before handing you back the phone as he said with a sense of confidence, “I’ll text you”.

Sooho walked off to continue serving customers as you were a little taken aback by his sudden confidence. It was… attractive, and you had to admit it. Your friend elbowed you as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh shut up” you said as you rolled your eyes and ate a piece of meat off the grill.

Later that night, you laid in bed in your pyjamas as you got a text.

“Are you up?”.

You rolled your eyes with a small smile as you rolled onto your front, propping yourself up with your elbows as you typed a response back.

“I am. What are you up to?”.

Sooho sat up on the couch in the staff room of the barbecue place as he thought about it. Would you be flattered by the thought of a guy that worked several jobs? Sooho sighed before typing back a response.

“Resting at work”.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you checked the clock on your phone.

“At two in the morning? What time do you get off work?”.

Sooho immediately typed back.

“Five”.

You sat up in your bed, blanket over your shoulders as you did simple arithmetics.

“So you only rest for an hour before school?”.

That was worrying. A middle schooler barely having enough sleep? How’s his grades then if he doesn’t have time to study?

“Are you gonna have enough sleep for school?” You couldn’t help but ask. It wasn’t usual for someone to have to work multiple jobs at your age. Maybe he was saving up for university?

“I will. You should go to sleep. It’s really late. Can’t have you missing out on your beauty sleep to talk to your Prince Charming ;) “.

Sooho cringed at himself while you laughed to yourself under the comfort of your blankets. This boy was funny.

“I’ll go to sleep then, Prince Charming. Good night” you typed back before setting your phone on your nightstand and turning to face the window.

Sooho leaped from the sofa in the staff room as he cheered, wiggling his butt in excitement as he texted the group chat he had with Sieun and Beomseok.

“She said goodnight!!! Thats the biggest achievement ever!!” Sooho texted as he laid on the sofa again, holding his phone to himself as he smiled.

────୨ৎ────

That was about a month ago. You sat on the plastic chair outside the convenience store as you ate your ice cream cone, Sooho on the opposite side of the table. Sooho kept fidgeting as he stole glances at you. He remembers the first time he ever saw you at the school gate and he couldn’t help but be enamoured by you every single time he stared at you.

“Do I have ice cream on my face?” You asked as you looked at Sooho. Sooho seemed to snap out of it as he sat up in his seat, “No, sorry, just falling inlove”.

Sooho often loved to throw flirty remarks like that throughout the month you had gotten to know him. Constant text messages, phone calls, visits to his workplace and he’d come to every single one of your performances at school. Sooho had been preparing himself to confess in a true-blue Sooho manner, but he couldn’t help but feel like this was the perfect moment.

“You don’t have academy tomorrow, right?” Sooho asked casually as he ate his ice cream cone.

You raised a brow, “No, I don’t. Why?”.

Sooho took a deep breath as he said, “I thought we could get a meal after school. You know, you and me, dressed up… maybe even go to that photo booth you’ve wanted to go so bad”.

“So like a normal dinner we always go to? Or is this… a date?” You asked as you looked at him with those eyes he had fallen inlove with.

“A date” Sooho said confidently as you had a smile on your face.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for you to confess” you chuckled to yourself.

Sooho’s jaw dropped. “You’ve liked me this whole time and wanted me to confess?!”.

“Obviously! Shouldn’t the guy confess? Be a gentleman” You teased as you smiled at him.

Sooho couldn’t help but soften at your smile as he looked away, “Fine, maybe you’re right”. A smile was on his lips as he looked at you from the corner of his eyes.

—————-

Which is exactly why Ahn Su-ho stood out so much.

A quiet sound of disgust slips from you as you glance to your side just in time to catch him waking up, his head lifting abruptly from his desk like he’d been pulled out of a deep sleep. His movements are slow at first, unfocused, one hand coming up to drag lazily across his mouth as he blinks away whatever dream he’d been buried in. It only takes a second for you to notice, though, and your expression twists immediately.

“Ew,” you say, your nose wrinkling in clear judgment. “You were drooling.”

Most people would have reacted, flushed, stammered, at least attempted to defend themselves, but Su-ho doesn’t even look remotely bothered. Instead, his lips curve into something dangerously amused, and he runs his tongue along them in a way that feels less like embarrassment and more like he’s deliberately making it worse just to get a reaction out of you. When he finally looks at you properly, there’s that familiar glint in his eyes, the one that always makes it feel like he’s already one step ahead of whatever you’re about to say.

“I was dreaming about you,” he replies, his voice low and still slightly rough from sleep, as if the statement is the most natural thing in the world.

You narrow your eyes at him, but instead of backing down, you push your chair back and stand, closing the distance between you without hesitation because there’s no way you’re letting him have the last word, not when he’s looking at you like that. The moment you step closer, his attention sharpens almost imperceptibly, like he’s been waiting for you to react, and that faint hint of interest flickers in his expression before settling back into something lazy and teasing.

“Well,” you start, crossing your arms as you stop right in front of him, tilting your chin just enough to hold your ground, “enjoy those dreams, because it’s the closest you’ll ever get to me.”

It’s the kind of line that usually works, the kind that leaves people caught off guard or scrambling for something to say, but Su-ho doesn’t even hesitate. He simply looks at you for a moment, his gaze steady and unreadable, before a quiet laugh slips out of him, low and amused, like he finds the entire situation far more entertaining than he should.

“I sure do,” he says, pushing himself up from his chair in one smooth motion until he’s standing close enough that you’re suddenly very aware of the lack of space between you. His hands slide into his pockets as if he has all the time in the world. “Now stop flirting with me,” he adds, his head tilting slightly as his eyes move over your face with deliberate slowness, “or who knows what I’ll dream about you next.”

Your breath catches before you can stop it, the reaction so brief it almost doesn’t register, but the way his gaze lingers tells you he noticed anyway. Bbefore you can come up with something better to throw back at him, he’s already turning away as if the conversation has run its course, dropping back into his seat without a second glance.

You stare at him for a second longer than you should, your expression twisting into something that tries to pass as annoyance.

“Asshole,” you mutter under your breath, turning away with a small scoff.

-

The voices reach you before you even realize you’ve stopped walking.

“I heard he has the accounts, contracts, and drugs at his house…”

You freeze just outside the classroom door, your hand hovering over the handle as the words settle uneasily in your mind. Drugs? Contracts? What the hell were they talking about? It doesn’t sound like the kind of conversation anyone at school should be having, and yet the low, serious tones inside make it impossible to brush off as a joke. You lean in just slightly, barely daring to breathe as you try to catch more, curiosity pulling you in despite yourself, but before you can make sense of anything else, the door creaks loudly under your hand as you push it open.

Three heads turn toward you instantly.

“Oh—” you start, caught completely off guard, your voice faltering as you straighten up.

“What are you doing eavesdropping, you nosy girl?” Ahn Su-ho says from across the room, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his red and black jacket as if he hasn’t just been discussing something suspicious enough to get all of you in serious trouble.

You huff, more offended than embarrassed, crossing your arms as you step inside. “I’m not a nosy girl, and I wasn’t eavesdropping. I forgot my phone at my desk,” you reply quickly, pointing behind him. “Unlike some people, I actually have things to do.”

His gaze flicks toward where you pointed, and without a word, he turns and walks over to your desk. You watch him pick up your phone, your phone, like it belongs to him now, and the second he turns back around, there it is that small, infuriating smile tugging at his lips as he swings it lightly in his hand on his way back to you, like he’s enjoying this far more than he should.

He stops just close enough to make you aware of it.

“How much did you hear?” he asks, tilting his head slightly, eyes fixed on yours in a way that feels a little too sharp to be casual.

“Almost nothing,” you answer quickly, your tone slipping into something defensive without you meaning it to. “Just… something about drugs…” Your voice trails off as you realize how weak that sounds, and the look on his face makes it obvious he doesn’t believe you for a second.

His lips part like he’s about to say something, but instead he lets out a quiet, amused laugh, the sound low and knowing. “Okay,” he says slowly, like he’s humoring you, “then what were you doing standing outside the door like that?”

You hesitate for half a second before sighing dramatically. “Fine, I heard quite a bit,” you admit, your curiosity taking over again as you lean in just slightly. “So what were you talking about?”

“That’s none of your business,” he replies immediately, the playfulness still there but edged with something firmer now as he holds your phone just out of reach for a second longer than necessary. “Take your phone and leave, and don’t tell anyone what you heard. If you do, I’ll find out.”

“Oh, come on,” you say, your tone softening as you tilt your head, a small smile forming as you try a different approach. “I swear I won’t say anything.” When he doesn’t budge, you add lightly, “And if you don’t tell me, I’ll go to the principal and tell him you were out of class.” You even sway slightly as you say it, feigning innocence in a way that would work on almost anyone else.

Su-ho just sighs.

He glances back at the other two boys for a moment before looking at you again, studying your expression like he’s trying to figure out how serious you are, how far you’d actually go. “If you open your big mouth—”

“I know, I know,” you cut in, rolling your eyes as you reach out and snatch your phone from his hand. “You know how to fight, and you’ll shut me up with your fists.”

That familiar, mischievous smile returns instantly.

“Not with my fists.”

You blink at him once, and then your expression twists in realization. “What an idiot,” you mutter under your breath, brushing past him before he can say anything else, though the faint warmth creeping up your neck betrays you more than you’d like.

You walk straight toward the other two, letting your attention shift away from him as if you haven’t just been caught off guard. “Hey, Sieun!” you say brightly, offering a small smile that’s much softer than anything you’d given Su-ho.

The dark-haired boy beside him looks between the two of you, clearly confused. “You two know each other?”

Yeon Si-eun gives a small, almost reluctant nod. “I sometimes tutor her.”

Su-ho makes a quiet sound behind you, something between surprise and understanding, and when you glance back, his eyebrows are raised slightly as he looks between the two of you. “You two… just the two of you?”

You give him an obvious look. “That’s usually how tutoring works,” you reply, your tone light but pointed. “I’m not very good at math, but it turns out Sieun is more than excellent.”

Sieun glances at you briefly, clearly not used to the attention, but there’s a faint softness in his expression that wasn’t there before. You’ve always been kind to him, patient in a way most people weren’t, and he remembers that.

Su-ho notices too.

He notices the way Sieun, who barely looks at anyone, doesn’t completely avoid your gaze. The way you speak to him differently, softer, like you actually mean it when you compliment him. And he definitely notices the part about the two of you being alone together, more often than he realized.

Something about it sits wrong with him, not enough to say anything, but enough to make his jaw tighten just slightly.

He’d never admit that it bothers him, not out loud, not even to himself.

The conversation shifts after that, the mood growing more serious as they explain what’s been going on, the situation they’ve gotten themselves into, and the plan they’re trying to piece together. You listen carefully, far more involved than any of them expected you to be, and by the time they’re done, it’s clear you’re not just going to walk away and pretend you didn’t hear any of it. Su-ho shuts the idea down immediately, insisting you stay out of it, but you push back just as quickly, unwilling to leave them to deal with something like that alone.

Eventually, the four of you end up leaving the school together, the air outside cooler but no less tense, especially as the reality of what you’re about to do settles in. Su-ho walks slightly ahead at first, his hands in his pockets, but the way his eyes move says he’s already thinking three steps ahead.

“I’m starving,” he mutters under his breath, though his attention is clearly elsewhere, fixed on the situation waiting just a few meters ahead.

He slows down abruptly, subtly pushing the rest of you back a step as his gaze sharpens. “Let me go first.”

“What?” Sieun asks, frowning slightly.

“If he really has everything in his office, we should bring the police,” Su-ho says, his tone more serious now. “Just photos won’t be enough.”

“I’ll call them,” Sieun replies immediately.

“No,” Su-ho shakes his head. “They need to catch him there. I’ll buy time. I’ll go in first and give you the address.”

“Suho, you shouldn’t do that,” you cut in, stepping closer to him without thinking. “I’ll give them the money instead. This is dangerous.” Your voice softens at the end, concern slipping through before you can hide it.

He looks at you then, really looks at you, and that familiar, cocky smile tugs at his lips again, though it’s quieter this time. “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” he says. “What, are you worried about me?”

“You know what I mean, idiot,” you reply, frowning as you lightly punch his arm, the contact instinctive. “This is actually dangerous.”

“I’ll be fine,” he says, and for a moment, the teasing fades, something softer taking its place. “I promise.”

Neither of you seems to notice how close you’ve gotten, how the space between you has disappeared entirely, or how your voices have dropped like you’re sharing something meant only for each other. Your eyes meet, and for a second, everything else fades into the background, the others, the plan, the tension...leaving just the quiet weight of something neither of you is quite ready to name.

You exhale softly, your shoulders dropping as you nod, even though you know you don’t really have a choice.

Su-ho is going to do this anyway, and as much as it frustrates you, as much as it scares you a little there’s a part of you that understands it.

A part of you that, somehow, likes it more than it should.

Even if you’d never admit that out loud.

-

Your chest burns with every breath you drag in, your lungs struggling to keep up with the pace you’ve forced them into as your feet pound relentlessly against the ground. You’ve never run like this before, not for a race, not for fun, but out of pure, unfiltered desperation. The image of him walking away earlier, so sure of himself, so certain nothing would happen, keeps replaying in your mind in a way that makes your stomach twist painfully. You knew he shouldn’t have gone alone, you knew it the moment he said it, and yet you let him, standing there like you had any right to believe his stupid promise that he’d be fine.ç

Keeping up with Yeon Si-eun isn’t hard, not for you. Your body moves easily, your steps quick and controlled despite the urgency, and for once, you’re grateful for every hour you’ve spent training, for every moment you’ve pushed yourself just a little further, because right now, slowing down isn’t an option.

“I think I can hear them,” Si-eun says between breaths, his voice tight as he suddenly changes direction, heading toward the center of the abandoned amusement park.

Your heart drops.

They’re all there.

Too many of them.

And right in the middle of it, exactly where you feared he’d be, Ahn Su-ho is on his knees, tied up alongside Beom-seok, his posture tense even in restraint, his head tilted slightly like he’s already looking for a way out.

“Damn it… are we too late?” you say out loud without even realising, your hands bracing against your knees as you try to steady your breathing, your eyes darting over the scene, calculating, searching for any opening.

“I thought you were a coward,” an older man’s voice cuts through, laced with mockery as he steps forward, his presence loud in a way that immediately makes your skin crawl. His gaze shifts to you, dragging slowly over your figure with a grin that makes your stomach turn. “And who’s this gorgeous doll with you? Your girlfriend? Very pretty.”

Before you can even react, there’s movement behind him, and Su-ho’s voice cuts through the air, low and dangerous in a way you’ve never heard before. “Shut your mouth,” he snaps, struggling violently against the ropes binding him, his jaw clenched tight with anger. “Or I’ll kill you when I get out.”

The man chuckles, clearly entertained, though he gives a small nod like he’s humoring him. He gestures lazily with the knife in his hand, pointing it toward Su-ho. “So he’s your boyfriend,” he says, amusement dripping from every word. “You should thank God a girl like that even looks at you.” his gaze trying to get into Suho's nerves.

Something in your chest tightens, but before the situation can spiral any further, Si-eun steps forward, his voice cutting through the tension with calm precision. “This is over,” he says firmly. “The police are here. They’re going to search your car.”

The shift is immediate. The man’s expression darkens, irritation flashing across his face as he mutters something under his breath before signaling to the others. Within seconds, they begin retreating, heading back toward where their car must be parked, their confidence cracking just enough under the threat.

And just like that, they run.

You don’t waste a second. Both you and Si-eun rush forward, dropping to your knees beside them, your hands already moving to untie the ropes around Su-ho’s wrists. Up close, the damage is clearer, the split in his lip, the faint bruising already forming, and something in you twists uncomfortably at the sight.

“It’s unbelievable that even in situations like this you can’t keep your big mouth shut,” you mutter, your tone sharp in an attempt to mask the lingering worry. He smiles.

And for a moment, it throws you off completely, because there’s something different in it, something softer beneath the usual teasing edge, like he’s seeing something he didn’t expect, seeing you worried about him was something he didn't know he'd like so much.

“Your lip,” you add, your voice lowering slightly as your fingers brush against his wrist while you work the knot loose.

“Even so…” he exhales, his gaze lifting to meet yours, steady and unreadable in a way that makes your breath hitch for just a second. “Just like I promised… I’m fine.”

You sigh, a mix of relief and frustration bubbling up at the same time.

“Anyway,” he continues, that familiar hint of mischief slipping back into his tone, “maybe it was worth it if you help me clean my wounds later.”

It doesn’t sound entirely like a joke, and that catches you off guard just enough that you don’t immediately fire something back. Instead, you push yourself up, brushing your hands off as you extend one toward him.

“I’ll think about it,” you murmur, a small smile tugging at your lips despite everything.

He takes your hand without hesitation, his grip firm as he pulls himself up, though this time, he doesn’t quite have the energy to match your smile.

“Ugh, I’m never going to an amusement park again,” he mutters, letting out a quiet laugh as he rubs at his wrists, trying to shake off the lingering stiffness. For a moment, it almost feels like things might settle.

“They’re back?”

The shift in his tone is immediate, sharp enough to snap your attention forward as the distant sound of sirens grows louder, only to be drowned out by the returning footsteps of the group you thought had left. The older man reappears, a phone in his hand, his expression twisted with irritation and something far more dangerous.

“You kids are really clever,” he spits, before throwing the phone aside in frustration. “Get them. And bring me that brat’s girlfriend.”

Everything happens at once.

Su-ho moves on instinct, stepping in front of you without even thinking, but the second two guys rush him, he’s forced to engage, his focus shifting entirely to the fight in front of him. Leaving you inevitably alone.

For about half a second.

Because the moment someone comes at you, something in you clicks into place, your body reacting before your mind can even catch up. You move easily, naturally, dodging the first hit with a speed that surprises even you, your reflexes sharp and precise as your fist connects solidly with your opponent. There’s no hesitation, no second-guessing, just movement after movement, clean and effective in a way that makes it clear you’ve done this before.

Across the chaos, Su-ho notices, and for the first time since this started he relaxes. Not completely, not enough to let his guard down, but enough to know you’re not someone he has to protect in the way he thought.

The fight doesn’t last long. Between the three of you, it’s over within minutes, the sound of approaching police finally breaking through clearly as the remaining attackers scatter. But even then, it’s not enough. The son of a bitch manages to slip away.

And Si-eun, already moving, takes off after him without hesitation.

You and Su-ho exchange a look, it’s brief, but it’s enough. No words are needed, no explanation, just that same understanding that seems to exist between you whether you like it or not, his hand finds yours before you can even think about it, fingers wrapping around yours with a firmness that leaves no room for argument. (you really were not gonna argue tho)

Suddenly you are running again, together.

-

The hospital didn’t feel the way it usually did.

It wasn’t cold, or distant, or suffocating in that sterile, uncomfortable way that made you want to leave as soon as possible. You stayed.

Even after Yeon Si-eun and Beom-seok left to speak with the police, you didn’t move from your spot near the foot of his bed, your presence quiet but constant.

Su-ho watched you for a moment before breaking the silence. “How do you fight like that?” he asked, his voice calmer now, though there was still curiosity in it. “Where did you learn?”

You let out a small laugh, already expecting the question. Of course he’d ask, there was no way he wouldn’t after what he’d seen.

“Well…” you began, leaning back slightly in the chair, a faint smile forming as you glanced down at your hands. “I have three older brothers.”

That alone said enough.

“Being the youngest, and the only girl, I kind of had to learn how to defend myself,” you continued, your tone light but honest. “And they were always… a little overprotective, so they made sure I could handle myself. They didn’t want me to ever feel weak.”

Su-ho lets out a quiet huff of amusement, shaking his head slightly. “They did a hell of a job,” he mutters. “You almost took that guy apart.”

Before you can respond, the door opens again, and Si-eun steps inside, followed by a girl with black and pink hair. You glance at her briefly, curiosity flickering, but you don’t ask. You don’t need to.

“She came to apologize,” Si-eun explains simply.

The girl gives something that almost looks like a smile “She doesn’t look very sorry,” Su-ho comments flatly. The girl quickly mumbles a quiet, “Sorry,” as if just to get it over with.

The conversation shifts naturally after that, moving to what happened, what would happen next. Si-eun explains things calmly, how Gil-su was arrested, how Beom-seok’s family is already handling everything, and you listen, your attention split between the words and the boy lying just inches away from you.

“Is his family some kind of huge business empire or something?” Su-ho asks with a faint chuckle. “Someone came in offering to cover all my hospital bills. I said no… maybe I shouldn’t have.”

You shake your head immediately, sitting up straighter. “No way. You’re not going to worry about that right now,” you say firmly, your tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re going to rest. I’ll take care of the expenses.”

His head snaps slightly toward you, eyes widening like you’ve just said something completely unreasonable. “What? No. Absolutely not.”

“I’m not asking,” you reply just as quickly, your voice soft but stubborn. “You’re not going back to deliveries right now. You’ll help your grandmother, you’ll recover, and that’s it.”

From the other bed, the girl hums lightly. “You should listen to your girlfriend… it’s sweet.”

“I’m not his—”

But Su-ho cuts you off before you can finish.

The question catches you off guard for more than one reason, and for a second, you’re not even sure what surprises you more, his deflection, or the fact that he didn’t deny what she said. The moment passes quickly, though, and soon enough, Si-eun leaves, the girl settling into silence with her phone, leaving the room quieter again.

You curl slightly into the armchair beside Su-ho’s bed, your own phone in hand, though you’re not really paying attention to it. “You should go home,” he murmurs after a while.

You don’t even look up. “No.” The answer comes too quickly.

You pause, realizing how that sounded, and try to cover it up with a small sigh. “You’ll probably get up and do something stupid if I leave,” you add. “Or annoy the nurses.” He smiles at that soft, knowing.

You’re a terrible liar.

“My pillow’s uncomfortable,” he complains after a moment, his tone shifting into something lighter again.

You roll your eyes but stand anyway. “Wow, I’m your personal assistant now too?”

As you lean over him to adjust the pillow, everything happens too fast. His arm wraps around your waist, pulling you off balance, and suddenly you’re sitting sideways on the bed, on his lap, your breath catching in surprise.

“Su-ho—what are you doing?” you whisper, startled.

“You’re not sleeping on that chair,” he murmurs, his voice quieter now. “Just stay here.”

You should say no, you probably would have, if it were anyone else...but it’s him, and despite everything, you trust him more than you want to admit.

So slowly, almost reluctantly, you nod.

He shifts slightly to make space, pulling the blanket over both of you, his arm settling behind you in a way that keeps you close without forcing it. Your head rests lightly near his shoulder, close enough to hear his breathing, steady and warm.

For a moment, neither of you speaks.

“Thank you,” he says quietly.

You shake your head against him. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do,” he insists softly. “You helped us, you came with me and you didn't leave. You shouldn’t have to.”

You lift your head slightly, just enough to meet his gaze. “Then pay me back by getting better,” you say, your voice softer now. “That’s all I want.”

He looks at you for a long second, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before it settles into something gentler. “…Then let me at least take you out,” he says carefully. “When this is over.”

Your lips curve slightly. “Like a date?”

His usual cocky expression doesn’t return this time. Instead, there’s something quieter, almost shy, as he nods. “We could go to my grandmother’s place to eat,” he adds. “It’s not fancy, but…”

“It sounds like the most perfect date in the entire world” you interrupt softly.

His hand lifts slowly, hesitating just for a second before resting lightly against your cheek, his touch careful, like he’s not entirely sure you won’t pull away.

“Su-ho…” you murmur, barely above a whisper, you don’t finish the sentence. You don’t need to.

He leans in just slightly, closing the small distance between you, and when his lips brush yours, it’s gentle hesitant at first, like he’s giving you time to stop himif you want to.

You don’t, instead, you stay there, letting the moment settle, letting everything that’s been building between you finally fall into place without rushing it, without turning it into one of your usual back-and-forths.

When he pulls back, it’s only by a fraction, his forehead nearly resting against yours.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while, since we first met six years ago” he admits quietly.

Your smile softens. “Took you long enough.”

It slowly turned into a make-out session. You couldn't separate, nor did you want to. Your lips intertwined with a perfect rhythm, and Suho, sometimes, slipped his tongue in, taking things to new heights.

And then a voice cuts through the moment “Am I interrupting something?” you both freeze, Si-eun stands in the doorway, a rare, subtle hint of amusement on his face.

Su-ho glances at him, then back at you, and just like that, that familiar teasing confidence slips back into place.

“Not at all,” he says easily. “I was just kissing my girlfriend.”

Your entire face burns instantly. “Oh my—Su-ho!” you hide your face against his shoulder without thinking, mortified.

She always arrived at the same time. Right after her classes at the downtown classical dance academy. She would drop her things in a corner, isolate herself, plug in her headphones – old, black models, worn at the edges – and begin to dance. Not to rehearse a passage, nor to impress. Just for herself. For the silence she found in movement. To breathe.

Y/N.

Si-eun had known her name for three weeks. He had heard it by chance one day when her teacher had called her on her phone, which had been left on the bench. That day, he had written her name in the margin of his notebook. Like an important fact to remember, like a mathematical data point that should not be forgotten. "Y/N. 5:04 PM. Wednesday."

Since then, he had observed her. Discreetly, without ever disturbing her. He noted the movements she repeated, the music he managed to guess through her headphones, the rhythm of her breathing during the grand jetés. It wasn't a morbid obsession, no. It was a form of study. Si-eun didn't yet understand why he felt this calm watching her dance. So he did what he knew how to do: he analyzed.

Su-ho, on the other hand, was less subtle.

He would sometimes stop between rounds to admire her in the mirror. He said nothing, but his gaze would soften, almost fragile, a rare thing for him. He would pretend to stretch when she passed nearby. And when she briefly looked up to glance around, he would immediately look away with the agility of an actor.

They had never exchanged a word. Not a hello. Not a smile. Nothing. And yet, every Wednesday, tension slowly wove itself into the margins of their days.

Y/N had seen them. Of course, she had seen them.

Si-eun always sitting in the same place, his eyes fixed on his papers – or rather, on her. And Su-ho, who would smile for no reason when Si-eun cast a quick glance at him between two equations. She didn't listen to them, she didn't really dare to. But sometimes, they would touch. Simple gestures – a hand on the shoulder, a brush of fingers while passing a water bottle – but for them, it was almost intimate.

What had struck her wasn't the gesture, it was the permission. Si-eun, the boy with the closed-off air, didn't let anyone approach him. Yet, he never recoiled from Su-ho. And when their eyes met, it was as if the rest of the world faded away.

She found them beautiful. Together. She admired them.

And yet, that Wednesday, everything slightly changed.

5:22 PM.

The wooden platform where she danced had just been waxed by the center's employees. A detail that Y/N hadn't noticed. She wanted to test a sequence: arabesque, pirouette, saut de chat. But as soon as her foot left the ground, she felt the slip. A fraction of a second too long, and her center of gravity betrayed her. She let out a small cry, muffled by her music. No one would have heard her. No one except him.

Su-ho had jumped up without thinking.

For a moment, Y/N saw the ceiling spin, then two strong arms caught her before impact. He had slipped a little too, but he had held on, absorbing the fall, holding her with unexpected gentleness.

She was in his arms. Just for a second.

"You almost broke something," he murmured, almost in a whisper.

She looked at him. Up close, he had soft eyes. A little worried. And he smelled... of sweat, cheap shampoo, and something reassuring.

"Thank you..." she breathed.

He smiled. Not his usual arrogant smile, but a sincere, almost tender one. He helped her up gently.

On the other side of the gymnasium, Si-eun watched them. He had stood up without even realizing it. His notebook had fallen at his feet. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling – relief? Worry? A shiver ran between his shoulder blades, a sort of vertigo.

But it wasn't jealousy. It wasn't anger. It was... something else. A dull vibration. A new feeling.

When Y/N turned briefly towards him, their eyes met. She tilted her head gently, a hint of a greeting, shy but sincere.

He responded with a slight nod, but his eyes remained fixed on her longer than intended.

6:02 PM.

Y/N had sat down again, legs folded against her chest, her headphones still on, but without music this time. She occasionally glanced at the two boys.

They were laughing now, one tapping the other on the shoulder. A natural, fluid complicity. Y/N smiled to herself.

She thought that whether they were together or not, there was something rare between them. A silent loyalty, a light in their gestures. She blushed slightly as she watched them.

Maybe one day, she would dare to really talk to them.

Or maybe they would come to her.

---

An April evening. The air smelled of a light chill and cherry trees that were taking their time.

Y/N had found this corner of the park by chance a month earlier. It was isolated, set back from the too-bright lampposts and children's shouts. Here, the light was yellow, warm, flickering like a nightlight. An old bench creaked beside a patch of cracked asphalt – not the ideal place to dance, but she loved it for its solitude.

That evening, she wasn't alone.

Su-ho had insisted on accompanying her. He hadn't really asked permission; he had said, smiling, "You know, it would be much less dangerous if you had an audience."

And against all odds, Si-eun had followed. Without a word, as always, but his hands in his pockets and his eyes curious.

Y/N wore an oversized sweater, her headphones around her neck, and a slight smile she tried to hide. Su-ho wore his laughter. Si-eun, his silence. The three of them formed a strange tableau, like a poem in three different languages.

She began to dance. Not a strict choreography, but free gestures, guided by the music escaping from her phone placed beside her. The lamppost light drew soft shadows around her. Sometimes her feet would slip a little on the asphalt, but she compensated with the grace of her arms, the undulation of her neck, that natural fluidity she never showed at school.

Su-ho clapped his hands.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, exaggeratedly. "Did you see that, Si-eun? She's floating, seriously. She looks like a spirit!"

She laughed. A real laugh, not discreet. That laugh made Su-ho's eyes widen. He started to imitate her, clumsy, hopping in place, twirling with his arms raised in a chaotic version of her movements.

"Look, I'm doing the same! Bring on your critiques, I'm ready for the Seoul Opera."

Y/N doubled over with laughter, holding her stomach, and Su-ho voluntarily fell to his knees in an absurd bow. She applauded him, her eyes shining.

Si-eun, for his part, didn't speak. He was filming. From the bench, he had taken out his phone without even thinking. He captured the images: Y/N dancing, Y/N laughing, Su-ho twirling and falling, and that warm light on their faces. A rare smile – thin, almost shy – slowly spread across his lips.

He hadn't seen this moment coming. He had come out of curiosity. But at this precise instant, something shifted within him. Like a cloud sliding past a star and revealing it even brighter.

Su-ho stood up, breathing a little heavily, his hands on his hips. Y/N sat down on the bench, between the two of them.

"Are you always like this together?" she asked softly.

Su-ho shrugged, teasingly, "Like what? Talented?"

"Like... close."

The word hung in the air for a moment.

Si-eun turned his head towards her. Su-ho raised an eyebrow, surprised. She lowered her eyes, almost regretting her words.

"You're beautiful, together. I mean... You understand each other without speaking. It's rare."

Su-ho remained silent. Si-eun, for his part, observed Y/N for a long time. He had never thought of their bond in those terms. But he knew it was true. They understood each other. And now, she too seemed to be gently entering this fragile equation.

Later that night, each went home.

***

Y/N, in silence, lay down on her bed. Her hands resting on her stomach. Her heart was beating too fast.

She had wanted to kiss them. Both of them. Tonight, she had felt the urge more strongly than ever. When Su-ho had watched her dance as if she were a miracle. When Si-eun had looked up from his phone and she had seen his smile. A real smile. The thought had flashed through her mind: to place her lips on Su-ho's, then turn her face and do the same with Si-eun.

But she hadn't done it. Because she didn't want to spoil the sweetness. Because she didn't know if what she felt had the right to exist. And a wave of guilt had enveloped her, as beautiful as it was painful.

***

At Su-ho's house, the emotion had hit him like a hook to the heart.

He couldn't stop replaying her laughter. That sound, light and raw, had imprinted itself on him like a song he didn't want to forget. He didn't understand exactly what he was feeling, but it burned. Sweet, pure. He wanted to see her again. Not in a setting, not in a gym, but there, under the stars. Just to make her laugh again. He would have danced a thousand times like an idiot if it could offer him that.

He turned over in his bed, arms behind his head, a silly smile plastered on his face. He didn't need to understand. He just knew he was falling in love.

***

At Si-eun's house, everything was silent.

He was sitting at his desk. His notebook open. His phone placed beside it.

He launched the video.

Y/N was dancing. Su-ho was laughing. And he... was smiling.

He watched again. And again.

Something tightened in his chest. An emotion he knew poorly, but could no longer deny. It was Y/N. What she exuded. That mix of strength and modesty. That soft light, not overwhelming, but persistent. He understood that night that he was falling in love. Slowly, gently. Like falling into a dream he had never dared to imagine.

And it was beautiful. Not painful. Just pure.

He didn't know what it meant for them. For Su-ho, for him. There was no jealousy. Just a strange certainty: he wanted her to be there. To stay in their world. She had found her place, somewhere between their silences, their gestures, their gazes.

Three hearts, suspended in a silent equilibrium.

A girl who danced.

A boy who laughed

Another who wrote.

And love, timid, silent, luminous like a lamppost in a forgotten park.

---

There was something strange since the night in the park. Since the laughter under the lampposts, the dance steps, the stolen smiles in the silence. An invisible thread had stretched between them, not taut with anger, no. Rather with questions.

Su-ho had been the first to say it out loud. They were alone on the high school roof, where they liked to hide from the noise. The wind played in Su-ho's hair, and Si-eun was reading, sitting against the wall. Su-ho stretched and then said, without malice:

"Hey, Si-eun... You like her, huh?"

Silence. Si-eun slowly raised his eyes.

"Y/N."

He didn't need to specify.

Si-eun looked down at his pages, but his fingers had frozen.

"I..."

"It's not an accusation," Su-ho added with a smile. "Because me too."

This time, Si-eun raised his head. Not with anger. But with a dizziness. The world was too vast for their emotions, so recent, so fragile.

"It's... weird," he murmured. "I'm scared."

Su-ho blinked.

"Of what?"

"Of liking her. Of losing her. Of destroying what we have. You and me."

Su-ho burst out laughing, but without mockery.

"Love is so scary. What if she..."

He waved his hands in the air, mimicking an imaginary catastrophe. But in his eyes, there was a poignant tenderness.

"Si-eun... even if we're both in love with her, there's no war between us. There's just us. And her."

There was silence. Then a smile. Small, but real. They didn't yet know how to exist with that truth, but they knew it wasn't going to break them.

...

Y/N, on her side, suffered in silence.

She thought about them every night. About the looks, the gestures, that invisible thread. And she also thought about what she couldn't have. She still believed they were together. And she cursed herself for loving both of them. For wanting their arms, their voices, even their silences.

But she didn't want to be a threat. Not to be the grain of sand in their perfect mechanism. So she stayed. She stayed near them, always shy, but smiling. Her smile was an armor. And a call.

...

That day, she appeared at the high school exit.

Si-eun and Su-ho were leaving together, bags on their backs, looking peaceful. And there, on the sidewalk, she was waiting for them. Standing in her dance academy uniform, her arms loaded with a cardboard box.

"Love is so scary," Su-ho murmured with a mocking smile. "What if she comes to pick you up all excited after school?"

Si-eun gently nudged him on the shoulder, but his gaze didn't leave Y/N.

She was smiling. For nothing. For everything.

"Hi!" she said. "I... I'm selling cakes for my school. For the trip to Busan."

Su-ho scratched the back of his neck.

"Ah. Uh. I'll take... two, then."

He paid, out of politeness, and bit into one immediately. He grimaced.

"It's... different."

Si-eun, silent, took a small shortbread. The taste hit him suddenly: sweet, simple, a little lemony. He took a second one. Then a third.

Y/N lowered her eyes, a little flushed.

"I like to cook. Especially when... I'm thinking of people I like."

They nodded. Nothing more. But the bond tightened.

...

The day after, Y/N came back. She was holding a small kraft paper bag, tied with string.

She ran into Su-ho in the hallway of the sports center.

"Hi. This is for... you. Well. For your boyfriend."

"My... huh?"

"Si-eun. I mean, I think it's adorable. And I wanted to do something for you."

Su-ho stared at her, blinked.

Then burst out laughing. Loudly. So much so that two high school students turned around.

"Wait, wait. You think Si-eun and I are together?"

She blushed, looking flustered.

"Sorry! I... I thought. I mean, the way you look at each other. I was wrong. That's stupid."

He grabbed her hand.

"Come on."

"Where?"

"We're going to clear up a misunderstanding."

...

They arrived in the courtyard. Si-eun was reading, of course. When he saw Su-ho arrive, dragging Y/N by the hand, he closed his book.

"We have a problem," Su-ho said, still laughing. "Our Lover thinks we're a couple."

Si-eun blinked slowly.

Y/N stammered:

"I-I'm so sorry! I just got the impression, the way you look at each other... I was mistaken. It's silly."

Silence. Then Si-eun spoke, for once without hesitation.

"You weren't mistaken. There's a lot of love between us. Just... not the kind you think."

Su-ho added:

"But there's also a lot of love for you. And that's more confusing."

Y/N froze. The bag fell to the ground.

"I..."

"Me too," Si-eun said. "I love you. For a while now. It's scary. But I love you."

Su-ho, arms crossed, nodded.

"Same. I love you. Seriously. And even if it's weird, even if it complicates everything..."

They were looking at her. Both of them. Their eyes full of fire, fear, beauty.

She took a step back.

"But you... both of you..."

"We don't want to make you choose," Su-ho said.

"We don't want to fight," Si-eun completed.

She looked at them for a long time. Then she took a step towards them.

She hugged them. Both of them. An arm around each.

And said, in a breath:

"Me too."

Three heartbeats. Three silences.

And the beginning of a story outside the classic lines. A story where love destroys nothing. Where it simply adds.

Where they learn, together, to love with multiple voices.

---

Their world had shifted silently, like a breeze changing direction. Since that day in the courtyard, they were no longer just three searching for each other, brushing against each other, holding back. They had found each other. Without awkwardness, without grand speeches. Just simple words. And the naked truth: they loved each other.

First Moment: The Rooftop

They often returned to the high school rooftop. It was their refuge. Y/N would sit between the two of them, legs crossed. Su-ho would massage her shoulders when she said she had danced too much. Si-eun would offer her pieces of dark chocolate that he always kept in his pocket. She would grimace each time because it was bitter, but she accepted anyway.

One day, she fell asleep against Su-ho's shoulder, and her hand brushed against Si-eun's. He didn't dare to pull it away. He left it there, just underneath. He watched her sleep for a long time. Su-ho too. They said nothing to each other. But they both knew they were exactly where they wanted to be.

Second Moment: The Storm

One evening, a storm surprised them as they were leaving the sports center. They ran in the rain, laughing like children. Y/N slipped in her ballet flats, and Su-ho hoisted her onto his back without thinking. She shouted, laughed, and hit his shoulder to make him put her down. He refused.

They took refuge in a deserted bus stop. Y/N was shivering. Si-eun took a sweatshirt out of his bag and put it over her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the faint scent of the fabric.

Then, without any of them knowing who had started it, there was a kiss. Light. On her forehead. From Su-ho to her. Then another. On her cheek. From Si-eun. She opened her eyes again, her cheeks pink, and said simply:

"I love the rain."

And they all three laughed.

Third Moment: Small Attentions

Y/N, although shy, loved taking care of them. She prepared bentos that were too pretty, too well-organized, with clumsy handwritten notes.

"Don't forget to drink water. You sweat a lot! (It's cute though.)" was stuck on Su-ho's.

"I put tuna even though I know you don't like it much. But I do. (Sorry.)" on Si-eun's.

They kept all these little papers. Su-ho stuck them in his training notebook. Si-eun slipped them between the pages of his books.

And they returned the favor. One day, she found a pressed rose between two pages of her dance notebook. And a word, scribbled in stiff handwriting:

"You bring beauty to places where I only saw emptiness."

She melted. And sulked the next day because neither of them confessed who had written it.

Fourth Moment: Funny Arguments

Y/N had a strong personality. She would laugh at nothing but sulk at even less. When she dropped a glass and Su-ho said, "Do you have two left hands or what?", she would cross her arms and turn her head.

"It's not me. It's karma."

And Si-eun would raise an eyebrow. She would point at him.

"And you, stop judging me in silence."

He would say nothing but hand her a towel. She would grumble, then eventually smile. And everything would go back to normal.

Fifth Moment: The Day She Kissed Them

They were alone in the dance studio of her academy one Saturday evening. She had the key. She wanted to show them a step she couldn't master.

They had watched her, focused, sweaty, luminous. She fell, again. Then, on the floor, she looked at them, one knee bent, her cheeks pink:

"Can you love me even if I'm not perfect?"

Su-ho knelt down first.

"I love you because you fall. And because you get back up."

Then Si-eun, simply:

"You are perfect for me."

She kissed them. Lightly. One after the other. Without fear. Their hands on her cheeks, her fingers in their hair.

A kiss that asked for nothing. That gave everything.

Sixth Moment: The Festival

At the spring festival, they got lost in the crowd. They eventually found each other near a lantern stand.

They bought one.

Each wrote a word on it:

"Protection." – Su-ho.

"Peace." – Si-eun.

"Us." – Y/N.

And they let it fly away, their hands joined, their eyes raised.

The boys changed.

Su-ho became more tender. Less defensive, more attentive. He was no longer just the protector. He was the man who loved without hesitation, without limit.

Si-eun, for his part, opened up. Slowly. Like a book that had been closed for a long time. He said "I love," "I'm scared," "thank you" more often. And he looked at Y/N as one looks at a miracle they hadn't asked for but thank every day for existing.

And Y/N... Y/N was growing. She laughed. She asserted herself. She danced for them. She loved them with a gentle but deep strength. Without possessiveness. Without fear.

They were three. Not a triangle. But a circle. Closed. Complete.

And under the soft light of their shared days, love also danced.

---

That day, the air was thick, almost heavy with heat, but the silence that reigned around Y/N, Si-eun, and Su-ho seemed to freeze time. The afternoon had begun ordinarily, but very quickly, everything changed. Five boys appeared in their field of vision, and the atmosphere became charged with a palpable tension. Si-eun and Su-ho had already made a name for themselves in the high school, and not for the right reasons. There were people who envied them, and these five were part of that group. But today, it was mainly Si-eun they were after. Why him in particular? Perhaps because of the reputation he carried or the past stories that lingered in the hallways.

As soon as the boys approached, one of them, with a menacing look, sneered:

"You really think you can get away with that, Si-eun? Aren't you ashamed to hide in your friend's shadow? You're just a coward."

There was no immediate response from Si-eun. He didn't want to fall into the trap of confrontation, but the escalation was inevitable. Insults began to rain down, and before they could understand what was happening, a fight broke out.

The boys threw themselves at Si-eun and Su-ho without the slightest hesitation. Su-ho, always so impulsive, plunged into the fray, landing a punch on one of the guys with surprising force. Si-eun, for his part, fought with measured precision, each movement calculated, but his body tense, like a spring ready to break.

Y/N, seeing the escalation of violence, tried to move away so as not to get involved. But she was grabbed by one of the boys, who brutally pulled her into the fight. She struggled, trying to push the assailant away, but in an awkward movement, she lost her balance. The sound of her ankle cracking echoed in her ears. She fell to the ground, tears in her eyes, curling up on herself.

"Y/N!" Su-ho yelled, his heart pounding as he caught sight of her, blocked by two other boys.

Si-eun also reacted quickly, but he couldn't afford to completely turn away from the fight. His gaze darkened when he saw Y/N on the ground, a dull ache settling in his stomach. It was because of them that she was hurt. They hadn't been able to prevent it. Their fight had gotten out of hand.

The boys eventually retreated, not without difficulty. Each of them was injured, but victory was theirs. But as the last gasps of their opponents faded into the wind, a heavy silence fell upon them. Y/N, trembling, held her ankle, trying to get up. Su-ho and Si-eun rushed towards her, their concern clearly visible. But the looks between the two boys were different now. There was a new distance.

A few days passed, and while the three friends usually met at school, a strange void had settled in. Si-eun no longer came to their usual spots. He would slip away, without explanation, without a word. The silence between them had become heavier, more oppressive.

Su-ho was the first to notice. He hadn't seen Si-eun for a week, and it was eating away at him. Every minute without news from him was like a stab in his heart. Why this silence? Why this distance? He felt like something between them, something he couldn't identify, was slowly breaking.

One afternoon, after days of silent frustration, Su-ho couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his phone and sent a message to Si-eun, but the reply was slow in coming. When he finally got a response, it was just a short "I'm fine, don't worry." But the words had no warmth, none of those comforting gestures that Su-ho knew so well from him.

One afternoon, they finally crossed paths on the street. Si-eun approached, his hands in his pockets, his gaze evasive. Su-ho didn't need more to understand that something was wrong. It was as if Si-eun was carrying a heavy burden, a guilt he couldn't share.

"Si-eun... you've been ignoring me for a week," Su-ho said in a tone harsher than he intended. "What's going on? You haven't even bothered to come talk to me. We're supposed to be... we're supposed to be friends."

Si-eun stopped, taken aback. He lowered his eyes, as if every word he had to say was too difficult to pronounce. Then, he sighed, almost imperceptibly, as if he was exhausted by the tension that gripped him.

"I feel guilty, Su-ho," he finally murmured, his voice flat. "It's my fault. Y/N got hurt because of us. We should have avoided all this. But I... I felt... vulnerable. And I put you in that situation. You fought for me. It's because of me. And I don't know how to handle it."

Su-ho, struck by Si-eun's sincerity, remained silent for a moment. But his frustration quickly turned into a pain he hadn't been able to express until now.

"It's not your fault, Si-eun. Do you really think we were going to let you down?! What do you think we are, huh? If you think we're going to walk away because you're in a tough spot, then you don't know me."

He stepped closer to him, his gaze suddenly piercing. The words that followed were simple but hard to hear.

"Did you really think I could abandon you, Si-eun? I feel like I'm losing everything. You're my friend, my brother. And when you pull away like this, when you do this, I feel... lost. It's like I've lost you, and Y/N too, and it's destroying me, you know?"

Si-eun's gaze darkened. He knew Su-ho was right, but a part of him couldn't break free from the guilt that gnawed at him. He wanted to protect the others, to love them, but he felt like he was messing everything up every time.

Y/N, for her part, was at the heart of this torment.

She had followed the whole story without daring to interfere in their tension. She had gradually distanced herself, thinking that she was causing this suffering, thinking that it was because of her that things were becoming so complicated. If Si-eun was withdrawing like this, it was her fault. If Su-ho was so lost, it was because of her. She had done nothing to deserve their pain, but that didn't change anything. She moved away, thinking their lives would be simpler without her.

The days passed in unbearable tension.

Su-ho, prey to his own anger and confusion, and Si-eun, who was fighting his own demons. They kept their distance, like two lost souls in a sea of unspoken words.

And that day, everything exploded.

The argument erupted abruptly, without warning. It wasn't about Y/N, but about the insecurities that gnawed at each of them. What they thought was a simple misunderstanding turned into a painful confrontation.

"Why are you acting like this, Si-eun?! Do you want us to drift apart? Do you want us to get lost?! Why are you like this?"

Su-ho's words hit Si-eun like a slap. He recoiled, as if the shock paralyzed him, his gaze darkening further.

"It's not for you to understand, Su-ho. I've always felt like a burden to you. I don't have the right to... I don't have the right to do this to you. You deserve better. She deserves better."

The words broke in the air, heavy with regret and suffering. Each of them was too fragile to handle love, friendship, and guilt. But there was no turning back.

---

The days that followed the altercation were both long and silent. Yet, something, somewhere, had begun to change.

It was Su-ho first. He had never been one to stand back, and even less to let tensions settle. But this time, he was taking his time. Because he could see that Si-eun wasn't just being evasive. He was hurt. Broken, inside.

And it was in this silence that one gesture made everything shift.

That evening, on the rooftop of the building where they usually met, Si-eun was sitting cross-legged, looking at the city lights, lost in his thoughts. Su-ho joined him without a word, sitting down beside him.

A long moment passed.

Then Si-eun, in a flat voice, murmured:

"I thought you wouldn't come back here."

Su-ho shrugged:

"I didn't feel like waiting any longer. I'm not good with silence."

A small laugh, barely audible, escaped Si-eun's lips. And in an almost clumsy gesture, he gently rested his head on Su-ho's shoulder. A soft silence enveloped them, comfortable this time.

Su-ho didn't move. He didn't say anything either. But his arm wrapped around Si-eun's shoulders, slowly. He held him close. It was a new gesture. Not just from a friend. Not only that.

They didn't talk about love. Not yet. But the bond was there, palpable, warm, and reassuring.

One day, Su-ho said, his voice soft:

"You know, you have the right to need others. I need you. It's not a weakness. It's just... human."

Si-eun looked at him, and for the first time, he didn't try to run away. He nodded silently.

But there was still an open wound. Y/N. And Su-ho wasn't one to leave things hanging for too long.

"You have to talk to her," he said one morning. "You can't keep hiding."

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can. And I'll come with you."

So they went to the conservatory where Y/N took her ballet classes. The atmosphere was calm, hushed. In a large room with mirrored walls, Y/N was dancing, surrounded by little girls in pink tutus. She was graceful, even with a slight limp. Each gesture was precise, gentle, and you could feel the passion in her eyes. She smiled at the children, encouraged them, corrected them with patience.

But when she saw Su-ho and Si-eun through the window, her smile slowly faded. She didn't greet them. She finished the session, then left without a word.

Su-ho scratched the back of his neck:

"Okay... She's not thrilled. We're going to have to do better."

And so he dragged them to a small neighborhood restaurant that all three of them knew. An old place where the smell of stew still hung in the air before you even opened the door.

They sat down. The waiter brought them kimchi, rice, steaming dishes. The silence was heavy, except for Su-ho's stomach, which was growling so loudly that even Y/N let out a twitch of a smile.

But no one spoke. Until Y/N broke.

She slammed her chopsticks down, her throat trembling. And tears sprang forth, brutal.

"You... you both let me down!" she cried between sobs. "You fought, you dragged me into it, and then you disappeared! Si-eun, you just... ignored me!"

Si-eun remained frozen.

She continued, unstoppable:

"And you, Su-ho, you think you can fix everything by forcing me to eat soup?"

Su-ho tried to put a ball of rice in her mouth to appease her. She accepted it between sniffles, chewed slowly, tears streaming down her face.

"I can't take it anymore. I want to break up with you, Si-eun. I don't love you anymore. I... I just want Su-ho, at least he stays!"

Su-ho choked on his own bowl of rice. He coughed, his eyes wide:

"Eat, love. You're starting to talk nonsense."

Y/N hiccuped, swallowed wrong, continued, her nose red:

"I'm tired of broken boys who run away from their responsibilities and make me feel guilty because they have sad eyes! I'm tired of your silences, your Korean drama stares!"

Su-ho tried to give her something to drink. She drank, wiped her cheeks, then started crying again, all while continuing to talk.

"And then why are you both so beautiful, huh? It's not fair! And now you're hugging like in a boy's love?! What am I supposed to do?!"

The waiter arrived, hesitant, placing a plate of fried chicken on the table.

"Not the moment," Su-ho said, politely sending him away.

Y/N grabbed a piece of chicken, bit into it, sobbed harder.

"It's so good... I hate you..."

It was then that Si-eun finally moved. He leaned towards her slowly. He didn't know what to say, so he did what he knew how to do: he looked at her sincerely.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I'm really, truly sorry. I messed up. I wanted to protect everyone by staying away. I thought I was the problem. But I understood. I was just a coward."

She looked at him, her eyes full of tears, her mouth full of rice, kimchi stuck to her cheek.

"You're really stupid," she murmured. "But I love you anyway."

And Su-ho, a piece of tofu balanced on his chopstick, sighed:

"You guys are impossible..."

Then he added with a smile:

"Good thing you have me."

And all three of them, in that small neighborhood eatery, between laughter, tears, food, and mumbled confessions, slowly began to piece their story back together.

---

The days that followed their confrontation saw things slowly settle, but with a new depth. It wasn't like before, when everything was easy and fluid, like a light song you listen to while walking under a summer sky. No, now everything seemed imbued with a greater complexity. A kind of tenderness, of fragility. But also strength. Because somewhere, between the laughter and the silences, something solid had formed. Something that none of the three had anticipated, but that was there, omnipresent, in every gesture, every look.

They often found themselves together. It was no longer just to chat or confide, but to share simple, almost mundane moments. Like that evening, when Y/N, in an excess of generosity, invited them to her house for the weekend. She had assured them that her parents were never there, and so they had prepared for a quiet weekend, just the three of them, laughing and relaxing. But as soon as they crossed the threshold of the house, they understood that Y/N had something else in mind.

The door opened onto a large, silent house. Daylight barely filtered through the thick curtains. They had expected relaxed moments, lounging on the sofa playing games or listening to music. But Y/N greeted them with an innocent smile and a "Oh, I've invited you for such a special weekend! You're going to love it." Immediately after, she gave them a mischievous look.

"I'm going to go relax on the sofa for a bit. You know... I work so hard, I deserve a little rest."

The boys exchanged a look, a little lost. Then, before they could protest, she added:

"If you could do a little cleaning around the house in the meantime... I love you so much for that!" She gave them a sugary smile, one of those smiles that removed any possibility of protest.

And so they found themselves, armed with brooms and cloths, cleaning Y/N's house. The task seemed endless. The living room, the bedrooms, the kitchen, everything was a mess. Su-ho, with his usual sense of humor, said while sweeping the floor:

"Love is so scary, what if she... makes us her servants for the weekend?"

Si-eun turned to him, a tired smile on his lips:

"I think that's exactly what she's done..."

And that was it. The weekend they thought would be idyllic had turned into a series of chores. Every time they finished a task, Y/N would get up from the sofa, her eyes shining, to assign them a new mission. A bit of dust to remove here, a cushion to rearrange there. And between each task, she would shower them with sweet words, sugary nicknames: "My little darlings, my loves, my adorable heroes..." But these words were just a sweet coating to mask the weekend's scam. Y/N rested while they slaved away.

Su-ho, increasingly exasperated, let out a groan.

"Love is so scary, Si-eun. What if she... continues to make us do all her chores? I’m starting to wonder if I’m in a romantic comedy or a horror movie."

Si-eun, wiping his forehead, nodded with a desperate look.

"I think we're in a bit of both. But hey, you know, it could have been worse. She could have made us cook too."

"That would have been the icing on the cake," Su-ho replied, continuing to sweep, looking dramatically exhausted.

Humor allowed them to hold on. But they were clearly realizing they had been tricked. Yet, even in this ridiculous situation, there was something beautiful. They were together, facing this absurd situation, and despite everything, they felt close. Their complicity was growing. Gestures became more tender, gazes longer. Even in the most mundane task, they found themselves connected in a new way.

Finally, evening arrived, and Y/N "woke up" from her restorative sleep. She invited them to sit around the table, dinner ready. This meal was the perfect excuse to "forgive" them for their hard labor. The table was beautifully set, and the food looked absolutely delicious. Y/N, with a triumphant smile, looked at them both and said:

"Well, you've certainly earned this feast. Thank you for your hard work. You're truly angels."

Su-ho collapsed into his chair, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

"You know, Y/N... If you do this every time we come to your place, I'm going to end up being an expert in housework rather than romantic relationships."

Y/N laughed softly, a laugh that instantly warmed the atmosphere.

"I'm so sorry, my littles sweet. I promise tomorrow will be a perfect weekend."

And then, they spent an evening full of laughter, tender teasing, and good food. They had found their rhythm again, like a slightly wobbly but close-knit family, bound by ties stronger than simple chores.

Night fell, and after eating, they prepared for bed. But what awaited them was a little more... intimate. Y/N had invited them to sleep over, and it was clear she wasn't just sharing her bed. The bed was gigantic, but it didn't seem big enough for three. Once they were all lying down, Y/N snuggled against them without hesitation, immediately finding her place between Si-eun and Su-ho, her body brushing against both boys.

The problem was, she didn't really grasp the concept of personal space. She nestled against Si-eun, then, after a moment, turned towards Su-ho, moving a little closer. Neither of them dared to move, content to breathe deeply in the warmth of the night.

Su-ho, a little uncomfortable, murmured:

"Love is so scary, Si-eun. What if she never lets us sleep again?"

Si-eun, slightly tense from the proximity, shrugging, replied:

"I think you're going to have to get used to it."

The boys exchanged a nervous smile. The situation was both strange and sweet. They were so close to each other, but there was still that unspoken question between them. What exactly was this bond that had slowly woven itself, but undeniably linked them?

Then, in the middle of the night, Y/N woke up slightly, leaning over to kiss Si-eun, gently, almost like a wake-up call. The kiss was slow, almost shy. Si-eun didn't move, his eyes half-open, letting it happen. There was no rush, just a quiet tenderness that flowed through their gestures. It was like an attempt to explore this intimate space between them, to tame it.

Su-ho watched them, silent. A discreet smile formed on his lips, but it was neither jealousy nor anger. It was emotion. He watched them, moved by the tenderness of the moment. Then, without a word, he leaned towards them, kissing them in turn. Y/N turned to him, a mischievous glint in her eyes, but there was no drama or conflict. Just a silent love.

"You guys are unbearable," Su-ho murmured, teasing them, his smile widening. "But luckily you have me."

In Y/N's big bed, amidst laughter and shared moments of intimacy, the three young people let themselves be carried away by the sweetness of the night. The boundaries between friendship, love, and everything beyond seemed blurred, but there was no doubt: something intense was weaving itself between them. Something that went far beyond simple labels.

..................................................................................

a calming birdsong chirped outside your apartment room, you hugged your knees, watching as su-ho ate his breakfast. how he ended up in your room is that he showed up to your front door without a warning, explaining that his grandmother and him had an argument.

you let him crash on your bed. he insisted that it is comfier if the two of you slept on the same bed.

“aren’t ya gonna eat that?”

he suddenly spoke, gesturing for your untouched pancakes.

you blinked out of your thoughts before scowling and stabbing a fork on your food. “of course I am.”

“awh, shucks. I’m just kidding.” he let out a chuckle before ruffling your bed hair. you let out a scoff, gently slapping his hand away but a smile could not help but plaster itself on your lips.

“hah! there’s the smile, admit it—you like me!” he claimed, nudging your small shoulder.

your eyes met his playful ones. of course, you like him— no, more than that; you love him. the two of you were the happiest couple before he ended up on a coma and completely forgot about your relationship together.

“so…” su-ho trailed off, swallowing the remaining food in his mouth. “you mentioned before that you had a boyfriend before,” you paused from eating before humming at him to continue. “how was he? was he funny—or I’m funnier?”

you chew on your lip at that, unsure to answer.

“he is funny.” you bluntly said, sipping on your apple juice.

“but I’m funnier.” he nods at himself before clearing his throat for yet another question. “why did you two broke up, though? he sounds like a nice guy… did you cheat?”

you almost choked on your beverage at his last sentences. “you idiot.” he grins, proud to get some reaction out of you.

“so, what is it? you never told me why you guys broke up.” he pressed.

“because we never broke up.” you stated, looking at your half eaten food, already losing your appetite.

su-ho looked at you, mouth agape and brows raised in confusion. “huh? you’re tripping. what happened then?” he turned to fully face you, giving his entire attention to you.

you sighed, placing your plate on the nightstand. “we have a really good relationship together, we barely get into arguments—if we did, it’s always about the most stupid thing ever.” your voice cracked at the memories. “then, one of his friends betrayed him… he was beaten so badly that he ended up on a coma for years. the time he woke up—he couldn’t remember me anymore.”

su-ho stared at you for some minute. the story seems familiar.

his mouth opened to say something, there was a long pause.

then you spoke over him.

“it’s you, su-ho.” you confessed, no beating around the bush. su-ho’s wide eyes met yours, and for the first time—he saw sparks in them. “you’re my ex-boyfriend.” murmured you.

he did not gave you any responses, but he immediately wrapped his arms around you. one hand stroking the back of your head. “y/n, I…” he inhaled your scent, voice muffled as his face is buried on the crook of your neck.

“I had dreams that I forgot the moment I woke up, but now I remember—they were our memories, y/n.” he sniffled. “I thought I’ve gone crazy over my crush on you that you started showing up in my dreams—but it was memories…” he blabbered, the wetness of his tears tickling your neck.

you did not notice the tear sliding down your cheeks as you finally wrapped your arms around him, face on his shoulders as you started to sniffle.

“you’re no fair…” you whispered, voice broken.

he pulled away from the hug, just an inches away from each other. he took time digesting the look on your face before letting out a happy laugh. “god, you’re so cute.” he planted a kiss on your flushed cheek before you slapped his arm, making him wince.

“you should’ve told me earlier about the dreams. I was too shy to tell you everything—I mean; I’m a complete stranger to you the time you opened your eyes.” you scolded before getting off the bed.

“nooo~ come back.” su-ho chuckled before following you out of the room. “so you were shy all these times! you’ve got a little crush on me!”

“shut up!”