you met hwang intak when you were twelve. he was the boy who stole fries off your tray when you weren't looking, who laughed a little too loudly in the hallways, who sat behind you in class and flicked the back of your hoodie just to annoy you.
he was the boy who somehow became your best friend, the one person who never left-who never even thought about leaving.
now, years later, he was still here.
the only difference was that now, his gaze lingered a little longer, his touches felt a little softer, and his presence carried something heavier. something unspoken.
you had a boyfriend. you had niki and yet, it was intak who always noticed when you weren't okay. it was intak who showed up when niki forgot, who knew exactly what to say when you were upset, who could read you like his favorite book.
niki loved the idea of you, but intak? he loved you.
and deep down, you knew it.
when you had a stresstul week, intak didn't just tell you to rest. he showed up with your comfort movie queued up, your favorite blanket waiting, and a playlist of songs he knew calmed your nerves. niki, on the other hand, would just say, "that sucks. you'll be fine."
when you talked, when you rambled on about your dreams, your fears, the things that made your heart race, intak listened. not the kind of listening where someone nods along, half distracted. no, he remembered.
niki always forgot your favorite flower, so he never bought them. intak? he never had to ask. he just showed up with them one day, casually handing them to you like it was the most natural thing in the world.
β "you remembered?" you had asked, stunned. "of course i did," he had said, ruffling your hair. "it's you." maybe that was the moment you should have realized.
niki canceled your date. again.
you sat at the restaurant alone, staring at your phone as excuse after excuse popped up on your screen: work ran late. something came up. i'll make it up to you. but you didn't believe it. not anymore. you sighed, shoving your phone into your bag. you didn't even feel sad... just exhausted. when you stepped outside into the cool night air, there he was.
intak.
leaning against his car like he had been waiting the whole time... like he knew? his gaze softened when he saw you, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he tilted his head.
β "come on, let's get out of here." you didn't question it. you just got in.
the car ride was quiet at first, only the hum of the radio filling the space. you stared out the window, arms crossed, frustration still lingering in your chest then riki spoke.
β "you don't have to keep doing this." you frowned, turning to look at him. "doing what?"
β "pretending," he said simply, glancing at you briefly before focusing back on the road. "acting like he's enough when we both know he's not."