You and Haechan had been best friends since you were kids, practically inseparable. He was the type of guy who’d bring you a snack just because he saw it and thought of you, or leave funny notes in your locker with ridiculous doodles that only you two understood. There was nothing you didn’t know about each other…or so you thought. But by the time he hit his teenage years, things started to change.

It began subtly. For one, Haechan had joined the hockey team in high school, which had taken everyone by surprise. He was always a bundle of energy, but hockey turned him into someone more focused, determined—like he had something to prove. And even though you didn’t go to every game, you couldn’t help but notice the way he looked at you when you did show up. Sometimes after a game, his cheeks flushed and hair messy, he’d skate by and shoot you a grin, a little different from his usual teasing smirk.

One Friday night, after he’d invited you to his game, he suggested a movie night at your place to unwind. He showed up with that same hockey bag slung over his shoulder, cheeks still pink from the cold outside. “Hope you don’t mind,” he said, dropping his gear by the door. “Didn’t want to head home first.”

You laughed. “Not at all, hockey star.”

He rolled his eyes, nudging you playfully as he took off his jacket, revealing the team hoodie he’d left on. “Only for you would I show up smelling like an entire locker room.”

You snorted and tossed him a blanket, settling down on the couch as he dropped down next to you. The lights were dim, and you started the movie, trying to ignore how close he was sitting—closer than usual, with his knee pressed up against yours under the blanket.

Haechan stretched his arm along the back of the couch, his fingers brushing over your shoulder like he was testing the waters.