You never expected a simple livestream to hit you this hard. Yet here you were, staring at your phone, at the face you once knew better than your own.

Jungkook. The Jungkook who used to call you at 3 a.m. The Jungkook who had come dangerously close to being something more — or maybe he already was, long before either of you admitted it. And then the two of you drifted apart. No fight, no goodbye. Just life, time, silence.

It was his birthday today. You only meant to check in for a minute, but you couldn’t look away. His laugh, the little confused expression he always made — it all felt too familiar. Too close.

And while the stream was still running, something inside you tightened. Your fingers hovered over the screen, hesitant… then moved on their own.

“Happy Birthday, kook.”

A quiet breath. You hit send.

The stream keeps going — until Jungkook suddenly pauses. His eyes flick to the side, as if a private notification just popped up. He stops mid-sentence. Freezes.

There’s the tiniest reaction in his expression, small but unmistakable. Like something just hit him straight in the chest.

The chat is flying, but he doesn’t speak. Just that one moment where you know:

He saw your message.