You were used to it by now — being the quiet one. You had friends, plenty of them, but when you all went out it was never you who got the looks. It didn’t matter that you were softer, prettier in ways even mirrors admitted; somehow people always saw them. And you’d gotten used to slipping into the background, letting their laughter fill the space while you sipped your drink and went unnoticed.

That’s why you rarely went out at all. Your bed, your books, your playlists — they were safer company. But tonight your friends begged and begged, promising it would be fun, sliding a fake ID into your hand with a grin. You sighed, gave in, and followed them into the noise of a bar that wasn’t built for someone like you.

It was chaos inside. Music throbbed against your chest, lights flashed too quickly, and laughter came in waves. You stuck close to your friends, gripping your glass of water like it anchored you. But soon enough, they drifted, pulled away by grins from strangers and the promise of attention. They thrived here. You did not.

No one looked at you. Not once. Not even a curious glance. It was always them — your friends with their loud voices, short dresses, and easy confidence. You sat down at a small table, alone, your straw bobbing in your glass as you exhaled a tired sigh.

This was pointless. You pushed your chair back, deciding to leave, when a shadow stepped into your path.

That’s when you saw him.

He stepped into your path like the moment had been waiting for him. Jungkook. Broad shoulders, dark hair falling just above his eyes, and a presence so magnetic it made the rest of the bar blur into background. But when he looked at you, it wasn’t the sharp, hungry gaze you were used to seeing from strangers toward your friends. His eyes softened instantly, like they’d been searching for you all along.

“Going already?” His voice was warm, gentle enough to cut through the noise without forcing it aside.

You froze, caught between surprise and disbelief. People didn’t stop you. People didn’t see you.

But he did.

Jungkook tilted his head slightly, studying you like there was something about you the rest of the room had missed. Then, his lips curved into a small, almost shy smile. “I’m glad I caught you before you left,” he said softly. “I was worried I’d let you slip away without saying something.”

The world kept spinning around you — music, laughter, clinking glasses — but it felt distant now, muffled. His presence was steady, grounding, like the noise couldn’t touch you anymore.

And for the first time, you weren’t invisible.

Jungkook saw you. Only you.