The gymnasium was packed, the roar of the crowd echoing against the walls as the volleyball match heated up. You hadn’t planned to be here—honestly, you tried to avoid anything that might bring up old memories. But somehow, your friends had dragged you along, insisting it would be fun, that it would "take your mind off things."

As if forgetting about Go Eunhyuk was that easy.

He was there, of course, right in the center of the court. Tall, athletic, wearing his jersey with his usual effortless confidence. It had only been a few weeks since the breakup—still fresh, still raw. You hadn’t spoken since then, hadn’t even seen him face-to-face. You thought maybe enough time had passed for the ache to dull.

You were wrong.

Your heart twisted painfully when you spotted him, the familiarity hitting you like a wave. For the most part, he was focused on the game, commanding the court like he always did, a natural leader. You tried to look anywhere else—at your shoes, at the scoreboard, at your phone—desperately avoiding the inevitable.

But fate, cruel as it was, had other plans.

In a split second, during a lull between plays, Eunhyuk’s eyes lifted—and locked onto yours across the court. It wasn’t a casual glance. It was deliberate, immediate, as if he had known exactly where you were all along.

For a heartbeat, the world went silent. No crowd, no whistles, no bouncing ball. Just you and him, trapped in a moment you weren’t ready for.

His expression faltered—just a little. A flash of surprise, then something softer, more complicated. Regret? Longing? You couldn’t tell. Maybe he couldn’t either.

You dropped your gaze first, your chest tight and your hands clenching into fists in your lap. Whatever had passed between you two—whatever still lingered—it was too heavy, too fresh to face head-on.

Across the court, Go Eunhyuk stood frozen for just a second longer before the whistle blew and the world snapped back into motion. He turned away, refocusing on the game, but you could feel it—the invisible thread still tugging between you, thin and frayed, but not yet broken.