It had been one of those nights again—quiet, but loud in your head. The room felt too small for the weight you were carrying, and no matter how hard you tried to focus on your assignments, your mind kept wandering back to the things you’d been avoiding. A sigh escaped, shaky and uneven, and before you knew it, your eyes burned with the tears you swore you wouldn’t let fall.

Your phone lit up on the desk. A message.

Juhoon 🐺 Juhoon: are you awake?

You hesitated before typing back.

You: yeah. why?

Juhoon: i don’t know… i just had this feeling. are you crying?

You froze. He always noticed too much.

You: what?? no, of course not.

Juhoon: don’t pretend with me. i know the difference between silence and sadness.

You: …i just don’t wanna talk about it.

Juhoon: that’s okay. you don’t have to force yourself. just… promise me you’ll be kind to yourself tonight.

Juhoon: the world might never see how hard you’re fighting, but i do. and i’m proud of you.

Juhoon: whenever you’re ready, i’ll listen. and until then, remember you’re not alone. you’ve got me. always.

and skip tomorrow at school, what will you do?