heeseung was the kind of boy everyone liked.

bright smile, warm eyes, always laughing with someone in the hallway. he was good at everything — sports, studying, talking. people naturally floated toward him, like he was gravity.

and you were... not.

you sat in the back of class. soft voice, quiet steps, always looking down at your notebook. people didn’t dislike you — they just didn’t notice you. your presence was like a whisper in a room full of noise.

but heeseung noticed.

he always had.

you still remember the first time he said your name. your name, not just “hey” or “excuse me.” he smiled like it wasn’t a big deal, like he said it all the time, while you sat frozen in your seat, heart hammering like a drum.

heeseung was kind to everyone. but with you... it felt different.

he waited for you after class when it rained. shared his umbrella, even though it barely covered both of you. his shoulder was soaked by the time you reached the gate, and he just smiled like it didn’t matter.

he asked you things no one else did. “what’s your favorite book?” “do you like rainy days or sunny ones?” “how do you feel when you’re happy?”

you never knew how to answer. your voice always came out small and shy, but he never looked impatient. he listened like every word you said was worth holding onto.

you started to like him.

a lot.

and it scared you.

so you started avoiding him. you'd leave early, walk faster, pretend to be asleep during field trips. your chest hurt every time you saw him laughing with someone else. but it hurt more to imagine him looking at you and realizing you weren’t enough.

but he didn’t let you disappear.

one day, after class, he found you in the empty library, curled over a book.

“did i do something wrong?” he asked.

you looked up, startled. “no! i just... i don’t know... i thought maybe you didn’t need me around.”

he looked at you for a long time, then sat across from you, resting his chin on his arms.

“i don’t ‘need’ you,” he said softly. “i want you around. there’s a difference.”

you blinked.

he smiled, a little shy this time. “i like being near you. you make things feel calm. honest. like i don’t have to pretend anything.”

your throat tightened.

you wanted to believe him so badly. wanted to reach out, hold his hand, say thank you a hundred times.

instead, you whispered, “i like being near you too.”

and that was enough.

heeseung didn’t rush you. he just kept showing up — waiting, listening, understanding.

and slowly, you started blooming.

not loudly. not suddenly. but beautifully.

every time he said your name, your voice grew a little stronger.

every time he smiled at you, your heart ached a little less.

because heeseung was like sunlight. warm, steady, patient.

and you — shy, hidden, quiet — had just needed someone to reach in and remind you that you were meant to shine too.