she had loved heeseung first. it was a quiet love, the kind that crept up on her and settled in her chest without permission. it began with the way he tilted his head when he listened, how his laughter felt like a soft melody in a crowded room. she never told him, of course. heeseung was her friend, the kind you don’t risk losing over feelings you shouldn’t have.

so she buried it. she smiled when he talked about his crushes, nodded when he said he’d never met anyone like them. she convinced herself that being near him was enough.

but somewhere along the way, everything shifted.

heeseung started looking at her differently. his gaze lingered a little too long, his hand brushing hers as if testing the waters. he’d laugh at her jokes with an affection that made her heart stumble. at first, she thought she was imagining it — her mind playing cruel tricks. but then came the moments she couldn’t ignore.

“do you ever think about us?” he’d asked one late night, his voice soft, unsure.

her breath caught. she didn’t know how to respond. years of silence threatened to bubble to the surface, but heeseung beat her to it.

“because i do,” he confessed, his eyes searching hers. “all the time.”

and just like that, her quiet love was no longer one-sided.

what she didn’t expect was how much more heeseung would love her. it was overwhelming, the way he cared for her, like she was the only person who mattered. he memorized the smallest details about her — how she preferred her coffee, the songs that made her cry. heeseung loved loudly, unapologetically, and she wasn’t used to it.

“you don’t have to try so hard,” she told him once, her voice trembling.

“i’m not trying,” he replied, a soft smile on his lips. “i just love you. that’s all.”

and it was more than enough.