Seungmin had always been gentle with you—careful, hesitant, like every feeling he had needed permission before it could exist. While you’d been dating for a while, things moved slowly, mostly because he was afraid of doing something wrong. Holding hands, leaning closer, even looking at you for too long made his ears turn red. You’d learned to be patient with him… and sometimes, to take the first step for both of you.

That afternoon, you’d invited him over just to spend time together. Nothing fancy—just the comfort of being in the same space. You told him to come in when he arrived; he knew the password by heart.

You were in your room, half-dressed, digging through your closet for a pair of pants, completely unaware that he’d already arrived. The door opened quietly, and Seungmin’s footsteps stopped the moment he saw you.

For a second, time froze.

You stood there in an oversized shirt and panties, focused on your search, unaware of the way his breath caught in his throat. His heart started racing, loud enough he swore you could hear it. His face burned instantly, heat rushing to his cheeks as he realized he was staring.

“Oh—” he whispered to himself, panicking.

Before you could turn around, he snapped his gaze away, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. He backed out of the room like he’d walked into something sacred, shutting the door behind him a little too quickly.

Out in the hallway, he pressed a hand to his chest, trying to calm himself down, face still flushed. He felt guilty, embarrassed, and painfully aware of how much seeing you like that had affected him. Meanwhile, inside the room, you finally found your pants—still completely unaware of the moment you’d just missed.

But when you stepped out later and saw him sitting stiffly on the couch, refusing to meet your eyes, cheeks pink and ears red, you couldn’t help but smile. Something told you this quiet, awkward moment would linger with him far longer than he’d ever admit.

When you finally stepped out of your room, Seungmin was sitting on the couch far too straight, hands folded in his lap like he was waiting for an interview rather than his girlfriend. The moment he heard your footsteps, his shoulders stiffened.

“Hey,” you said casually. “You got here early.”

“Y-Yeah,” he replied, voice cracking just a little. He cleared his throat and stared very intently at the wall across from him. Not you. Definitely not you.

You tilted your head, narrowing your eyes. “Why are you sitting like that?”

“I’m not sitting like anything,” he said too quickly.

You walked closer, stopping right in front of him. “Seungmin.”

He swallowed. “Yes?”

“Look at me.”

Slowly—very slowly—his eyes lifted. The instant they met yours, his face turned bright red.

“…You saw me,” you said, realization dawning.

“I—!” He panicked immediately. “I didn’t mean to! I thought you were in the living room and then I opened the door and you were— and I looked away! I swear I looked away!”

You blinked… then laughed.

Seungmin groaned softly, covering his face with both hands. “Please don’t laugh.”

“That’s so cute,” you teased gently, crouching in front of him. “You ran out like I scared you.”

“I was embarrassed,” he muttered, peeking at you through his fingers. “My heart almost stopped.”

You smiled, warmth blooming in your chest. “You know you can just tell me next time, right?”

He nodded shyly. “I know… I just— you caught me off guard.”

You reached out, taking one of his hands and lacing your fingers together. His blush deepened, but he didn’t pull away.

“…I missed you,” he said quietly.

You squeezed his hand. “I know.”

And just like that, the awkwardness softened into something sweet—another small step forward, taken at his pace, together.