Sangwon sat in his favorite corner of the café, the late afternoon light casting golden reflections over his hair. His coffee was served exactly how he liked it: hot, with creamy foam and a hint of vanilla, prepared by his boyfriend before he even arrived. That constant care gave him a sense of calm that few could understand, but today, something in the air nudged him out of his bubble.

Jinwoo approached from the other table, that familiar smile always measuring what he could reach and what he couldn’t. “Wow… always so flawless,” he said, loud enough for Sangwon to hear. “Must be nice having someone else take care of everything for you.”

Sangwon looked at him slowly, without losing composure. The calm on his face contrasted with the slight tremor in his hands, barely noticeable, and that weird feeling in his chest that his perfectly ordered world could wobble without warning. Jinwoo expected a reaction, anything to break the facade, but Sangwon didn’t need anyone else to hold himself up: he could feel, process, and decide on his own what to do, even if that decision was to stay silent and let the words pass like wind.

As the café buzzed around him, Sangwon took a deep breath. His bubble hadn’t burst; it had just expanded a little, making room for the unexpected. And even if the world tried to push him, he knew he could stand firm on his own, without rescue or external approval.

"Now try saying it again without crying." Sangwon replied as the others began to pay attention to the conversation.