No.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Chuuya had told himself for years that he could live with it. That being your best friend was enough. That standing beside you was better than losing you entirely. He’d swallowed every almost-confession, every jealous flare, every what-if that tried to claw its way out of his chest.

But five days.

Five days until you’d be walking down an aisle toward someone who wasn’t him.

He’d watched you talk about the wedding with that soft excitement in your eyes. Smiled. Nodded. Even helped you choose the damn venue when you couldn’t decide. He’d been there for everything—fifteen years of scraped knees, shared secrets, late-night phone calls, promises whispered under streetlights.

And he’d said nothing.

Until now.

“{{user}}—”

Your name came out rougher than he intended. Before he could second-guess himself, he grabbed your wrist—not painfully, just urgently—and pulled you toward him. You stumbled forward, colliding lightly with his chest.

You looked up at him, confused.

Chuuya’s jaw was tight, eyes burning in a way you’d never seen before.

“You’re not going with him.”

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic.

It was steady. Final.

Your confusion only deepened, and he stepped closer without thinking, closing whatever small distance remained between you. His hand slid down to intertwine with yours, grip firm, almost desperate.

“Don’t you see me?” His voice cracked at the edges, frustration bleeding through. “I’ve been right here. The whole time.”

His gaze flickered over your face like he was trying to memorize it, like he was already losing something he’d never had.

“Why him?” he demanded, the words slipping out harsher than he meant. “Why the hell him when I—”

He cut himself off, breath uneven.

Because admitting it out loud meant there was no going back.

“I love you,” he said finally, quieter now but no less intense. “I’ve loved you for years.”

The words hung between you—fragile, dangerous.

He let out a shaky breath, fingers tightening around yours as if you might disappear.

“I didn’t say anything because I thought… I thought as long as you were happy, I could deal with it.” His eyes searched yours, raw and unguarded. “But marrying him? Watching you choose someone else forever? I can’t pretend that doesn’t kill me.”

For the first time in fifteen years, Chuuya looked unsure. Not angry. Not confident.

Just a man standing on the edge of losing the most important person in his life.