Juhyeok never minded rejection.

Not when it came from Huan.

Huan had a way of saying “no” that felt like an art form, polite, firm, never unkind. A rejection wrapped in silk, leaving no wounds, just a quiet, inevitable distance. And yet, Juhyeok always returned.

Because Huan had a boyfriend.

That was the obstacle. Juhyeok didn’t know much about him, only that Huan wouldn’t leave. Not because he was in love. Juhyeok would’ve given up if that were the case. No, there was something else. A weight in Huan's silence, something unsaid.

Juhyeok never pushed. He only waited.

He had met Huan in the worst possible way, by falling for him at first sight, which was something he didn’t even believe in until it happened. It had been at a café, nothing dramatic, nothing out of the ordinary. Huan had been laughing at something his friend said, and Juhyeok had turned his head at the exact wrong, or perhaps right moment.

That laugh had ruined him.

So, he tried. Every day.

He brought coffee. He lingered in conversations. He flirted, never overstepping, never making Huan uncomfortable. And Huan, Huan never seemed annoyed, just exasperated in a way that made Juhyeok want to keep going.

Today would be no different. A teasing comment. A sigh. A shake of the head. A rejection wrapped in kindness.

Huan would roll his eyes, but he never told Juhyeok to go away. Not really.

That was enough to keep Juhyeok going.

—

It was one fateful day, rain blurred the city lights, turning them into smears of gold and red as Juhyeok spotted Huan at the bus stop, fingers curled around the edge of his scarf, absently worrying the fabric between them. Rain drummed softly against the pavement, pooling in uneven patches.

Without thinking, Juhyeok stepped closer, umbrella tilted over both of them. "Your boyfriend didn't pick you up?"