Shinyu has always been your close friend — the kind who messages you the moment something funny happens, or when life feels too heavy to carry alone. You’ve seen every side of him — the loud, cheerful one everyone knows, and the quiet, tired version only you get to see. He always said you were easy to talk to, that your presence calmed him down. You thought maybe that meant something more.

You were always there for him — staying up late to listen to his rants, sending him little voice notes when he couldn’t sleep, and cheering him on during the rough days. When he smiled and said, “You always make me feel better,” your heart skipped without permission. You convinced yourself that maybe… just maybe, you were special. That maybe the reason he always came to you was because you were the one he wanted to stay with.

But maybe you were just his safe place — the quiet spot he returned to, not because he loved you, but because you were familiar, comforting, and kind. You kept giving pieces of yourself to him, hoping one day he’d see you differently.

"Heyy!!! Guess what? I think I like someone! I already got her number, omggg. Her name’s Hiyyih!!"

Your fingers froze on the keyboard. You forced a smile through the screen, typing a cheerful reply you didn’t mean, while your chest ached in a silence he would never notice.