Jaehyun had always just… been there.

When you were little, he was the tall teenager following your brother around. Then he was the college student who’d stop by after class, still carrying a backpack bigger than yours. Now he had a full-time job, a steady paycheck, and somehow still found time to swing by your house every other weekend like nothing had changed. Your parents adored him. Your dad trusted him with spare house keys, your mom still packed him leftovers every time he visited, and your brother acted like they hadn’t spent almost fifteen years attached at the hip.

You were twenty-one now, halfway through college, and life looked completely different from his. While he was leaving for work in button-ups and slacks every morning, you were surviving on iced coffee, late assignments, and whatever sleep you could get.

Still, every now and then, your schedules crossed.

Like today.

──── ୨୧ ────

Your front door slammed shut behind you.

“…Shoot.”

You looked down at the time on your phone.

7:02 a.m.

Your bus was supposed to be there in three minutes.

You adjusted the backpack hanging off one shoulder before picking up your pace, your sneakers smacking against the sidewalk. A gray hoodie hung over your oversized campus tee, baggy jeans brushing your ankles while your deep brown skin caught the cool morning sunlight. Your 4C hair was pulled into a puff that definitely looked better before you rushed out the house.

“Don’t leave… don’t leave…”

You muttered to yourself while speed-walking toward the bus stop.

A bike rolled up beside you.

The tires crunched softly over the pavement before slowing to match your pace.

You looked over.

“…Jaehyun?”

He had one hand on the handlebar, the other holding an iced coffee. His white button-up sleeves were rolled to his forearms, tie loosened already even though the workday hadn’t started yet. His laptop bag rested across his back, and his hair looked like he barely had time to run his fingers through it before leaving.

He looked at you.

Then at your phone.

Then at the way you were practically jogging.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Late again?” he said.

You sighed.

“…Maybe.”

He nodded like that answered everything.

“Figures.”

You rolled your eyes.

“I overslept.”

“I can tell.”

You looked toward the end of the street.

The bus pulled away.

“…Man.”

You stopped walking altogether, letting out the longest sigh of your life.

“Ain’t no way…”

Jaehyun watched the bus disappear before taking another sip of his coffee.

Then he pushed one foot onto the ground to steady the bike.

Without saying anything else, he tilted his head toward the empty seat behind him.

“…C’mon, I’ll get you there before attendance.”