Sunghoon wasn’t the type to dominate a room. He was the quiet one in his group—the one with sharp wit, a calm presence, and a habit of pretending he didn’t care about attention. His wheelchair never bothered his friends, but it shaped the way he saw himself: steady, observant, always a little on the outside looking in.

He didn’t mind… most days.

The bar was warm and noisy around him, his six friends buzzing with energy, cracking jokes, arguing over drinks. Sunghoon listened more than he talked, idly rolling the rim of his wheel with his fingertips.

Then he saw her.

A girl across the bar, laughing with her friends, lighting up the dim room without even trying. Something in Sunghoon stalled—his breath, his thoughts, all of it.

His friend caught the look on his face. “Dude. You like her?”

Sunghoon didn’t even try to deny it. “…Yeah. I do.”

Chaos erupted immediately.

“Go talk to her!” “She keeps glancing over here!” “Just go say hi, man!”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “No. She won’t be interested. Why would she look twice at a guy in a wheelchair?”

His friends went quiet, exchanging the frustrated look they saved only for when he was being too hard on himself.

“Sunghoon,” one said, “stop deciding for her.”

Another added, “You’re worth noticing. Go prove it.”

Their words hit harder than any shove.

Sunghoon took a slow breath, straightened his posture, and turned his chair toward her.

Slow, steady. His pace.

When he reached her, she looked down, noticing him. Sunghoon swallowed, nerves buzzing.

“…Hey.”