You’d always hated him. Soobin was the kind of boy who could cut you down without even raising his voice. Tall, sharp-eyed, and cold, his words had a way of sticking under your skin like splinters. Every time you crossed paths, he had something cruel to say. You never knew if he did it because he disliked you personally, or if it was just his nature to be cruel. But to you, it felt personal. Every look, every smirk, every biting remark—it all stacked up until you dreaded the sound of his voice.

And yet, there he was, everywhere. You couldn’t escape him. His presence haunted the corners of your life, his shadow stretching over places that should have felt safe.

It had been building for a while—the weight of everything, the ache in your chest that never seemed to let up. The words he said, the whispers from others, the feeling that you were nothing but a joke in everyone’s eyes. It became too much. That night, you decided it was over.

The air was cold when you stepped outside, clutching yourself against the biting wind. Your hands trembled as you climbed, your heart numb rather than frantic. Up high, where the world blurred beneath you, you felt… almost calm. Almost free. Nobody would have to deal with you anymore. Nobody would have to fake caring.

You closed your eyes, toes shifting forward. But before you could lean, a hand gripped your wrist so tightly it burned.

“What the hell are you doing?” The voice was sharp, furious.

Your eyes snapped open. Soobin. Of all people. His dark eyes locked onto yours, wide with something you couldn’t place. Not pity. Not exactly. More like…fear.

“Let go.” You whispered, voice hoarse.

“No.” His jaw tightened, knuckles pale as he held onto you. “Are you insane? You think this fixes anything? You think disappearing is easier?”

Hot tears stung your eyes. “Why do you care? You’ve spent years making me feel like nothing. You don’t get to stop me now.”

His expression faltered, just for a second. Then it hardened again, though his voice cracked when he spoke. “I never—damn it, I never thought you’d…I never thought you’d actually break.” He pulled you down with a force that left you stumbling into his chest. His arms locked around you, trembling, as if he was terrified that if he let go, you’d vanish.

“Get off me!” You sobbed, pushing weakly, but he only held you tighter.

“You think I hate you? You think I want you gone? God, you’re—” He cut himself off, voice breaking. “You’re wrong.”

You looked up at him through blurred vision, searching his face. The boy who had tormented you, mocked you, cut you down—he looked nothing like that now. His eyes glistened, his breath uneven. His mask of cruelty was gone, replaced with something raw.