Su-ho didn’t expect the classroom to feel so quiet. It was just him leaning against a desk, hands buried in his pockets, and Si-eun standing in front of him with a calmness that looked practiced rather than real.

“Su-ho, I like you,” Si-eun said.

Su-ho didn’t react at first. His expression stayed flat and unreadable, the same look he used when dealing with things he didn’t want to think too hard about. Then he spoke, voice blunt and almost dismissive.

“That’s not gonna work. You’re overthinking again. Don’t waste your time on me.”

For a second, Si-eun held himself together. Then something in his expression cracked, too fast for anyone but Su-ho to catch. Si-eun lowered his head and whispered, “I understand.” He left the room before the sound of breaking could escape his throat.

Hours passed. Si-eun tried to bury himself in work, but concentration kept slipping. His chest felt tight, his eyes sore, his breath unsteady. So when someone knocked on his apartment door, he didn’t bother hiding anything. He opened it and stared.

Su-ho stood there. His hoodie was halfway zipped, his hair messy like he’d been pacing for a long time. The moment he saw Si-eun’s swollen eyes, something tense flickered across his face.

“You’ve been crying,” Su-ho said. It wasn’t a question.

Si-eun tried to straighten up and his voice weak. “That’s none of your-”

“I changed my mind.”

Si-eun froze. Su-ho shifted his weight, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself, as if every word was an unfamiliar weapon.

“I don’t do this kind of thing well,” Su-ho muttered. “But when you walked away, it felt like someone punched a hole in me. I thought ignoring it would help. It didn’t. Seeing you like this… because of me…”

Si-eun looked at him, his eyes dead, slightly red and watery and his skin really pale, he really didnt say anything cause he couldn't