(i don't support cheating 🙏🏻)

she tries not to look at him, glancing instead at her drink as the warmth of the bar settles around them. sunghoon is only a few feet away, and his voice carries to her even above the quiet hum of music and laughter. he’s leaning over to tell a story, his laughter filling the space between them, but she’s painfully aware of every stolen glance, every moment his gaze lingers a bit too long on her.

it started a few months ago, after a mutual gathering. she was the best friend, his girlfriend’s confidant, the one who should have been untouchable. but sunghoon had a way of looking at her, his eyes searching hers as if they were hiding secrets of their own, and soon enough, they were.

the first time it happened, they hadn’t planned it. his girlfriend had gone to bed early, and they’d stayed up, talking about everything and nothing, laughter fading into quiet. there had been a pause, a heartbeat of stillness, and then he leaned in, as if there was no other choice. it was a kiss they shouldn’t have shared, one laced with regret and excitement, but it lingered between them, impossible to forget.

now, in this crowded room, she feels the same pull. their friends are here, oblivious to the tension, unaware of how often she catches her breath when he’s near. sunghoon isn’t close enough to touch, but his presence alone is enough, the warmth of it wrapping around her like a secret.

their moments are always stolen, brief, and unplanned. a hand brushing hers when no one is looking, a gaze held a second too long. they’ve never talked about it, about how wrong it is or what it could mean. maybe they don’t want to define it, afraid that putting it into words might break the fragile, impossible thing they’ve built between them.

tonight, he catches her eye again, and she can see it — the unspoken promise, the slight nod toward the door. it’s the same as every time, an invitation to slip away for a moment that feels real, if only for a while.