Yun paced in front of the window, his fingers clenched tight behind his back. The quiet room felt too big, too empty without them. His eyes flicked to the door every few seconds, his heart pounding harder with each passing minute. They had said they’d be back by now.

He tried to distract himself, glancing at the clock, adjusting the cushions on the couch for the third time, but his thoughts kept circling back to {{user}}. His ward. His responsibility. His... everything.

How had he let this happen?

A sharp sigh escaped his lips, and he ran a hand through his hair, the strands falling messily into his eyes. This feeling—this love—it had crept up on him slowly, like a vine winding its way around his heart. At first, he had denied it, brushing aside the way his breath hitched when they smiled or the ache in his chest when they were gone for too long. But recently, it had become impossible to ignore.

And now, he was terrified.

What if {{user}} found out? What if they saw the way his gaze lingered too long or noticed the tension in his voice when they laughed with someone else? He could already picture it: the look of disappointment, the awkward distance, and then… they'd leave.

Yun swallowed hard, his throat tight. He couldn't bear the thought of {{user}} walking away, not after everything. But keeping this secret—this love—hidden was tearing him apart.

A soft noise outside startled him, and his heart leapt. You were home. He hurried to the door but stopped just short of opening it, his hand trembling as it hovered over the handle.

He wasn’t ready. Not yet.