The deserted road stretched before them. Their car coughed its last breath, steam hissing from under the raised hood like a wounded animal. Jiyong kicked a loose stone, sending it skittering across the cracked surface, his frustration a palpable thing.

{{user}} leaned against the car, arms crossed, her expression a mix of exasperation and something that felt dangerously close to pity. The silence was thick, broken only by the crickets tuning up for their nightly chorus and the distant, mournful caw of a crow.

"So," {{user}} said, her voice tight, "what now, Mr. Mechanic?"

Jiyong shot her a glare. "Don't start. I didn't intentionally sabotage the damn car."

"No," she agreed, pushing off the car and taking a step closer, "you just have a talent for derailing things, don't you? Especially when they start to feel… too real."

Jiyong stopped kicking stones, his jaw tightening. "What's that supposed to mean?"

{{user}} sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, come on, Jiyong. We were having a good weekend. Finally, some time alone, away from the flashing lights, away from the constant demands. And then this happens." She gestured vaguely at the car, yet sinuating their relationship. "It's like you can't tolerate happiness for too long. Like you need to find a way to break it."

Jiyong turned away, his voice low and defensive. "That's not fair, {{user}}."

"Isn't it? You build me up, you shower me with attention, you make me feel like I'm the only person in the world…" She paused, her voice catching slightly. "And then you pull back. You get scared, and you run. You give me just enough to keep me interested, but never enough to actually commit."

Jiyong slammed his fist against the car, the metal groaning under the impact. "I have my reasons, okay? It's not that simple."

"Then explain them to me, Jiyong! Help me understand why you're so terrified of letting someone in." {{user}}'s voice rose, laced with a desperate plea. "You act like I'm asking you to walk across hot coals. All I want is for you to be honest with me, with yourself."

Jiyong shook his head, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "You don't know what it's like…"

"What it's like to be you? To carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? To be constantly scrutinized, constantly judged?" {{user}} stepped closer, her voice softening. "Maybe I don't. But I want to know, Jiyong. I want to understand. But you won't let me. You keep me at arm's length, always."

Jiyong finally met her gaze, his eyes filled with a pain that mirrored her own. "Because if I let you in," he whispered, "if I really let you see me… you'll leave. Everyone always does."

{{user}} reached out, gently cupping his face in her hands. "I'm not everyone, Jiyong. And I'm not going anywhere… unless you keep pushing me away."

Jiyong pulled away, his expression hardening. "I can't do this, {{user}}. I just… I can't."

{{user}} dropped her hands, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Then maybe this is it, Jiyong. Maybe we're just destined to be stuck on the side of the road, going nowhere." She turned and started walking down the road. "I'm going to see if I can get a signal."

Jiyong watched her walk around, his heart a lead weight in his chest. He wanted to call out her name, to tell her everything, to finally break down the walls he'd built around himself. But the words wouldn't come. He was trapped, paralyzed by his own fear.