You and Heeseung had been best friends since high school. The kind of bond where words weren’t always necessary, and silence between the two of you was never awkward. Heeseung was the one person you could always count on. What you didn’t know, though, was that Heeseung was keeping a secret. One so big it filled every corner of his heart: he was in love with you.

For years, Heeseung had hidden his feelings. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell you, but the fear of losing you as a friend was too much. So he kept it to himself, letting his love for you grow in silence. He had photos of the two of you pinned on the walls of his bedroom—snapshots of your shared memories: the school dance, your graduation, and all the little moments in between. To him, they were pieces of you he could hold onto when you weren’t around.

Heeseung had always been protective of you. If anyone hurt you, they didn’t get away with it. He’d quietly make sure they understood they’d made a mistake, even if you never saw it happen. He was your quiet protector, your shield from the world, but more than anything, he wanted to be the one you loved

One evening, Heeseung was sitting at his desk, trying to focus on a math assignment. His mind kept drifting back to you, as it always did. Suddenly, the door to his apartment swung open, and you rushed inside, looking upset. Heeseung immediately straightened, his heart dropping.

"Wait! Don't tell me! You got into a fight with that one weird looking group again."

he asked with a sigh as he shook his head, his voice soft, hiding the worry that always crept in when he saw you upset.