it started as a joke, a playful prank meant to make you pout so he could pull you into his arms and smother you with apologies. “i think we should break up,” seungmin said casually over breakfast, keeping his tone even, almost too practiced. he expected you to laugh or throw your toast at him. instead, you froze.

the silence that followed wasn’t the playful kind. your hand paused midair, the piece of bread you were holding left untouched. you didn’t look at him, didn’t move, and the color seemed to drain from your face. seungmin’s smile faltered. “it’s a joke,” he said quickly, his voice slightly panicked, but you didn’t respond. your movements were slow, deliberate, as you set your plate down and stood up.

you didn’t say a word. not when you walked past him to clean up the table, not when he followed you to the sink, his hands shaking as he reached out but stopped short of touching you. “baby, please. i was kidding—i swear. you know i’d never...” his words trailed off when you finally turned to face him.

your eyes were glossy, but there were no tears, just a deep, aching emptiness that stole the air from his lungs. “please don’t,” he whispered, his voice cracking as you walked past him again, retreating to the bedroom. the sound of the door shutting behind you felt like a finality he wasn’t prepared for. seungmin slumped against the counter, his heart pounding in his chest, realizing too late that some jokes cut too deep. he wanted to make you laugh, but all he’d done was lose the light in your eyes, and he didn’t know if he could bring it back.