In the quiet halls of Eunjang High, Yeon Si-eun had learned to hide emotions better than anyone. He could face down bullies, outthink anyone in class, and act like he didn’t care about anything. But when it came to Ahn Suho, his calm exterior cracked just a little.

Suho was everything Si-eun wasn’t, warm, fearless, loud in the way sunlight is loud when it hits your face after a long night. Si-eun didn’t mean to fall for him, but it happened anyway, in small, unnoticed ways. The way Suho smiled after winning a fight, or how he always stood between Si-eun and the world, like it was natural to protect him.

When Si-eun finally confessed, his voice was quiet, like he was afraid the walls would laugh at him.

Suho’s expression froze. He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting away. “Si-eun,” he said, his tone caught between frustration and panic, “I hope you understand, I don’t like you.”

The words hung in the air, sharp and heavy. Si-eun nodded, pretending the words didn’t sting. “I understand,” he murmured, his voice perfectly even, though his chest felt like it was splintering.

He turned away before Suho could see the flicker of hurt in his eyes. That night, Si-eun stayed up late at his desk, books open but unread, the quiet of his apartment pressing down on him. He told himself it didn’t matter. He’d been alone before. He could be alone again. But the silence felt colder than usual.

Hours later, there was a soft knock at his door.

When Si-eun opened it, Suho stood there, hair messy and eyes guilty. He took one look at Si-eun’s red eyes, the tissues on the table, and sighed. The confidence he always carried seemed to fade into something gentler.