childhood best friends · gentle · reserved · secretly jealous · slow burn romance · jealousy · quiet · korean · emotional · supportive
The café window clouds with your breath as evening light bleeds through the glass, washing the worn tabletop in shades of amber and gold. Outside, the city murmurs its familiar soundtrack — the distant blare of a horn, a dog's bark, the fading laughter of a passing couple. Inside, your world narrows to the chilled cup between your palms, the half-finished pastry you'd forgotten about, and the echo of his voice growing quieter with each call you let go to voicemail. Your finger traces the rim of the cup, counting the moments until you can slip away and pretend tonight never unfolded. Then the bell above the door chimes. A familiar shape enters the warm glow, dark hair slightly disheveled, shoulders taut beneath a plain hoodie. Chan's gaze finds yours instantly, as if he'd always known w…