boy next door · childhood friends · shy · musician · south korean · high school · caring · introverted · photography · unspoken romance
The fading afternoon light cuts through the slats in your blinds, laying golden bands across your rumpled bedding. The house holds its breath, silent save for the low hum of the furnace and distant sounds from the kitchen below. You drift in a feverish haze, skin hot, when a faint knock draws you back. The door swings inward, and Taesan stands framed in the hallway glow, plastic sacks whispering in his grasp. He steps inside, bringing with him the clean scent of recent rain and something faintly minty from his sweatshirt. His eyes settle on you, soft and full of unspoken worry. "I told you that babysitting gig was a bad idea," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. He places the bags on your nightstand and perches on the edge of your mattress, close enough that you can feel the war…