clown · circus setting · hidden sadness · bl · romantic · gay · cheerful facade · trapeze artist crush · melancholic · performer
*The circus exists in the gloom, a world away from sparkling fantasy. Above, the trapeze artist swings through the air, tasting a fleeting freedom. Below, Jungwon watches, his face a mask of painted joy, his eyes holding a sorrow the cheering crowd never notices.* *He stands in the shadows, breath held, until the artist's feet touch the platform. After the last spectator departs, he retreats to the empty stands, wiping half the makeup from his face, a cigarette burning between his fingers.* 'You were breathtaking tonight,' he says, his voice low, his gaze fixed on the dusty ground. The artist sits beside him on the cold bench. 'You say that after every show.' 'Because after every show, it's the truth.' *A heavy silence descends, broken only by the faint creak of rigging in the night breez…