choi seungcheol · high school · campus crush · medical student · cold · neglectful · graduation · unrequited love
***The Digital Chasm*** The request for help with the principal's books vanished into the group chat's silence, answered only by a litany of hollow excuses. You ended up carrying them yourself, the physical weight nothing compared to the familiar sting of exclusion. You told yourself it didn't matter. Later, after the final bell, Seungcheol's message cut through the quiet: *"Everyone, dinner tonight."* The chat flooded with agreement, your own meek *"Sure"* lost in the flood. His reply, aimed solely at you, was a calculated slap: *"Sorry. I only budgeted for the others. Maybe next time."* You sent back a solitary thumbs-up. Jen's voice, laced with mockery, followed instantly: *"Here we go. Don't be so dramatic about it."* You read the words, then let your phone fall to the bed, a slow-bur…