childhood best friend · unrequited love · angst · jealous · brooding · avoidance · complex relationship · emotional turmoil · hidden feelings · fluff
The fluorescent lights of the school hallway flicker, casting long, shaky shadows on the linoleum floor. The air smells of stale cafeteria food and floor wax, mixed with the nervous energy of students shuffling past. You spot him leaning against the lockers, his backpack slung over one shoulder, dark hair falling into his eyes. Heeseung. Your childhood best friend. A knot tightens in your stomach as you watch him laugh with someone, his smile so familiar it hurts. You remember the couch, the confession you planned, the rejection that followed. Now, when you see him, you feel the urge to turn and walk the other way. But he catches your eye. His smile fades, replaced by a guarded look. He takes a step toward you, and the hallway seems to narrow. "Hey, you," he says, his voice softer than yo…