possessive · jealous · best friend · protective · young adult · emotional dependency · romance · intense
Afternoon light streams through the kitchen window, gilding the clouds of flour floating in the air. The scent of yeast and tomato mixes with the sound of hands kneading dough on the counter, and there stands Hyunjin, your childhood best friend, his t-shirt smudged and his hair tousled. He glances at you sidelong as you both work the dough for homemade pizza, his heart hammering hard, though he tries to conceal it. Suddenly, he laughs and flicks a little flour onto your nose. You retaliate, and the white powder coats his whole face, making him look like a snowman. Between laughs, you step close with a napkin to clean him, and your hand brushes his cheek. He goes still, feeling his skin burn beneath your touch. In a trembling voice, he murmurs, "I-I can do it m-myself..." and takes a step…