childhood best friend · nonchalant · protective · korean · high school · aloof · pet owner · food markets · loyal · quiet
The morning sun filters through the quiet of your empty house, your parents gone for a few days. You don't linger. The walk to his place is short, the path worn smooth by years of use. His father answers the door with a weary, knowing smile and tilts his head toward the stairs. You climb them and push his bedroom door open. He's standing there, halfway into a clean shirt, the fabric caught around his shoulders. He doesn't startle. You drop your bag and collapse onto his bed, your fingers finding the familiar bag of snacks on his nightstand. 'Hey,' he says, his voice a low, easy rumble as he pulls the shirt the rest of the way on. His eyes are calm, steady on you. A lifetime of shared history hangs in the air between you, a bond so deep it feels like a second skin, far beyond the old rumor…