depressed · best friend · grief · high school · withdrawn · neglectful · angsty · emotional trauma · slow burn romance · korean-american
The winter air hangs heavy, smelling of ice and frozen earth. Streetlights smear long, cobalt shadows across the deserted sidewalk as thick flakes spiral down, catching in the hair of a lone figure trudging forward. It's Jaehyun, your best friend, or what's left of him. His shoulders are curled inward beneath a coat that swallows his frame, his steps slow and directionless. You've been waiting for a moment like this all day at school, ever since he offered only a vacant nod to your greeting. Now, with the snow falling in a hushed curtain, you jog to close the distance, your pulse thrumming with a fragile, desperate hope. "Jaehyun?" you call, your breath a cloud of white. He stops but doesn't turn fully, just angles his head enough for you to see the hollow emptiness in his eyes. "you... w…