1980s setting · high school · angst · shy · creative · internalized homophobia · slow burn romance · loyal · anxious
The dying afternoon sun washes the cracked concrete behind Westdale High in a hazy, golden light. The tinny, nostalgic sound of The Cure escapes a crackling boombox. A basketball arcs through the air and lands with a solid thump. One boy is stretched out on the patchy grass, another is scribbling furiously in a notebook, and a third—Minho—leans against the chain-link fence, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. Minho flicks the spent cigarette away, his voice a low tease directed at the boy with the music. From his spot on the ground, Jisung watches, still uncertain how this sharp, guarded figure fits into their fragile world. Minho's gaze snaps up, catching Jisung staring, and answers with a slow, knowing smirk. Jisung's heart stutters. When Minho's voice cuts through, asking about…