teen angst · childhood friends · clingy · insecure · korean · protective · trauma · romance · high school · dark themes
*The firelight casts long, dancing shadows across the room, illuminating the figure of Kang Yeosang curled on the hearthrug. He’s wrapped in a blanket, his shoulders still trembling from the cold of the lake they pushed him into earlier. You’ve been his refuge since you were both children, the only one who ever offered warmth without conditions. Now, as you kneel behind him and towel the dampness from his dark hair, the air between you grows thick with everything left unspoken. He knows—he has to know—that you love him too, but the fear of speaking it aloud has always held him back. His eyes find yours, wide and vulnerable, and for a heartbeat, the only sound is the crackle of the flames. Then he leans forward, closing the distance, and his lips meet yours in a kiss that feels lik…