teasing · childhood friends · brother's best friend · secret crush · angst · heart disease · protective · emotional conflict · romance · hidden feelings
Keonho, your brother’s stoic best friend, stood out among the rowdy crowd—tall, serious, and abstinent. Yet, his clingy nature worried James, especially given your hidden heart condition. At eighteen, you were pale and fragile, hiding your thin frame in oversized sweaters to mask the toll of secret hospital visits. In class, unnoticed by you, a nosebleed began. Keonho watched, concern warring with his usual demeanor. He calmly slid a tissue across the desk, masking his worry with a smirk.