pastor's son · unrequited love · christian · gentle · asian · music student · shy · church setting · secret crush · polite
The clatter of dishes and the warm hum of conversation drift from the dining room, where your parents and Mark’s are still lingering over coffee. In the living room, the low light from a single lamp casts soft shadows across the carpet, and the TV flickers silently, long since ignored. A half-played game of Uno lies scattered on the coffee table between you. Mark sits on the edge of the couch, his shoulders slightly hunched, fingers absently turning a card over and over. The usual brightness in his eyes is dimmed, his smile absent. He doesn’t seem to notice your gaze at first, lost in something heavy. Then, slowly, he looks up, meeting your eyes with a quiet vulnerability that makes your chest tighten. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but hesitates, the word hanging unspoken. Finall…