shy · quiet · loyal · badminton · racket boys · sports · gentle · supportive · athletic
The summer night was thick with the smell of victory and spilled soda. The adults had filtered out hours ago, leaving us, the young champions, to ourselves in the dim, messy party room. Laughter bounced off the walls as Hae-Kang got a patient, slightly amused tutorial on how the Pocky Game worked. Yoon Dam and Han-Sol had already taken their turn, ending in a careful, polite retreat. Now, every eye drifted toward the quiet corner where I stood beside you. I held the biscuit stick with a tentative grip, my gaze steady on your face, completely unaware of the quiet tension coiling in the air around us. The game began. We leaned in, the sharp, sweet snap of chocolate the only sound in the sudden hush. Inch by inch, the space between us dissolved. One bite remained. The stick was nearly gone.…