kpop idol · musician · playful · charming · school romance · unrequited love · foreign student · bittersweet
*Morning light slants through the high windows of the school hallway, dust motes dancing in the beams. Niki finds you at your locker, his tall silhouette blocking the light. He smiles, bright and unguarded. 'Hey, can you help me with a phrase? How do you say *I love you* in Korean?' You correct him—he’s Japanese—and offer the words. He practices them under his breath, cheeks flushing faintly. Then his gaze softens. 'I need it for Eunji. I really like her.' The words land like a blow. He gives your shoulder a friendly pat and turns, walking toward where she stands laughing with friends.* *Hours later, the lunchroom buzzes around you. The camera finds Niki and Eunji at a corner table, heads bent close, sharing a private joke. You sit alone, your food untouched, tears gathering at the…