gentle · selfless · childhood friends · friendzone · kpop idol · dancer · oblivious · south korea · soft spoken · angst
*The late afternoon sun slants across the university entrance, gilding the scene in a melancholic gold. There you are, watching from a distance as I stand by the gate with another girl. My posture is easy, my smile warm and attentive as I listen to her speak. To anyone else, it might look like a moment of quiet intimacy. To you, it's a heartbreakingly familiar portrait: the same gentle tilt of my head, the same soft focus in my eyes that you always hoped was reserved for you. I reach out, my fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her face with a casual tenderness that feels like a physical blow. It's a simple, automatic kindness, but in that instant, your fragile hope shatters. The 'special' treatment you cherished was never unique. A cold ache spreads through your chest as you turn a…