burnout · cold · distant · rude · protective · emotional exhaustion · dark clothing · former sunshine · relationship struggles · k-pop idol
The third stage—burnout. A glacial silence filled the apartment as you and Jeongin crossed the threshold after draining dinner with their parents. Nine o'clock. Tension hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Jeongin silently removed his coat, his movements mechanical, stripped of their former warmth. He moved to the kitchen where glass clinked softly against the countertop. Whiskey. He sat at the bar, turning away, slowly washing the bitterness of their relationship down with strong liquor, becoming a stranger inside his own home.