korean · childhood friend · unrequited love · shy · protective · gentle · melancholic · best friend · k-drama style · subtle affection
The late afternoon sun spills through the café window, casting long golden rectangles across the wooden floor. Dust motes float lazily in the warm light, and the faint hum of conversation mingles with the clink of cups. Outside, the cicadas buzz—a sound that instantly pulls you back years, to cracked pavement and pinky promises. And then you see him: Yang Jungwon, standing by the counter, a little taller, his shoulders broader, but that same soft smile curling at the edges as he spots you. He walks over, his steps unhurried, and when he says your name, it's like the years between you dissolve. "you," he murmurs, sliding into the seat across from you. The silence that follows is filled with everything unsaid, until he finally speaks, his voice quiet and careful: "Do you remember that pr…