He stared at his phone screen — but he wasn’t texting anyone. He wasn’t checking his socials. He wasn’t even doing anything.

He was just... thinking.

About him.

Kim Sunoo.

Why do I keep noticing him?

Why does it bother me when they throw paper at his back?

Why do I stare when he walks in — even when I know he’ll never look back?

Heeseung leaned back on his pillows, eyes on the ceiling.

In class, he never spoke to him. Not once.

But he watched. Always watched.

Not because Sunoo was loud — he wasn’t. Not because he wanted attention — he didn’t.

He was just... there.

Soft-spoken. Still.

Like a calm corner in the middle of a noisy world.

Heeseung didn’t like how people treated him. The bullying, the whispers. It made his chest feel tight.

But he never stopped it either.

He wasn’t sure why.

Coward? Hypocrite? Or just afraid of what it would say about me?

---

In the library earlier, it was supposed to be a quiet study session. They barely spoke.

But Heeseung had tried.

He cracked a joke about the science questions.

He asked about Sunoo’s handwriting — “Are you secretly a calligrapher?”

He offered his mechanical pencil even though Sunoo clearly had one.

All tiny things.

All ignored with quiet nods or short replies.

But that didn’t stop Heeseung.

He wanted to try again.

And he would.

---

Somewhere across town, Sunoo sat cross-legged on his floor, his project notes open but untouched.

His mind was… distracted.

By Heeseung.

He remembered how the older boy had waved at him in the library — like it was no big deal. Like he wasn’t him — the popular rich kid, the one everyone watched, the one Sunoo thought would never look at someone like him.

But he had looked.

Again and again.

Sunoo had caught him staring more than once.

And now… he found himself remembering it.

Wondering what it meant.

Wondering what kind of person Heeseung really was beneath the expensive uniform and lazy smiles.

Sunoo hugged his knees.

Why am I even thinking about this?

But deep down… he already knew the answer.

_________________________________

The school hallway buzzed with noise as students rushed to their next class. But right near the lockers, the air felt different — colder.

Sunoo stood silently, eyes lowered, clutching the books that had just been knocked from his hands.

A boy snickered as he walked past. “Oops. Didn’t see you there, scholarship.”

Another one joined in, “Did your shoes fall apart yet, or are they still holding on?”

Laughter.

Low, sharp, and mean.

Sunoo bent down without a word, picking up his books. His hands shook slightly, but his face stayed calm.

He was used to this.

Too used to it.

But this time… someone wasn’t.

Heeseung had seen everything from a few feet away.

And for the first time…

He moved.

“Hey,” Heeseung said, voice louder than usual — cutting through the crowd like a clean break in glass.

The laughter stopped instantly.

Everyone turned to look.

Heeseung stepped forward, his eyes locked on the boy who had knocked Sunoo’s books.

“Is that funny to you?” he said coolly, one eyebrow raised.

The boy blinked. “W-what?”

Heeseung gave a cold smile. “You heard me. Should I try the same thing with you and see if you laugh?”

Silence.

No one spoke.

The bullies shifted uncomfortably and muttered excuses before quickly walking away.

Sunoo stood frozen, holding his books close, not even realizing his mouth was slightly open in shock.

Heeseung didn’t look at him right away. He just sighed, running a hand through his hair like he hadn’t just gone against half the class.

Then, finally, he turned to Sunoo.

“You okay?” he asked, voice softer now.

Sunoo swallowed. “...Yeah.”

Heeseung nodded once. “Good.”

He started to walk away, hands in his pockets.

But before turning the corner, he stopped and said, without looking back—

“You don’t have to ignore it all the time, you know.”

_________________________________

The library was quieter than usual.

Pages flipped. Pens scratched. The air between Sunoo and Heeseung stayed still.

They sat at their usual table by the window, the sunlight spilling onto their open notebooks.

They had barely spoken since starting the project. Just exchanged short phrases — “This part’s done,” “You can write that,” “What do we do next?”

But today... something felt different.

Sunoo shifted in his seat. His fingers hovered over his pen, but he wasn’t writing.

He glanced up at Heeseung, who was scribbling something in the margins of their project sheet.

“Ahm…” Sunoo started quietly.

Heeseung looked up, surprised. Sunoo never started conversations.

“…Why did you help me earlier?”

Heeseung blinked.

Sunoo didn’t look directly at him, but his voice was steady. “They were your friends… right?”

For a moment, silence.

Then Heeseung leaned back slightly, chewing the inside of his cheek.

“They’re not really my friends,” he said simply.

Sunoo looked at him now. “But… you always sit with them.”

“Yeah,” Heeseung said, looking down at his notebook. “That doesn’t mean I like them.”

He twirled his pen once between his fingers before continuing.

“I just didn’t like how they talked to you.”

His voice lowered, almost like he didn’t mean to say it out loud:

“I’ve never liked it.”

Sunoo’s heart jumped in his chest.

He didn’t reply right away. He wasn’t sure what to say. No one had ever said something like that to him before — especially not someone like Heeseung.

After a pause, Heeseung added, without looking at him, “They don’t get to decide how people should be treated. Not when they don’t even know anything about you.”

Sunoo finally looked away, hiding the soft flush on his cheeks.

“…Thanks,” he whispered.

Heeseung smiled faintly, eyes still on the page.

And for a while, they just sat there.

Still working. Still quiet.

But somehow... not so far apart anymore

__________________________________

The library lights buzzed gently above them. Outside, the sky had turned dark, the campus quiet except for the hum of crickets and the occasional distant car.

It was already 9:30 PM.

Sunoo blinked at the clock, surprised. “Oh— I didn’t realize it got so late.”

He began quietly packing his things, careful not to make noise. Heeseung was still sitting across from him, his chin resting on his palm, watching him with a kind of absentminded focus.

Sunoo zipped up his bag and stood. “I should head out. My grandma will worry.”

Heeseung hesitated.

Then, almost too fast, he blurted,

“Ahmm… wanna grab a drink together?”

Sunoo froze slightly, his hand still on the strap of his bag.

“…Huh?”

Heeseung scratched the back of his neck, suddenly unsure of himself. “I mean— like, a juice or coffee or something. Just for a bit. There’s a convenience store near the back gate.”

He laughed awkwardly. “It’s not like… a big deal or anything. I just thought— since we worked so long, maybe…”

Sunoo stared at him for a second, confused… and a little curious.

Was this really the same Heeseung everyone admired from afar?

That cool, untouchable boy… now nervously asking him to get a drink?

Sunoo looked down at his worn shoes and then quietly nodded. “...Okay.”

Heeseung looked up, surprised. “Really?”

Sunoo smiled — just a little. “Yeah. But only for a few minutes.”

“Deal,” Heeseung said, grabbing his bag and standing up a little too quickly.

They walked side by side, neither saying much at first.

But the silence felt lighter this time.

Not awkward.

Not heavy.

Just… warm.

_____________________________

The walk to the café was quiet.

Not the uncomfortable kind — just soft. Still.

Heeseung kept glancing at Sunoo, trying to start small conversations.

“How’s the project going for you?”

“Do you like this school so far?”

“Is your house… far?”

Sunoo would reply politely. But short.

He wasn’t being rude — just careful. Guarded.

He didn’t know what to think of Heeseung’s sudden kindness.

They reached the café, a cozy place tucked between buildings. Warm lights. Soft music. Barely any people.

“A black iced Americano for me,” Heeseung said at the counter.

Then he turned to Sunoo, voice calmer now — not shy or awkward, but something gentler.

“…And what about you?”

Sunoo looked up.

“I’ll take… iced sweet milk tea,” he answered softly.

They found a small table by the window.

Their drinks arrived.

And for a while, they sipped in silence.

Sunoo held his cup with both hands, eyes watching the cars pass outside.

Heeseung, on the other hand, kept glancing at him — wanting to talk.

He didn’t know what to say. Just that he wanted to say something.

Anything.

Then suddenly—

A waiter rushed over, eyes wide. “Ahhh! Sorry, sorry sir!” he gasped. “Did you finish that drink already?!”

Heeseung blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… yeah?”

“We’re really sorry!” the waiter panicked. “That Americano was actually someone else’s order — it had double espresso shots and high caffeine! Super strong. So sorry! I’ll get you a fresh one for free, right away!”

“Ohhh?” Heeseung tilted his head, smiling faintly. “It’s… totally okay… Don’t worry…”

The waiter bowed and ran off.

Sunoo blinked at Heeseung.

His eyes were suddenly glassy red, and his cheeks were flushed — soft pink.

He looked… different. Like someone who wasn’t thinking clearly. Like someone who had too many thoughts — and the caffeine just gave them permission to spill out.

Heeseung leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling for a second.

Then he looked at Sunoo with a sleepy grin.

“You know…” he said slowly, voice a little loose around the edges. “You have a really calm face. It’s nice.”

Sunoo’s eyes widened. “…What?”

Heeseung blinked slowly. “I mean, like. It makes me wanna stay quiet. But not in a bad way. In a… peaceful way.”

Sunoo didn’t know what to say.

Heeseung giggled. Yes — giggled.

“I think… I drank truth juice,” he mumbled, placing his head lightly against the back of the chair. “Oops.”

Sunoo bit back a smile.

And for the first time that night…

He let out a tiny laugh.

______________________________

Sunoo checked the time on his phone. “Let’s get going. We’ll be late.”

Heeseung blinked slowly, then looked at him — and smiled.

But it wasn’t just a polite smile.

Not the one he gives to classmates.

Not the one he wears like a mask.

This one was wide. Bright. Honest.

So bright it made something flicker in Sunoo’s chest — something he didn’t understand.

“Of course! Let’s go!” Heeseung said cheerfully, standing up a little too fast.

They left the café and began walking down the quiet street, streetlights casting soft golden shadows as they passed.

For a while, they walked in silence again.

But slowly… the caffeine started to kick in harder.

Heeseung began to sway just a little.

Then stumble.

Then lean way too close to Sunoo’s shoulder.

“Waaah~ Why does the road feel like it’s moving?” he mumbled, clinging to Sunoo’s sleeve.

Sunoo blinked. “Are… you okay?”

“Never better!” Heeseung grinned. “You smell like… soft soap or something. Is that weird to say?”

Sunoo’s ears turned red. “Yes. Very.”

Heeseung laughed, resting his head briefly on Sunoo’s shoulder. “You’re warm. And soft. Like a person. Not like them.”

“…What?”

Heeseung tilted his head, looking up at the stars.

“They all act fake around me, you know? Because of my name. My house. My dad.”

His voice cracked slightly. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t even know who I really am anymore.”

Sunoo didn’t know what to say. His fingers tightened slightly on the strap of his bag.

But Heeseung kept talking. “You’re different. You didn’t even look at me at first. Not even once. That felt... new. Nice.”

Then he looked at Sunoo, a little too close.

“Do you think I’m... weird?”

Sunoo’s breath caught. His heart thudded.

He looked away quickly. “You’re just... caffeinated.”

Heeseung laughed again. “Right. Caffeine. Definitely not feelings. Definitely not anything else.”

But something in the way he said that last sentence—

Felt suspicious.

Felt like maybe… it wasn’t just the caffeine talking.