Chan stared.

“Accidentally.”

“Yes.”

“On purpose.”

“Technically.”

Chan looked genuinely confused by the logic.

Hyunjin continued anyway.

“He already knows me.”

“Unfortunately.”

“If I happen to be somewhere nearby when he gets off work…”

“You’re stalking him.”

“I’m not stalking him.”

“You literally just described stalking him.”

Hyunjin pointed accusingly.

“I described being in the same general area.”

Chan laughed despite himself.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Hyunjin grinned.

“I’m charming.”

“No.”

“Handsome?”

“No.”

“Persistent?”

“Annoying.”

“Close enough.”

Chan rolled his eyes.

For the first time all evening, the tension eased slightly.

“If he wants to talk, listen.”

Hyunjin nodded again.

“And if he doesn’t?” Hyunjin asked cautiously, already knowing the answer.

“Then buy your coffee and let him walk away.”

The answer hurt more than it should have.

But Chan was right. If Felix needed space, he would give it to him.

Even if every instinct told him to stay. To ask questions. To help. To do something. Anything.

Chan watched him for a moment. Then sighed.

“You’ve got it bad.”

Hyunjin groaned.

“Can you not?”

“I’m just saying.”

Then Hyunjin’s smile faded.

“I’m worried, Chan.”

The older man’s expression softened immediately.

“I know.”

“No, really.”

Hyunjin looked away.

“Something’s wrong.”

Chan didn’t interrupt.

“He looked nervous when we first met.”

Hyunjin stared at the dark window across the room.

“Then he started relaxing and becoming a person, the real him.”

His chest tightened.

“And now every new thing we learn makes me feel like he’s carrying something by himself. Like he feels he has the whole world on his shoulders.”

Chan remained quiet for several moments.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.

“Then let’s give him a reason not to.”

Hyunjin looked over.

Chan shrugged.

“I’m not saying tell him everything.”

“I’m definitely not doing that.”

“But maybe seeing a friendly face wouldn’t hurt.”

Hyunjin blinked.

“You agree with me?”

“Don’t get excited.”

A grin immediately appeared.

“Oh my God, you agree with me.”

“I said don’t get excited.”

“This is huge.”

Chan threw a couch cushion at him.

Hyunjin barely caught it before it hit his face.

“Ow.”

“It didn’t even hit you.”

“It emotionally hit me.”

“You’re impossible.”

Hyunjin laughed.

The sound faded quickly.

“Seriously though.”

Chan nodded.

“Seriously.”

“What do we do?”

Chan thought for a moment.

Then a slow smile appeared on Hyunjin’s face than Chan knew meant trouble.

“What?”

“You said Felix leaves around the same time every day.”

“Yeah.”

“And there’s a coffee shop across the street.”

Hyunjin slowly smiled.

“No.”

“Oh yes.”

“Hyunjin.”

“I can accidentally be getting coffee.”

Hyunjin’s grin widened. And, as much as Chan wanted to say no, he knew that wasn’t the worst plan.

“That’s…not the worst plan you’ve come up with.”

“I know.”

“And completely believable.”

“Mostly believable.”

“Good enough.”

Chan pointed at him.

“But if he clearly doesn’t want to talk-”

“I know.”

“You leave him alone.”

“I know.”

“And absolutely no dramatic declarations.”

Hyunjin looked offended.

“I wasn’t planning any dramatic declarations.”

Chan raised an eyebrow.

“Hyunjin.”

“…Okay maybe one.”

The cushion hit him this time.

Right in the face.

Hyunjin grabbed the cushion he had just been assaulted with and threw it at Chan.

Chan laughed as it bounced off his shoulder. But when the laughter faded, his expression turned serious again.

“Just be careful.”

Hyunjin nodded. His thoughts already drifting toward tomorrow. Toward the coffee shop. Toward the chance of seeing Felix again. And the selfish, hopeful part of him that desperately wanted Chan to be wrong. Wanted Felix to smile. Wanted him to look rested. Wanted to discover that this entire thing was one giant misunderstanding.

Because every day that passed made Hyunjin more afraid that whatever was happening to Felix was far worse than any of them imagined. 

The next morning, Hyunjin was awake before his alarm. Which was annoying. Because he knew exactly why. His eyes cracked open and immediately landed on the clock.

6:17 AM.

Far too early. He groaned and threw an arm over his face. This is ridiculous. He wasn’t nervous. Okay, maybe he was a little nervous. But mostly he was just getting coffee. Coffee that happened to be across the street from Lee Loans. Coffee that just so happened to be near Felix. Completely normal. Totally innocent. Not suspicious at all.

Hyunjin rolled onto his side and stared at the ceiling.

Chan was absolutely going to make fun of him if he found out he’d been awake for the last twenty minutes arguing with himself. The thought made him snort.

Then his smile faded. Because every time his thoughts wandered, they found their way back to Felix. Back to the things Chan had told him. Back to the image he couldn’t stop imagining.

The limp. The exhausted expression. The hollow look in his eyes. Hyunjin squeezed his eyes shut. Stop. Until he saw it for himself, he wasn’t going to assume the worst.

Maybe Chan had caught him on a bad day. Maybe there was an explanation. Maybe…

His thoughts immediately betrayed him.

Then why does every person in that building act terrified? Hyunjin stared at the ceiling again.

And the hidden documents. And the security system. And the fact that Felix seemed to exist in complete isolation.

The knot in his stomach tightened. He hated feeling helpless. More than that, he hated feeling helpless when someone he cared about was involved.

The realization made him freeze. Someone he cared about. The words echoed in his head. Because somewhere along the way that had become true. Without permission. Without warning. Without logic. It had just happened. Hyunjin sat upright and groaned loudly.

“Great.”

Perfect. Just perfect. As if this situation wasn’t complicated enough. Now his heart had apparently decided to get involved too. Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic. He flopped backward onto the mattress dramatically.

“You’re an idiot.”

The ceiling offered no disagreement.

Hyunjin spent entirely too much time pretending he wasn’t waiting. He had left his apartment nearly an hour earlier than necessary. Not because he was nervous. Not because he wanted to see Felix. Definitely not because he’d checked the time Felix usually left work three separate times before leaving the house. No. He was simply going for a walk. A completely normal walk. In a completely normal area. That just happened to be near Lee Loans.