Hyunjin didn’t know how long they stood there. Long enough for Felix’s breathing to become something other than broken. Long enough for the shaking to ease into small, occasional tremors. Long enough that Hyunjin could feel just how exhausted he really was. Felix finally shifted, taking a hesitant step backward. His hands lingered on the front of Hyunjin’s shirt for a second before he seemed to realize what he was doing.

He immediately let go.

“I…”

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”

Hyunjin couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

“There you go again.”

Felix blinked.

“What?”

“Apologizing.”

The words caught Felix off guard. He opened his mouth. Closed it again.

“…Sorry.”

Hyunjin laughed softly.

“See?”

To his surprise, the corner of Felix’s mouth twitched. It wasn’t much. Barely even a smile. But it was the first real expression Hyunjin had seen since leaving the office.

“I guess I do that a lot.”

“You really do.”

Silence settled between them again. This time… It wasn’t heavy. Just quiet. Hyunjin studied him carefully.

Now that Felix wasn’t trying so hard to hold himself together, little things stood out. His hands. The faint redness around his knuckles, like he’d been clenching his fists for hours. The way he kept rubbing absentmindedly at one wrist.

His tie hung crooked. There was a wrinkle near the shoulder of his jacket that looked like someone had grabbed the fabric too tightly. Hyunjin looked away before Felix noticed him staring. He didn’t want Felix to feel examined. He just wanted him to feel safe.

“You scared me.”

The words slipped out before Hyunjin could stop them. Felix looked up.

“…I did?”

“When you grabbed me.”

A wave of guilt crossed Felix’s face.

“I know.”

“You kept looking behind you.”

Felix froze. His eyes instinctively flicked toward the street they’d come from. Even now. Even after running several blocks away. He was still checking. Hyunjin noticed. His chest tightened.

“Is someone following you?”

Felix’s shoulders stiffened.

“No.”

The answer came too quickly. Too practiced. Hyunjin recognized it immediately. He decided not to push. Instead, he looked around.

A small park sat across the street, tucked between two apartment buildings. A handful of people wandered the walking paths. Children laughed somewhere near a playground. It felt… Normal.

“Come on.”

Felix looked confused.

“Where?”

“We’re sitting down.”

“I really should go home.”

Hyunjin shook his head gently.

“You can.”

He smiled.

“But not until your legs stop shaking.”

Felix instinctively looked down. Only then did he realize. His knees were trembling. Heat rushed to his face.

“I didn’t even notice.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I did.” Hyunjin teased slightly, trying to diffuse the situation. The last thing he wanted was for Felix to run from him again. He looked for a moment and found a small bench covered mostly by bushes or trees. Hyunjin took the opportunity. He started toward the empty bench. After a moment’s hesitation… Felix followed.

They sat in silence. Neither one speaking. The sounds of the city filled the space instead. Wind rustled through the trees. Someone laughed in the distance. A dog barked. It was ordinary. Painfully ordinary.

And somehow… Felix couldn’t remember the last time ordinary had felt this peaceful.

After several minutes, Hyunjin spoke again.

“My mom used to say something.”

Felix glanced over.

“When I was overwhelmed.”

He looked down at the untouched coffee still sitting in his hand.

“She’d tell me…”

He smiled faintly.

“‘Drop the heavy baggage. You don’t have to carry them around all day.’”

Felix stared at him. Something about those words lodged themselves painfully inside his chest.

Because… He had never heard them before. Not once. Growing up, carrying everything alone wasn’t a choice. It was expected. Demanded. Anything less was a weakness.

His vision blurred again.

“I don’t know how.”

The confession escaped before he could stop it. Hyunjin frowned.

“…Know how to do what?”

Felix looked down at his hands.

“They’ve been heavy…”

He swallowed.

“…for so long.”

His voice cracked.

“I don’t know how to put them down anymore.”

Hyunjin’s heart ached. He wanted to ask what “they” were. The burdens. The fears. Who had put them there?

Instead…He simply moved his coffee onto the bench beside him. Then reached over carefully. Not grabbing. Not forcing. Just turning his hand over, palm facing upward between them. An invitation. Nothing more. Felix stared at it. It was such a small gesture. Ridiculously small. No demands. No expectations. Just…A choice.

His fingers hovered uncertainly. Years of instinct screamed at him not to. Don’t get attached. Don’t trust people. Don’t make them targets.

But another voice, quieter, smaller, One he barely recognized anymore, whispered…

You’re tired. So unbelievably tired Felix.

Slowly… Almost fearfully…

Felix placed his hand in Hyunjin’s. Hyunjin didn’t squeeze. Didn’t react. He simply let their hands rest together on the bench. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. Felix looked down at their hands. Then laughed quietly through the last of his tears.

“You know…”

Hyunjin tilted his head.

“What?”

“I think…”

A tiny, genuine smile finally appeared.

“…you’re the first person who’s ever made me feel safe.”

Hyunjin forgot how to breathe. His chest tightened so painfully it almost hurt. He smiled back. Soft. Warm.

“I’m glad you ran into me.”

Felix looked at him for a long moment. Then shook his head. A quiet laugh escaped him.

“You know…”

“What?”

“I don’t think we actually ran into each other by accident. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. You came here on purpose.”

Hyunjin’s eyes went from confusion, then he widened them just enough to give himself away. Felix’s smile grew a fraction.

“It was the second coffee that gave you away.”

Hyunjin looked down at the untouched cup in his other hand.

“…I can explain.”

Felix let out the smallest laugh Hyunjin had ever heard. For just a moment… The emptiness disappeared. And Hyunjin silently promised himself that one day…That smile wouldn’t disappear again.

The smile lingered between them for only a moment before the reality of what had just happened settled back over the bench. Felix became painfully aware that he was still holding Hyunjin’s hand. His ears burned.

“Oh.”

He pulled his hand back so quickly it almost looked like he’d touched something hot.

“I-”

There it was again. Hyunjin laughed before he could finish.

“Don’t.”

Felix blinked.

“…Don’t what?”

“Apologize.”

“…I wasn’t going to.”

“You 100 percent were.”

“…Maybe.”

Hyunjin grinned.

“I knew it.”

For the first time that day, Felix rolled his eyes.

“You’re insufferable.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I believe that.”

Hyunjin clutched a hand dramatically over his chest.

“That one actually hurt.”

“It was meant to.”

“Oh, so you’re funny now?”

“I’ve always been funny.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Felix looked at him with mock offense.

“You’ve known me for… what? A few weeks?”

“And?”

“And that’s hardly enough time to properly evaluate my sense of humor.”

“I’ve evaluated it.”

“And?”

“It needs work.”

Felix let out another quiet laugh. It surprised both of them. The sound faded into another comfortable silence. This one lasted longer. Neither of them seemed eager to break it.

Eventually Felix spoke.

“…Thank you.”

Hyunjin looked over.

“For not asking.”

“Asking what?”

“The questions.”

Hyunjin followed Felix’s gaze toward the sidewalk. There were hundreds of questions sitting on the tip of Hyunjin’s  tongue.

Who are ‘they’? Why were you so scared? Why did you think someone would hurt me? Who made you cry like that?

Instead he shrugged lightly.

“You’ll tell me if you want to.”

Felix’s throat tightened.

“You make it sound easy.”

“I don’t think it’ll be easy.”

Hyunjin smiled softly.

“I just don’t think it has to happen today.”

Felix stared at him. No pressure. No bargains. No conditions. Just… Whenever you’re ready. His chest ached.

“…They’re dangerous.”

The words escaped before he could stop them. Hyunjin stayed quiet.

“If they knew…”

Felix swallowed.

“…if they knew you mattered to me…”

His voice disappeared.

“I don’t know what they’d do.”

Hyunjin felt something cold settle in his stomach. He couldn’t tell Felix, but he felt the same way. He needs to keep Felix out of that side of his life as much as possible. None of his enemies or competitors could know. But what made his chest ache the most was Felix feeling the same way. Because Felix sounded like he believed them. Really believed them.

“They’ve made it very clear…” Felix continued quietly, staring at his hands.

“…that people become weaknesses.”

Another silence. Hyunjin wanted to argue. To tell Felix no one got to decide that. But looking at him… He realized logic wasn’t going to undo years of fear. Plus he knew all too well about people using other people as leverage.

Instead he asked quietly,

“Is that why you kept pushing me away?”

Felix laughed once. A sad, tired sound.

“I thought if you hated me…”

He looked down.

“…you’d be safer.”

Hyunjin’s chest tightened.

“I don’t think I could hate you.”

Felix’s eyes lifted.

“You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

Hyunjin smiled.

“I know you like fruity drinks. And that you like to flirt with cute bartenders.” Hyunjin gives an over dramatic wink and Felix huffs another laugh.

“I know you apologize every three minutes. I know you pretend you’re okay even when you’re very obviously not.”

Felix looked away.

“And…”

Hyunjin hesitated.

“…I know the person sitting beside me is trying really hard to protect everyone except himself.”

The words landed harder than Hyunjin intended. Felix didn’t answer. Because he couldn’t. Because… It was true.

After a long while Felix whispered,

“…I’m scared.”

Hyunjin looked at him. Felix wasn’t looking back.

“I’m scared that if I let you get close…”

His fingers curled together.

“…they’ll notice.”

The tiny smile he’d worn minutes ago disappeared.

“And if they notice…”

He couldn’t finish. He didn’t have to. Hyunjin understood enough. Not the details. Not the people. Not the history. But the fear. He also felt it when they had their first interaction. The fear of letting down walls and letting yourself be truly seen by someone. But instead of saying anything, he slowly stood.

Felix looked up, confused.

“…Where are you going?”

Hyunjin held out his hand. Felix looked at it. Again.

“I think…”

Hyunjin smiled sheepishly.

“…we’ve had enough heavy conversations for one day.”

Felix raised an eyebrow.

“So?”

“So…”

Hyunjin shrugged.

“You owe me a walk.”

“I owe you?”

“You kidnapped me.”

Felix stared.

“…I didn’t kidnap you.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I simply took you briskly away.”

“I know.”

“…okay yeah I panicked. I’m not very good at panicking.”

“No,” Hyunjin laughed.

Despite everything… Felix smiled again. Small. Real. And this time… It stayed just a little longer.

They left the park without deciding where they were going. It simply happened. Hyunjin fell into step beside Felix, matching his pace without thinking. Neither of them spoke. The city carried the conversation for them instead; the distant rumble of traffic, snippets of laughter drifting from outdoor cafés, shoes tapping against cracked sidewalks.

Normally, silence between two people felt awkward. This one didn’t. It felt… Fragile. Like speaking too loudly might break whatever had settled between them.

Felix kept his hands buried deep inside his coat pockets. His fingers were still cold. Not from the weather. From the adrenaline and fear that still clings to his bones.

You cried. In front of someone.

The thought alone made his stomach twist.

Not just someone. Hyunjin. The same man he’d spent weeks convincing himself to keep at arm’s length, or well it was more of keeping him out of his life in general. But he’d failed. Spectacularly. Every wall he’d spent years building had collapsed in the span of a few minutes.

He should regret it. He wanted to regret it. So why… Why did his chest feel lighter? Only by a little. Just enough to notice. Just enough to be dangerous.

His eyes drifted sideways. Hyunjin was watching the sidewalk instead of him. He wasn’t asking questions. He wasn't looking at Felix with pity. Wasn’t pretending nothing had happened, either. He was simply… Walking beside him.

The realization made something ache inside Felix. He wasn’t used to people staying after seeing the cracks, or even seeing that there were cracks in the first place. Hyunjin could practically hear Felix thinking. Not the words. The weight. It surrounded him.

Even now, with the panic attack behind him, Felix walked like someone waiting for the world to shift beneath his feet. Every few blocks his gaze flicked behind them. Quick. Automatic. Almost unconscious. Nobody was there. Still… He kept checking. Hyunjin pretended not to notice. He had a feeling pointing it out would only make Felix more self-conscious.

Instead, Hyunjin found himself wondering, How long has Felix been living like this? Days? Months? Years? The thought settled heavily in his chest.

Whatever happened back there… Whatever “they” meant… It wasn’t temporary. Fear like that didn’t appear overnight. It was learned. Repeated. Seared into your very being. Hyunjin knew all too well, the feeling of the grip of fear. Fear wore people into someone else, someone who would always turn others away to keep them safe. It would twist a person until they can’t recognize themselves in the mirror.

Hyunjin’s  grip tightened around his untouched coffee. He wanted to ask. He wanted to know everything.

Who hurt you? Who taught you to apologize for crying, or hell for breathing ? Who made you believe caring about someone was dangerous?

But every answer would come at a cost. And Hyunjin wasn’t willing to make Felix pay it before he was ready.

Felix broke the silence first.

“…You’re thinking.”

Hyunjin looked over.

“So are you.”

“…Fair.”

A tiny smile tugged at Hyunjin’s mouth.

“What gave me away?”

“You’ve frowned at the same crack in the sidewalk for almost a minute.”

Hyunjin looked down.

“…I have?” Hyunjin hadn’t even realized. 

“You almost walked into a mailbox.”

“I was conducting important research.” Hyunjin says unconvincingly.

Felix raised an eyebrow.

“On?”

“…Mailboxes.”

Another pause.

“They’re fascinating.”

Felix let out a quiet huff of laughter.

Hyunjin smiled. There it is. For a moment… The heaviness lifted. Just enough.