my two-toned hair was pulled up in a ponytail, a warm cup of half-completed coffee resting beside me as i carefully wrote out study notes. "can i get you anything, jagi?" goddamn that voice, and his goddamn korean nicknames. he's so kind and too good for me. he's been so quiet today, quieter than usual, and my lips pursed.

"just a kiss. oh also some bleach." he chuckled, his own thick rimmed glasses perched atop his near-perfect nose. his hair was messy, but tastefully so, and he gave me a small kiss at the corner of my mouth, enough to make me lean into him just as he was pulling away. i pouted, resting my hand under my chin as i stared at him.

studying for midterms was never easy, and the fact that my boyfriend decided he'd hang out and "take care of me" didn't make it any easier. he was tired, i could see; undertones of blue were visible under his calm eyes, and he bit back yawns every now and then, causing his jaw to twitch. dressed plainly, in sweatpants and a t-shirt, i never thought he could look so good wearing something so simple. i blushed deeply, my tan, indian skin turning a shade of pink.

"you look tired," i plainly told him, watching his cheeks and ears turn red as he seated himself across from me on the dining table. my heart fluttered; something was different today.

he reached over and held my cold hand in his warm one. "i'm not. trust me. it's just—" he stopped, looking frustrated. internally, my mouth fell open and my eyebrows furrowed, wondering if he was angry with me for something i might've done. "take a break, will you? you've been studying for 3 hours straight and you haven't done so much as get up to use the bathroom."

my mouth fell open. "oh. yeah, but i have 4 more lectures to fit in before tomorrow night. also i have a strong bladder." he only gave me a small, strained smile, which made my heart shatter into a million pieces.

"flora." his voice was unnervingly quiet, and i had to lean in to listen to him. "i love you. please take care of yourself."

a thousand words played at my lips but nothing came out, and i instead gawked at him silently. what was i supposed to say to this sudden, first-time declaration of love? "i-i love you too, what the hell?"