That evening Woonhak sat on the edge of Jaehyun's bed, eyes glued to the floor, his fingers twisting the hem of his sleeve. Jaehyun leaned against his desk, arms crossed, watching him with growing frustration.

"Woonhak," Jaehyun's voice was gentle, but edged with uncertainty, "what's going on with you lately?"

Woonhak's jaw clenched, his eyes refusing to meet Jaehyun's. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Jaehyun sighed, stepping closer. "You've been distant for days now. You barely talk to me, and when you do, it feels like you're just going through the motions." He hesitated, his voice softening. "Did I... did I do something wrong? Please tell me..."

Woonhak's heart twisted painfully at the hurt in Jaehyun's voice. He wanted to say no, to reassure him, but the words wouldn't come. His feelings were a tangled mess of fear and confusion. How could he explain that the very thing pulling him away was the growing affection he had for Jaehyun? The way his heart raced when Jaehyun smiled at him, or how safe he felt when they were together.

But for now the fear was louder than his heart. The fear that Jaehyun didn't feel the same. That if he let these feelings slip out, everything they had would shatter.

"It's not you," Woonhak muttered, his voice barely audible.

Jaehyun's brows furrowed, his confusion deepening. "Then what is it?" He reached out, his fingers brushing against Woonhak's hand. "You can talk to me."

Woonhak flinched at the touch and pulled his hand away. The movement was small, almost imperceptible, but it hit Jaehyun like a punch to the gut. He pulled his hand back slowly, the warmth in his eyes flickering.

"Why won't you let me in?" Jaehyun asked, his voice filled with hurt. "I thought... we were past this. I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you," Woonhak said, his voice strained, but the words felt hollow even to him.

"Then why are you shutting me out?" Jaehyun demanded, his patience fraying. "I feel like I'm standing here trying to hold onto you, and you're slipping away."

Woonhak's fingers curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms. He could feel the walls he'd built around his heart tightening, and it hurt. But the thought of letting Jaehyun see what was really there terrified him more.

"Maybe it's better this way," Woonhak whispered.

Jaehyun took a step back, his eyes widening with disbelief. "What are you talking about? Better for who?"

"For you!" Woonhak's voice rose, cracking under the weight of his emotions. "I don't want to mess things up for you. I don't want to... to make things complicated."

Jaehyun's expression twisted with pain. "You think caring about you is messing things up? You think you're just some complication to me?"

Woonhak's eyes shimmered, but he blinked the tears away. He didn't know how to explain that he was the one complicating things -that his feelings for Jaehyun felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode and ruin everything.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Woonhak said, his voice shaking.

Jaehyun's hands trembled at his sides. "No. You don't get to run away from this. From me."

Woonhak's chest tightened painfully, his breaths coming quicker. The room felt too small, too suffocating. He couldn't bear the look in Jaehyun's eyes- the confusion, the hurt, the desperation.

"I need to go," Woonhak choked out.

"Woonhak, wait-"

But Woonhak was already on his feet, pushing past Jaehyun before he could stop him. He barely registered the way Jaehyun's hand reached out but didn't make contact, or the way Jaehyun called his name one more time, his voice breaking.

He didn't stop. He didn't look back.

The door closed behind him with a quiet click, leaving Jaehyun alone in the silence that echoed louder than any shout.

---

Word count: 633

Happy birthday, Moonbin🤍🌙
I hope you're happy, wherever you are!🌸🤍
사랑해, 보고 싶어, 우리 천사야🤍✨