Chapter Text
The last rays of sunlight filtered through the cracked windows as San and Wooyoung wrapped up their photography session. They had spent the afternoon capturing the decay of the old building, its peeling paint and broken windows mirroring the hidden emotions they were trying to convey through their project. San was reviewing some of the shots when he noticed a figure approaching in the distance.
It was Hyunjin.
San’s stomach tightened at the sight of him. There was something off about the way Hyunjin moved—his steps were deliberate, his eyes fixed on Wooyoung like a predator zeroing in on its prey. The easy smile that usually graced Hyunjin’s face was gone, replaced by something darker.
Wooyoung must have felt it too because he straightened up, his relaxed demeanor shifting into something more cautious. He turned just as Hyunjin reached them.
“What’s going on here?” Hyunjin’s voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of tension that made San’s skin crawl. He stood too close to Wooyoung, his hand hovering near Wooyoung’s wrist in a way that felt more like a claim than a touch.
“We’re working on our project,” Wooyoung replied, his voice steady but guarded. He didn’t step away, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something that San couldn’t quite place.
Hyunjin’s gaze shifted to San, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I see. You seem to be spending a lot of time together lately.”
San opened his mouth to say something, but Wooyoung beat him to it. “It’s just a project, Hyunjin. Don’t make it into something it’s not.”
Hyunjin’s jaw clenched. “I’m not making it into anything. I’m just… making sure you’re not forgetting who’s really there for you.”
Wooyoung’s expression faltered for a moment, and San saw it—just a flash of doubt, of something deeper. But then Wooyoung squared his shoulders, pulling his wrist out of Hyunjin’s reach. “I’m not forgetting anything. But this isn’t about you.”
There was a heavy silence, one that seemed to stretch on far too long. Hyunjin’s eyes flickered with something dangerous, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he turned on his heel, walking away without another word.
Wooyoung watched him go, his face unreadable, but San could feel the tension radiating off him. He wanted to ask if Wooyoung was okay, but something in Wooyoung’s expression told him it wasn’t the right time.
Later that evening, Wooyoung found himself alone in his room, the weight of the day pressing down on him. Hyunjin’s words echoed in his mind, stirring up memories he had tried to bury. He leaned against his bed, his mind drifting back to a conversation with Yeosang from just a few weeks ago.
Flashback:
“Wooyoung, you know this is toxic, right?” Yeosang’s voice was calm but firm, his eyes filled with concern. They were sitting in Yeosang’s apartment, the remains of takeout scattered on the table between them.
Wooyoung had laughed it off at the time, but it was a hollow sound. “You don’t understand. Hyunjin… he saved me. He wasn’t always like this.”
Yeosang sighed, leaning forward. “I know he saved you. I know your history. But things have changed, Woo. You’ve changed.”
Wooyoung shook his head, the familiar knot of guilt tightening in his chest. “He wasn’t like this. We grew up together. We looked out for each other when no one else did. Everything used to be so bright, Yeosang. It wasn’t like this in the beginning.”
“But that was before,” Yeosang pressed. “Before college. Before everything got… complicated. You’re not good for each other anymore. You know that.”
Wooyoung swallowed hard, looking away. He had known it for a long time, but hearing it from Yeosang made it real in a way he wasn’t ready to accept. “I… I owe him.”
Yeosang’s voice softened, his gaze never leaving Wooyoung’s. “You don’t owe him your happiness, Wooyoung. You don’t owe him your future.”
Present:
Wooyoung’s heart ached at the memory. He had spent so long telling himself that staying with Hyunjin was the right thing to do, that he owed Hyunjin for being there when no one else was. But now, after everything that had happened, he could feel the cracks forming—the realization that maybe Yeosang had been right all along.
He didn’t owe Hyunjin his happiness. He didn’t owe Hyunjin his life.
For so long, he had stayed because it felt like the only option, like leaving would be a betrayal. But he was betraying himself by staying. He was stuck in an endless cycle of guilt, of obligation, of memories that no longer reflected the reality of their relationship. And the more he clung to the past, the more it was destroying both of them.
Wooyoung stood, pacing the room as his thoughts raced. He wasn’t afraid of Hyunjin. They had grown up together, shared their most vulnerable moments. But that was the problem—Hyunjin knew him too well. He knew how to pull Wooyoung back, to use their shared history as a chain, keeping Wooyoung tethered to him.
But now, Wooyoung could see the truth: the chain had become a cage, and he was the only one who could break it.
The next day, Wooyoung found Hyunjin waiting for him outside the dorm. The same tension from the day before hung between them, but this time, Wooyoung felt different. Lighter, maybe. Stronger.
“Wooyoung,” Hyunjin started, his voice soft, almost apologetic. “About yesterday—”
“We need to talk,” Wooyoung cut him off, his voice steady. Hyunjin blinked, clearly surprised, but he didn’t argue.
They walked to a secluded spot on campus, the weight of the moment hanging in the air. Wooyoung could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but he kept his gaze fixed on Hyunjin.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Wooyoung said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying the weight of every unspoken word between them.
Hyunjin’s eyes widened, his breath catching. “What… what are you saying?”
Wooyoung swallowed hard, the lump in his throat threatening to choke him. “We’re not the same people we used to be. We’ve changed. And this… this is hurting both of us. I’ve been holding on because I thought I owed you, but I can’t keep sacrificing myself for a version of us that doesn’t exist anymore.”
Hyunjin looked at him, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion. “Wooyoung, I—”
“I’m not saying you’re a bad person,” Wooyoung continued, his voice trembling slightly. “But we’re not good for each other anymore. I need to let go. We need to let go.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Wooyoung could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, but for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel trapped. He felt free.
Hyunjin opened his mouth to protest, but then something in his eyes shifted. Maybe he had known this moment was coming, too.
Without another word, Wooyoung turned and walked away, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the empty space between them. And for the first time in years, he felt like he was walking toward something instead of away from it.