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yeonjun wasn't stupid.
he had watched it all unfold right before his eyes—slow, torturous, like watching sand slip through an hourglass, knowing you couldn't stop it. heeseung and yuwon. whatever it was between them had been growing, almost imperceptibly at first, in those fleeting glances, the casual touches that lingered too long. it started small—too small for anyone to notice, but yeonjun wasn't just anyone.
he saw how yuwon's guard came down whenever she was around heeseung, how her lips would twitch into the kind of smile yeonjun hadn't seen in a long time. it pissed him off, to put it simply. not just because he liked her—he did, maybe more than he ever cared to admit—but because he could feel it slipping away. his spot. his place in her life, her heart, whatever it was, was being snatched from him, inch by inch, until there was nothing left but a hollow space where he used to stand.
it wasn't like yuwon made it easy for anyone. she was unattainable in that way—like a star you could admire from afar but never get close enough to touch. and maybe, that's why yeonjun wanted her. to him, she wasn't just some girl. she was a prize, a conquest, proof that he could—no, should—win. she was the measure of how far he had come, how much he had changed. and god, he wanted that validation. he wanted to hold her hand in front of everyone and say, look at me, look at what I got.
but now, heeseung was getting too close. yeonjun knew what kind of guy heeseung was, knew the way he carried himself—easy, effortless, like he had the world wrapped around his finger. and maybe he did. maybe that was the problem. yeonjun couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing, that he was being edged out, replaced by someone who could make yuwon smile in ways he couldn't anymore. jealousy gnawed at his insides, raw and relentless, a constant reminder of how out of control he was becoming.
he needed to make a move. now.
yeonjun spotted them across the courtyard, laughter spilling from their corner of the world, like they were in their own bubble. yuwon's laugh—it was light, airy, a sound that made his stomach twist with envy. and heeseung was right there beside her, too close, his shoulder brushing hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. yeonjun's hands balled into fists at his sides, knuckles white, but his expression was completely indifferent. nonchalance was his armor, and he wore it well.
without hesitation, he sauntered over, shoulders loose, stride easy. he made sure heeseung saw him coming, made sure he knew he was about to shake things up. his heart was racing, pounding in his chest like a war drum, but on the outside, yeonjun was calm, collected. if this was a battlefield, he would fight to the end. he stopped right in front of them, standing tall, casting a long shadow over the little moment they had going.
"yuwon" he drawled, voice smooth as ever, "you know i've been thinking about this a lot and maybe i thought it would be time to ask you. . . would you like to go out with me?"
