Han stared down at his hands, silent. Chaewon stayed next to him, the air between them quiet but heavy.
Finally, after a stretch of silence, Han spoke. "I feel so bad for Seokmin. Somehow I'm to blame for his breakup."
The words startled Chaewon. He frowned and asked softly, "How so?"
Han exhaled, a long, tired sigh. "Jisoo liked me before dating Seokmin," he said quietly.
Chaewon blinked, stunned. "Really?"
"Yes," Han continued, his eyes fixed somewhere far away. "It was a shock to me too. When I came back from England it was… hard. High school was brutal. I got bullied a lot. And Jisoo saved me. He brought me into his friend group, introduced me to the boxing club so I could defend myself."
"You know boxing?" Chaewon asked, eyebrows rising.
Han let out a little laugh. "No. I quit. It's too much effort. Boxing takes so much discipline. I get bored easily."
Chaewon smirked. "But basketball also takes a lot of energy."
Han brightened, his eyes sparking with a hint of nostalgia. "Do you know Jisoo was the one who introduced me to basketball? I learned everything from him. He was so talented—everyone liked him. He was brilliant at studying too, always somewhere in the top twenty of the class."
Chaewon blinked again. Top twenty sounded average to him, but Han's tone made it sound like an achievement.
Han kept talking, the memories spilling out. "He took me everywhere—games, karaoke, the aquarium, even the gym. We became such good friends. But something about him was always off. He always watched over Seungmin. Seungmin, the boy who never spoke to anyone, always talked to Jisoo. I'd see him bringing breakfast for Seungmin in the mornings. They'd meet secretly on the rooftop. And me… I felt insecure. Because I really liked Seungmin. Everyone knew it."
Han's voice softened as he remembered. "One day at Minho's party, during a truth or dare game, they asked if I had a crush. I said Seungmin's name. Jisoo got so annoyed he left the room. I followed him and told him, if he liked Seungmin, he should try. I didn't want to ruin our friendship for a love. But then he looked at me and kissed me. Right there. He said, 'Can't you just like me? Is there something wrong with me? Why do you like him? Just like me. I'll treat you better.' After that things were… awkward. He stopped talking to me. Soon after, from what I remember, I started dating Seungmin. And a few days later Jisoo introduced Seokmin as his boyfriend. I thought maybe he was moving on. I never knew he was still into me."
Chaewon listened quietly, his thoughts spinning. From the day he met these people, he hadn't seen a single straight relationship. It felt like he'd stumbled into a completely different lgbt world. Still, he kept his voice gentle. "Don't blame yourself. Maybe they had some other reason for breaking up. It's been years. I don't think he's still into you. You are just overthinking."
Han nodded slowly and said maybe you are right i am overthinking but still I feel really bad for seokmin he is my baby I really brought him up as my own child. After a moment he stood. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me up at four."
Chaewon watched him go, then wandered into the kitchen. The sink was piled high with dishes. He sighed, muttering under his breath, "I'm truly just a maid here."