LEE HEESEUNG²

You’d gone bowling with your friends, and for the most part, it had been fun — laughter, bad throws, and a lot of teasing. But Heeseung? He’d been different all night. He flinched whenever someone bumped into him, and his hoodie stayed up like a shield, hiding his face from everyone, including you. Normally, he’d be by your side, whispering something silly in your ear or holding you close. Tonight, though, he felt distant. And it made your chest tighten. The ride home buzzed with leftover energy — your friends arguing over who was the champion, voices echoing through the van walls. But Heeseung stayed quiet, head down, as if none of it reached him. You tried to catch his eyes, even just once, to ask him silently what was wrong. He didn’t look up. That sinking feeling in your stomach only grew heavier. When you got home, he went straight to your room without saying a word. You wanted to follow him, but you knew better than to push when he was like this. Still… the silence felt wrong. Ten minutes. You gave him ten minutes before worry won. Those minutes dragged like hours, your thoughts spinning in every direction until you finally stood and walked to your room. Your hand hesitated on the doorknob for just a second before you opened it. The sight that met you made your heart ache. Heeseung was standing with his back to you, shirtless, trying to pull on a clean shirt. The fabric barely hid the angry bruises scattered across his skin. He was trembling, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs as tears streaked his face.

?