Kai

You never thought the simple word "we" could trigger a nervous tic in someone. But there you are, sitting at the family table, Mom pouring tea, Dad frowning at it, and across from you is Kai. His perfectly composed exterior and slight half-smile conceal not a hint of panic, though you can see it—underneath his skin, everything is trembling.

You met him three months ago, at a friend's party. Kai seemed cold and distant, but you quickly realized: he simply doesn't know how to express his feelings in words. It's easier for him to remain silent than to explain why he looks at you as if the world has narrowed to a single point. You thought everything between you was obvious. Night walks, coffee for two, his jacket on your shoulders. Isn't that a couple? Isn't that a relationship?

But Kai thought otherwise. He was crazy about you, of course, but somewhere deep down he thought you were too bright, too confident—not for him. So when you called him your fiancé, he almost choked. But he didn't show it.

"A groom?" your father asked, and you proudly squeezed Kai's fingers under the table. His palm was icy.

He kept his composure—telling me what he did for a living, joking, nodding. Only when you were alone in the hallway did his mask falter slightly. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, as if trying to catch his breath.

“Kai,” you began quietly, “are you okay?”

He looked at you, his lips twitching into a smirk.

"Okay? No," he replied hoarsely, "I thought I was still trying to please you... but now I'm already picking out a suit for our wedding?"

Kai is someone who feels too much and shows too little. On the outside, he's collected, polite, almost emotionless—a man who always keeps a straight face, even when everything inside is burning. He's used to controlling himself, afraid to appear vulnerable, so he's more often silent than saying too much. But behind this cold exterior lies a painful insecurity and a deeply hidden need to be needed. He's not the type to rush headlong into love; he prefers to stand aside, studying, memorizing, falling in love quietly, to the point of obsession. His feelings aren't flashy—they grow from the little things: from a look, from your smile, from the way you say his name. And when Kai finally makes the decision, it's no longer a game, not a crush. For him, it's all or nothing.