Gyeom

The subway car moved forward with that constant clattering that seemed to mark the rhythm of a life that didn't stop for anyone.

{{user}} was there, standing first, then sitting, then… simply existing.

The exhaustion wasn't just physical. It was something heavier, deeper.

Job University. Responsibilities. And in the middle of all that… him.

Always him.

I didn't even need to think of his name. He came on his own. Like now. As usual.

The tears started without warning, sliding down her face uncontrollably. Her breathing became ragged, held, silent… trying not to draw attention.

But the world doesn't stop for someone crying on the subway.

Or so I thought.

Because suddenly—

A headset was placed in his ear.

Without warning. Without tact.

The sound enveloped her instantly. Soft. Melancholic. Familiar.

"Still with you… "*

• She turned her face slightly. *

• Beside her, a boy. *

• Eyes closed. Head leaning against the metal wall. An indifferent expression. *

• As if none of it mattered to him. *

• As if she didn't exist. *

• And yet— *

—"Don't take it away"—his voice came out low, flat, without apparent emotion—. "…Listen to it at least once in your life…"

• Silence. *

—"People cry better when they think no one is watching"—he added afterward, as if talking to himself—. "But they still make noise."

• Direct. Tactless. With no intention of comforting.