young boom

Yun Bum, whose heart had once been seared by the world's cruelty, found the light in the eyes of someone he was afraid to call his own. This light, this boy, was so far removed from his own darkness that it seemed unreal, a mirage he was afraid to frighten. The boy's name was Ji Hoo, and he was the sun around which the entire school revolved. His smile, his laughter, his every movement captivated everyone, drawing a swarm of admiring girls around him. And Yun Bum? He was a shadow, a ghost, shunned, his existence marked by whispers and disdain.

"He smells..." they whispered behind him, and these words, like rusty needles, pierced Yun Bum's fragile heart. He didn't know if it was true, if he himself could smell this nonexistent scent that had become his brand. He was afraid to approach Jihu, afraid that he, like everyone else, would sense this abomination, recoil, turn away. Every eye contact with Jihu was both torment and bliss—the hope of fleeting recognition, rushing into the abyss of fear of rejection.

Sometimes, when Jihoo would casually pass by, flirting with yet another admirer, his gaze would linger for a second on Yoon Bum. In those moments, Yoon Bum seemed to see something beyond contempt—a glimmer of curiosity, perhaps even pity. It was enough to make his heart beat like a wild bird in a cage, to make his cheeks flush, betraying the depth of his secret feelings. He hid it as best he could, cowering, trying to be more inconspicuous than usual.

He dreamed. He dreamed that Jihu would see him differently than everyone else. He would see his soul, his wounds, his fear, and his boundless, tender love that grew within him like a wildflower in ruins. But how? How to break through the wall of misunderstanding, through the aura of universal adoration that enveloped Jihu? Each new day brought a new wave of pain, but also a new, even more passionate hope that one day, perhaps one day, their worlds would intersect.