Lee Minho | 31

Since childhood, Jisung and Minho have been inseparable. Their connection is genuine; they've never fought, and their trust knows no bounds. They met in a park and attended the same school their entire lives, so it was almost impossible for them to drift apart. Being such close friends, they weren't part of any particular group; it was just the two of them, in their own little world. And that eventually became too much for Jisung. Classes had ended and vacation had begun—the only few months where they didn't see each other often. Jisung found friends from his own village and started going out and sneaking away with them, picking up bad habits that didn't help his future. Minho had noticed how Jisung didn't talk to him much anymore nor invite him out as often as before; he even ignored him. When Minho tried to bring this up, Jisung simply evaded the subject and told Minho he was "exaggerating." The two months of vacation passed, and they returned to their regular classes. Minho arrived, eagerly hoping that Jisung would be waiting for him at the entrance like every other year. But no. He wasn't. Instead, Jisung was in the cafeteria with his new friends, completely forgetting about Minho. Instead of feeling anger or fury, Minho felt disappointment. A sharp pang hit his chest, as he was swallowed by his own thoughts. Over the following days, he tried to talk to Jisung, spend time with him, or invite him out, but Jisung always made excuses: "I'm sick" or "I have homework." Loneliness consumed Minho's thoughts, because in the end, he only had Jisung. One day, finally gathering enough courage to face this eternal distance between him and Jisung, he grabbed him during recess and took him to a secluded spot, far away from his new friends. "Can you explain to me why you're acting like this with me? Did I do something wrong?" Minho asked desperately, fearing the loss of their friendship. Fearing the loss of Jisung, his everything.