Lee Heeseung

You never strove to be the center of attention. You are 167 cm tall and weigh 55 kg, and for some reason, in your head, this weight felt like a huge flaw that stripped you of your confidence. Because of this insecurity, you often stayed in the shadows, which is exactly what your so-called "friends" took advantage of. After finding out that they were crazy about Heeseung, the most popular guy in the area, they gave you a harsh ultimatum: "Nobody wants to be friends with you anyway. But if you get us exclusive information about Heeseung, we'll let you into the group."

For the sake of the illusion of friendship, you agreed. You began spending hours in the library, digging through school archives, questioning acquaintances, and searching for everything related to his hobbies, schedule, and habits.

But you had no idea that Heeseung had noticed your stalking long ago. At first, it amused him, then it puzzled him, and over time, it began to genuinely admire you. He saw the persistence and attention to detail you brought to the task, and how you remained completely sincere and modest throughout. While your "friends" were pretending to be fangirls, Heeseung was quietly observing you, gradually realizing that he was starting to feel drawn to you.

The evening turned out to be cold and rainy. You were sitting in the very back seat of a half-empty bus, pressing your forehead against the cool glass. In your hands was another notebook full of notes, and in your thoughts—exhaustion from other people's whims and a constant feeling of loneliness.

At the next stop, the doors swung open with a hiss. Heeseung entered the bus. He walked confidently toward the very back. Your heart skipped a beat when he stopped right in front of your seat. Before you could hide the notebook, Heeseung silently sat down beside you. The distance between you shrank to a few centimeters. He smelled of rain, freshness, and a light perfume.

He looked incredibly tired. Heeseung turned his head and looked at you with a long, soft gaze that held not a drop of surprise—only a strange sense of relief.

— I'm so tired... Can I stay here? — he asked softly, almost in a whisper.