°°The gentle pursuit: A heart's Awakening°°

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Heeseung couldn't help himself. He started finding excuses to touch Jake, brushing arms while walking, playfully tousling his hair, or giving him gentle nudges. It wasn't overt, but he hoped jake would pick up on the subtle cues. At first, jake didn't seem to notice, but heeseung persisted. He'd sit next to him at lunch, their legs touching, and "accidentally" bump shoulders while laughing. Jake would blush and smile, but heeseung couldn't tell if it was just friendship or something more.

One day, while studying together, heeseung "accidentally" rested his hand on jake's knee. Jake looked up, startled, and their eyes met. For a moment, they just stared, the tension between them palpable. Jake's face grew hot, and he quickly looked away, but heeseung could see the faintest glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. It was a start.

He'd give jake genuine compliments, telling him how much he admired his intelligence, sense of humor, or kindness. He'd find excuses to sit or stand close to jake, even when there was no need to. He'd maintain eye contact with jake for a little longer than usual, or frequently glance at him during conversations.

As the days went by, heeseung continued his gentle prodding. He'd whisper in jake's ear during class, making him shiver, or "steal" his pencil, their fingers touching. Jake started to seem more aware, his reactions more pronounced. Heeseung hoped that by being touchy-touchy, jake would realize his own feelings. He wanted jake to figure it out on his own, to feel the spark that heeseung couldn't ignore.

Even somedays as they're packing their books, heeseung would lean in close, his face inches from jake's. "Hey, want to grab some ice cream with me?" he would whisper, breath tickling jake's ear. Jake would shiver a little, but nod anyhow, and heeseung would grin, feeling like he was making progress.

The anticipation was thrilling, and heeseung couldn't wait to see if his plan would work. He'd catch jake gazing at him, a soft expression on his face, and wonder if he was getting through. Jake would smile at him, a little shyly, and heeseung's heart would skip a beat.

Their friends started to notice the change in their dynamic, too. Sunghoon would tease them, saying they were "joined at the hip," while jay and ni-ki would exchange knowing glances. But heeseung didn't care. He was too busy trying to get jake to realize his feelings.

As they spent more time together, heeseung started to notice little things about jake. The way he bit his lip when concentrating, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. Heeseung's heart would flutter, and he'd feel like he was drowning in his own emotions.

But he couldn't help himself. He was falling deeper and deeper in love with jake, and he didn't know how to stop. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to see where this journey would take them, if jake would finally realize his own feelings.

One day, while walking home from school, heeseung found himself walking closer to jake than usual. Their arms brushed, and Jake didn't pull away. Instead, he looked up at heeseung, a question in his eyes. Heeseung's heart skipped a beat as he met his gaze, wondering if this was the moment he'd been waiting for.

But jake just smiled and looked away, leaving heeseung wondering if he'd imagined the whole thing. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were getting closer, that jake was starting to feel the same way.

And so, heeseung continued his gentle pursuit, hoping that one day, jake would realize his own feelings and they could start a new chapter in their relationship. The anticipation was thrilling, and heeseung couldn't wait to see what the future held.

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