Lines Crossed (SanSang)

16

Two weeks dragged on painfully for Yeosang. Each day bled into the next as he navigated the crowded hallways, a phantom moving through the sea of students. He felt like he was wearing an invisible cloak, one that shielded him from the world while trapping him in his own torment. Every time he caught a glimpse of San laughing with a group of girls or sharing a light-hearted moment with his new friends, it felt like a knife twisting in his heart. It was easier to look away, to retreat into silence, than to confront the tangled feelings that left him reeling.

When Friday finally arrived, Yeosang sought refuge in the familiar buzz of their favorite café, the one place that used to feel like home. He settled into their usual booth with Wooyoung, trying desperately to drown out the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. Though Wooyoung was animated, recounting stories about their classmates with his trademark enthusiasm, Yeosang felt trapped beneath a heavy cloud of guilt and confusion.

As he absentmindedly stirred his coffee, his mind drifted back to the kiss he shared with San—the warmth of it, the thrill, and how quickly it had turned to regret when he faced the reality of their friendship afterward. He barely registered Wooyoung's chatter until he felt a presence looming nearby.

His heart sank as he looked up and saw San entering the café, a bright smile lighting up his face. The sight sent a jolt of panic through Yeosang, and he muttered under his breath, "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Wooyoung asked, noticing the shift in Yeosang's demeanor.

"Nothing," he replied too quickly, ducking his head and hoping San wouldn't notice him in the corner. But fate had other plans. San's gaze locked onto him, and the warmth of his smile faltered for just a moment before he marched over, determination written all over his face.

"Yeosang!" San called, cutting through the café noise like a beacon.

Before Yeosang could formulate a response, San slid into the booth beside him, his demeanor shifting from cheerful to somber in an instant. "Can we talk?" he asked, his voice low, heavy with concern.

"Uh, yeah," Yeosang said, forcing a smile that felt foreign on his face. But deep down, he felt trapped, as if the walls were closing in around him.

"Alone." San said a little too serious.

"No we can just talk here why would we-." But before Yeosang could finish his sentence San grabbed his arm dragging him outside.

"I've been worried about you," San said, "You've been avoiding me all week. It's like you don't want me around anymore, and I don't get it."

Yeosang swallowed hard, the words tangled in his throat. "It's not like that," he insisted, though it felt like a lie. "I wasnt avoiding you. You're just reading too much into it."

San's brow furrowed, his disappointment palpable. "I don't want to read into anything, Yeosang. I just want my friend back. It feels like you're shutting me out. You walk to class late on purpose, you don't even come and sit with me like we used to and every lunch time u say u gotta go study with someone else."

"I'm not shutting you out," Yeosang shot back, the words slipping out more defensively than he intended. "I just... I have a lot going on. College is overwhelming, okay?"

"Maybe. But it doesn't feel like it," San replied, the hurt in his voice slicing through Yeosang's defenses. "You used to want to spend time with me. Now it feels like I'm invisible."

"Thats not true come on. Just grab a coffee and sit with us," Yeosang suggested, desperation creeping into his tone, trying to redirect the conversation, to ease the tension.

San sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I have somewhere to be." His eyes flickered with disappointment, and Yeosang could see the walls starting to close around San's heart as he processed the rejection.

"Right," Yeosang said quietly, nodding to avoid San's gaze. "As always" he mumbled. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words.

"I just wish you'd tell me what's really going on," San said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It hurts to feel like I'm losing you."

The way San said it made Yeosang's chest tighten. "You make it sound like we are dating," he laughs nervously tying to lighten the mood.

"I just don't understand," San replied, his voice cracking slightly. He looked at Yeosang with a mix of hurt and confusion, searching for something—an answer, a reason, a sign that everything was still okay between them. "What did i do that you are drifting away from me? Cant you just tell me?"

"Can we just go back inside? Woo is probably waiting." Yeosang suggested, his heart pounding.

San lingered for a moment, visibly hurt, then nodded slowly, deflated. "Yeah, okay. If that's what you want." He sighed "Go in then i gotta leave."

As San stood to leave, Yeosang felt a chasm open between them, filled with things left unsaid and emotions unexpressed. The weight of his own indecision settled heavily on him as he watched San walk away, each step further away from the connection they once had.

Yeosang walked back inside his feet suddenly feeling so heavy as he took each step. He sat back down on his place.

Wooyoung turned to Yeosang, concern etched across his face. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Yeosang mumbled, staring into his coffee cup, the swirling liquid reflecting his turmoil.

"Yeo-" Woo started but before he could say anything else Yeosang broke down.