Lines Crossed (SanSang)

18

The next day, Yeosang walked into class with his heart pounding. His palms felt clammy, and he forced himself to take a deep breath, mentally preparing for what he knew would be an awkward encounter. He hadn't seen San since their tense conversation the previous day, and he wasn't ready to face the mess he'd created. But he couldn't avoid him forever.

As soon as he entered the room, his eyes found San sitting at their usual spot near the window. He looked up, catching Yeosang's gaze, and for a moment, there was a flicker of confusion in his eyes. But Yeosang forced a smile, as casual as he could muster, and walked over to sit beside him, trying to act as though everything was fine.

"Morning," Yeosang said, sliding into the chair next to San, his voice light but strained.

San blinked, his brows knitting together for a second before he returned a hesitant smile. "Hey. Morning."

Yeosang's heart raced, but he kept his expression neutral, pretending like nothing had happened between them. He tried to keep the atmosphere light, chatting about the class and other meaningless things, anything to avoid the awkwardness that hung in the air. San seemed to hesitate, clearly sensing that something wasn't right, but he didn't push it.

For the first few minutes, they sat in silence, both too aware of the tension but neither willing to acknowledge it.

San finally broke the quiet, turning to Yeosang with a frown. "Are we... okay?"

Yeosang swallowed hard, keeping his smile in place even though the question made his heart skip a beat. "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

San nodded slowly, though his expression didn't fully relax. It was clear he wasn't convinced, but for now, he seemed willing to drop it.

Class began, and Yeosang focused on the lecture, trying to ignore the way San's presence beside him made his skin prickle with awareness. Every glance San threw his way, every shift in his seat, felt like a reminder of the things unsaid between them. But Yeosang kept his focus straight ahead, determined not to let his feelings show.

He couldn't afford to ruin things any more than he already had.

As class ended, San stretched his arms above his head, letting out a tired sigh. "Wanna grab lunch later?"

Yeosang hesitated for a second, but he forced another smile, nodding. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good."

San gave him a faint grin before packing up his things, and for a moment, it felt like they were back to their old rhythm. Like nothing had changed.

But as Yeosang watched him walk ahead, his chest tightened. The truth gnawed at him, and no matter how hard he tried to pretend, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing control. The more he avoided the conversation, the more it festered between them, threatening to break everything apart.

And the worst part was, he didn't know how to fix it.

Yeosang trailed behind San as they left the classroom, his stomach twisting with a familiar, sinking feeling. He wanted so badly for things to go back to how they used to be—easy, comfortable—but no matter how much he tried to fake it, the distance between them felt impossible to ignore. He didn't know how to act around San anymore.

As they walked down the hall, San turned his head slightly, looking back over his shoulder. "You sure you're okay?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with concern.

Yeosang nodded quickly, too quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Really."

San slowed his pace until Yeosang was walking beside him. "You don't seem fine."

Yeosang felt his chest tighten again, but he kept his face neutral, shrugging casually. "I'm just tired, San. It's been a long week."

San looked at him for a long moment, clearly wanting to say more but holding back. "Alright," he finally said, though his tone wasn't entirely convinced.