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felix tugged at the sleeves of his hoodie as he walked beside hyunjin, feeling a strange sense of comfort. it had become part of his routine now—hyunjin suggesting they head to the park after school, their quiet spot by the lake waiting for them. he still wasn’t used to spending so much time with someone else, but hyunjin made it easy. natural.
at school, things weren’t so bad anymore. felix still kept to himself during breaks, but now he wasn’t really alone. hyunjin would hang around, asking casual questions about class or suggesting small things like getting some fresh air between lessons. felix didn’t always talk much, but he didn’t feel like he had to. it was enough that hyunjin was there.
now, they were walking to the park again. the autumn air was getting cooler, but it wasn’t cold enough to bite just yet. the fading sunlight filtered through the trees, making the whole place feel a little more peaceful.
“this is really becoming our spot,” hyunjin said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.
felix glanced at him, feeling something warm bloom in his chest. “yeah... i guess it is,” he said, his voice quiet but tinged with a small smile. it felt good, being here. like something was beginning to fit.
they found their usual bench, sitting down without a word. felix’s fingers absentmindedly fiddled with the heart locket around his neck—hyunjin’s gift. it was small but significant, and felix often caught himself holding it when he needed to feel grounded.
for a while, they didn’t say anything, both lost in the quiet rustling of the leaves and the soft ripple of water from the nearby lake. then, out of nowhere, hyunjin spoke again.
“your freckles are cute,” hyunjin said, his tone casual but sincere.
felix blinked, feeling his face grow warm. “you can barely see them now,” he mumbled, looking away. “it’s fall, so they’re fading.”
“nah, i can see them all,” hyunjin replied, leaning in just slightly. before felix could react, hyunjin’s finger gently brushed against his cheek, starting to count. “one... two... three...”
felix froze. his heart thudded loudly in his chest, each brush of hyunjin’s finger sending a small jolt through him. he didn’t know what to do—part of him wanted to pull away, but another part... another part wanted to stay, to let hyunjin keep counting. it felt nice, in a way that made him feel shy and exposed.
“four... five... six...” hyunjin continued, his finger tracing over felix’s skin as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
felix’s cheeks were burning now, and he ducked his head slightly, trying to hide how flustered he felt. “o-okay, you don’t have to count them all,” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.
hyunjin chuckled softly but stopped, dropping his hand back into his lap. “sorry, i couldn’t help it. they’re cute.”
felix didn’t know how to respond to that. cute? no one had ever called his freckles cute before. it made him feel... strange. like he wasn’t used to being noticed like this, not in a way that made him feel seen.
they sat in silence after that, but it wasn’t awkward. hyunjin seemed relaxed, staring out at the lake as if nothing had happened, while felix quietly dealt with the fact that his heart was still racing.
as they got up to leave, their hands brushed for a moment. felix’s breath caught, but hyunjin didn’t seem to notice—he just gave a small, casual smile and continued walking. felix, on the other hand, was left with the warmth of the contact lingering on his skin.
they walked back together, the comfortable quiet returning between them. felix thought about how much had changed in such a short time. how hyunjin made him feel less invisible, how these moments—though small—were becoming something he started to look forward to.
but even though he felt a little more at ease, there was still that familiar hesitation, that cautious voice in the back of his mind reminding him to be careful. things were getting closer, but he didn’t know how close he could let them get.
“hey,” hyunjin said as they neared the edge of the park. “same time tomorrow?”
felix hesitated, glancing at him. “yeah,” he said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “same time.”
as he walked home, felix found himself touching the heart locket again, feeling the weight of it settle against his chest. maybe, just maybe, he was starting to find a little more than just a friend in hyunjin.
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