perfect actors|| hyunlix ❀

Chapter 43

Something was wrong with Felix.

It had been weeks since the interview, and at first, everything seemed fine. We fell back into our routine: late-night talks, lazy mornings, and kisses between work schedules. But slowly, I started noticing the change. It was subtle at first, the kind of thing you wouldn't pick up on if you weren't paying attention.

But I was always paying attention to him.

Felix had started pulling away.

He wasn't distant in the obvious ways—not cold, not rude. But he was... somewhere else. His mind, his heart, something wasn't here with me like it used to be. He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. His laughter was softer, quieter like he was forcing it. He still kissed me good morning, still curled into me at night, but something was missing.

And the worst part?

I didn't know why.

I tried not to let it get to me, but I wasn't good at pretending. It was affecting me in ways I couldn't even control. My mind wandered during shoots, during meetings, even when I was reviewing scripts. I got called out for not paying attention more than once, and each time, I found myself gripping my phone, staring at his name, debating whether I should call.

But he barely picked up when I did.

And when he did answer, his voice was distant, clipped.

"I'm busy, Jinnie. I'll talk to you later."

Later never came.

 I thought he might be overwhelmed with work—his company had skyrocketed, and his schedule was packed with endless meetings, shoots, and campaigns. But then I noticed something else.

Felix was talking to Yuri more. And Yulbi.

I wasn't jealous. At least, not in the way most people would think. I trusted Felix, I always had. But it was the fact that he could talk to them, could reach out to them, when he wouldn't even let me in that was driving me insane.

What was he hiding?

When lunch break came, I couldn't take it anymore. I called him, gripping my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

He answered on the fourth ring.

"Felix."

"Hyunjin." His voice was neutral.

"What's going on with you?" I got straight to the point. "You're distant. You barely talk to me anymore. You're keeping something from me."

A beat of silence.

"Felix."

"It's nothing," he said, voice flat. "You don't have to worry."

I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. "Are you serious right now? You say that, but you're talking to Yuri and Yulbi more than me. What's going on?"

Felix sighed. "Hyunjin, drop it."

"No, I won't. Not until you—"

Click.

He hung up.

I stared at my phone in disbelief, my stomach twisting. Felix never hung up on me. Never.

The drive home that night was tense.

I walked into the apartment, locking the door behind me. Felix was already there, sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. When I entered, he looked up, and for a second, something flickered in his eyes, something that looked a lot like guilt.

I exhaled sharply. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong now, or will you just keep shutting me out?"

Felix set his phone down and rubbed his temples. "Hyunjin, it's nothing. I swear. I just... I just have a lot on my mind."

"Then tell me," I said, stepping closer. "Talk to me, Lix. I'm right here."

But he just shook his head, forcing a small smile. "It's fine. Don't overthink it."

Don't overthink it. He was telling me not to overthink, which was like telling the ocean not to be deep.

But I was tired. Tired of pushing, tired of feeling like I was the only one fighting to keep this from slipping through my fingers. So I let it go, even though it ate me up inside.

"Okay," I said quietly.

Felix's expression softened. He stood up, taking my hand in his. "Come to bed?"

I nodded, even though something inside me told me that sleeping wouldn't make this feeling go away.

That night when we lay in bed, something felt different.

We were facing each other, just like always. His hand rested over my waist, my fingers brushed against his. But it wasn't the same. Our bodies were close, but the space between our hearts felt immeasurable.

Before, our breathing had always matched up, a steady rhythm of in and out, perfectly in sync.

Tonight, they didn't.

Tonight, Felix's breath was uneven, as if he were holding something in. And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to reach him.