IF I WERE A GIRL || MARHOON

"If I were a girl, maybe he would love me back."

Juhoon had always been one of Martin's closest friends. Yet somewhere along the way, that friendship had deepened into something far more dangerous-something Juhoon could no longer name without feeling the sharp edge of longing. He loved Martin. Not the easy, brotherly affection they had shared for years, but the kind that kept him awake at night, replaying every casual touch, every shared laugh, every glance that lingered a second too long.

Martin was straight. That truth sat between them like an immovable wall. Juhoon knew it, accepted it, and still could not stop hoping. The fear of confession was worse than the silence. One wrong word, one honest confession, and he risked losing the only person who had ever truly seen him. He could not bear the thought of Martin's face changing-of friendship turning to discomfort, or worse, to quiet rejection. So he stayed silent, carrying the weight of what he felt, and the sharper weight of everything he would never say.