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The studio always smelled faintly of coffee and warm electronics, a mix of things that had stayed awake longer than they should have. The city outside was still alive, but softer. Headlights stretching into long lines on wet pavement, distant laughter from people heading home, the occasional sound of motorcycle cutting through the air. But inside Wonwoo's booth, everything narrowed down to one thing: his voice, and whoever was brave enough to answer it.
Midnight had always been Wonwoo's favorite hour.
Hindi dahil tahimik - kundi dahil doon lumalakas ang mga boses na hindi naririnig sa umaga. The studio lights were dim, intentionally warm. Nakasuot ang headphones, isang kamay nasa mixing console, ang isa naman ay hawak ang printed schedule ng mga callers. Wonwoo is not a fan of harsh white lighting. At mas feel niya ang vibes kapag dim ang loob ng kanyang studio. People sounded more honest in the dark. Kasi kahit alam niyang hindi siya nakikita ng mga callers, alam niyang may epekto pa rin ang atmosphere sa boses niya.
The red ON AIR sign flickered on.
Huminga siya ng malalim.
"Magandang magandang hatinggabi sa lahat ng ating tagapakinig! Saan ka man naroroon - pauwi ka man galing trabaho, ngayon ka pa lang kakain ng panggabihan, o di kaya ay gumagawa ng proyekto para sa eskuwela... o di kaya naman ay naghihintay sa update ng taong hindi mo naman jowa! Oo, ikaw! Huwag ka nang magtago, alam kong online ka rin ngayon. Welcome kayo dito sa After Midnight Letters. Kung iniisip mo kung bakit gising ka pa, dalawang option lang iyan: una, marami kang iniisip... pangalawa, mali ang life choices mo. Okay lang. Safe space tayo dito."
"Kung brokenhearted ka, stressed ka, kinikilig ka, o nago-overthink ka kung bakit siya nag-heart react lang pero walang reply - pwede mong ibuhos lahat dito. Walang judgment. Promise. Medyo... konti lang. Ako si Wonwoo, ang magiging kakampi mo ngayong gabi - hindi therapist, hindi love guru, pero marunong makinig at minsan may sense naman ang advice. So, kung may gusto kang sabihin na hindi mo masabi kahit kanino - baka oras na para ikuwento."
"This is After Midnight Letters. Nandito lang ako." panimula ni Wonwoo. Ito palagi ang panimula ni Wonwoo.
Mula noong sinabi sa kaniya ni Woozi na magkakaroon siya ng kaniyang sariling program sa kanilang station ay grabe na lang ang tuwa ni Wonwoo. Pangarap na talaga ni Wonwoo noon pa ang maging isang radio broadcaster. Pinangarap niya na mapakinggan ng ibang tao ang boses niya sa kanilang radyo. Gusto niya na ang boses niya ay magiging kakampi ng kaniyang mga tagapakinig, at nais niya ring may mapulot sila sa mga kwento at advice na maihahandog ni Wonwoo. Tatlong taon na ni Wonwoo sa trabahong ito, at tatlong taon na rin siyang nakikinig sa problema at kuwento ng ibang tao.
Pinatay muna ni Wonwoo ang mic habang pineplay ni Woozi ang theme song ng kanilang radio station. Nang makita ni Wonwoo ang thumbs up sign ni Woozi, ay muli niyang binuksan ang kaniyang mic.
"Sino kaya ang ating unang caller natin ngayong gabi? Hmmm. Let's all welcome our first caller!"
Wonwoo:
Magandang gabi sa ating unang caller! You are on air.
Caller (with voice changer):
Good evening din po.
Wonwoo:
Do you want to tell your name to our listeners? Or whatever you're comfortable with.
Caller:
Uhm... Call me S na lang po.
Wonwoo:
Alright, S. I'm glad you called tonight. Ano ba ang ibabahagi mo sa amin ngayong gabi?
Caller:
Uh... Hindi ko po alam kung saan o paano ko po ito sisimulan.
Wonwoo:
Hindi mo naman kailangang umpisahan ang kuwento mo ng perpekto, S. Maging honest ka lang sa amin. Isipin mo na lang na tropa mo ako na kachikahan mo lang ganon.
Caller:
I am... uh... in love with my guy best friend.
Wonwoo:
WOAH! What a revelation! Wala ng patumpik-tumpik pa boom karakaraka ang atake mo, S! Pero sandali lang, bakit parang kinakabahan ang boses mo noong sinabi mo na in love ka sa best friend mo?
Caller:
Syempre, nakakakaba kaya. Ikaw ba naman mahulog sa best friend mo.
Wonwoo:
Naamin mo na ba sa kaniya?
Caller:
Hindi pa. Feeling ko dadalhin ko 'to hanggang sa hukay.
Wonwoo:
That sounds like a heavy thing to carry alone.
Caller:
It is. Because if I tell him... I could lose everything. He's the most important person in my life
Wonwoo:
Gaano katagal mo na itong nararamdaman?
Caller (a bit hesitant):
..... Years na.
Wonwoo nodded slowly as if like the caller can see him:
Then... this isn't a passing feeling.
A quiet laugh came through the filter.
Caller:
No. It is not.
Wonwoo:
Saan ka ba natatakot? Saan ka ba kinakabahan? Him rejecting you, or your relationship changing when you confess?
Caller:
Both... But mostly... that he will look at me differently. Like I ruined something.
Wonwoo:
Pansin ko sayo, Caller S. Spokening dollars ka, ano? Kimi lang! Just speak comfortably sa language na preferred mo, okay? And you know, S. Love doesn't ruin real things. Fear does. If you never tell him... Will you regret it?
Caller:
Yes, of course.
Wonwoo:
Then maybe the question isn't whether you should tell him... but when you'll be brave enough to.
Caller:
Thank you, Wonwoo.
And for some reason, the way his name sounded coming from that distorted voice lingered longer that it should have.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
Two blocks away from the station, Mingyu sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel like it might fly away. "Ang tanga mo!!!" he muttered under his breath. His heart was still pounding violently. Not from panic, but from relief. For the first time in years... nasabi na niya. Even if Wonwoo didn't know it was him. He tipped his head back against the seat and laughed quietly, half-hysterical.
"Congrats, Mingyu Sean Kim," he murmured. "You just confessed to your best friend... sa national radio... sa most loved program... na siya ang host."
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
The calls continued. Week after week. Same time slot. Same distorted voice. Same nervous breathing pattern that Wonwoo began recognizing without realizing it. Listeners became invested almost immediately. Messages poured into the station asking for updates about "the best friend caller." Some people even started calling him "Caller S."
Wonwoo pretended he didn't notice the online buzz. But internally, he did. Because every time the caller spoke, something lingered in his chest after the show ended. Like a melody he couldn't quite place.
Week 3
Wonwoo:
Wow. We have a returning caller tonight. Natatandaan niyo ba si Caller S last sunday? Ang taong spokening dollars na in love sa kaniyang best friend! How have you been?
Caller:
Okay lang naman po. Heto, hindi pa rin nakakaamin. *laughs*
Wonwoo:
At bakit ka napatawag muli sa aming programa? Nais mo na bang umamin sa itong best friend?!
Caller:
Well... I just kept thinking about what you said... about regret.
Wonwoo:
And?
Caller:
I realized lang na I already regret not saying anything for years. But also at the same time, I am relieved... Kasi, what if I told him, and then everything is so awkward na between us? Do you get me po ba?
Wonwoo:
Oo naman, S. Gets na gets kita. Teka lang ha, what makes him so important to you ba?
Caller:
He... remembers small things. Like how I sweat so easily. Or when I'm stressed sa work even if I don't say anything. He pretends to be cold sometimes but he's actually... really warm.
Wonwoo pauses and he thought for a second that the statement sounds familiar.
Wonwoo:
Awwww! ang cute niyo namang magbestfriend! He sounds like someone who cares deeply about you.
Caller:
He does. That's why I'm scared. I do not want to lose that.
Wonwoo:
Remember this, S. Sometimes the people who care about us the most are also the ones who deserve the truth the most. Thank you for tonight, caller S! For our song of the night, Producer Woozi... Please play Torpe by JAO.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
Back at their apartment, life went on as usual.
Mingyu hummed while cooking, chopping vegetables with care in the dim kitchen light. Wonwoo pushed the apartment door open past midnight, exhausted from the broadcast. Just like him, Mingyu works in a night shift. He's a nurse who works from 3PM to 11PM. Kaya palagi na lang na nauunang umuwi si Mingyu, at pagdating niya ay nagluluto na rin siya para sa panggabihan nila Wonwoo.
"Dito ka nanaman sa kitchen?" Wonwoo asked, sniffing the air.
Mingyu glanced up. "Gutom ka na ba?"
"Sakto lang. Tuloy mo lang. No pressure," Wonwoo said while dropping his bag. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Mingyu cook.
They had been living together since first year college. It started as convenience - shared rent, closer to school and work, but somewhere along the way it became their home. Pero mula pagbata ay magbestfriend na silang dalawa.
Mingyu placed a small ramen bowl in front of him. "Oh, kain na." Wonwoo slurp the noodles of his ramen, and blinked. "Ang sarap naman nito!"
"Malamang ako ang nagluto," pagbubuhat bangko ni Mingyu. He said this while rolling his eyes.
Wonwoo laughed softly, but there was warmth in his chest he didn't want to name. Meanwhile, Mingyu wanted to tell him something... but he just couldn't.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
One night after a broadcast, Wonwoo walked into the living room and he froze. Mingyu was asleep on the couch. The radio was still playing softly. Wonwoo's voice filled the room. "...Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is tell the truth when you're afraid of losing everything."
Wonwoo stared at him.
"...You listen to my show?" he asked quietly.
Mingyu stirred awake, blinking. "Hmm?"
"The radio," Wonwoo said.
"Oh." Mingyu rubbed his eyes. "Ah oo, ang astig lang na marinig ang boses mo sa radio. At iyong recent caller mo ha, invested mga tao. Pati mga patients at nurses sa hospital sobrang invested din," Mingyu laughs, trying to shake his nervousness away.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
Then the caller began slipping more of his personal details on air.
Caller:
One of my favorite memories with him... ugh it's stupid!
Wonwoo:
Hoy! Wala namang stupid memory ano.
Caller:
Well, he's he one who always noticed the smallest things. We were broke that time. Like sobrang broke. We only had one pack of ramen left sa apartment."
Wonwoo froze slightly.
Apartment?
Caller:
He said he wasn't hungry. But I knew he was lying. So i cooked it anyway and split it into two bowls. Pero of course, mas marami iyong binigay ko sa kanya
Wonwoo:
That sounds like you care about him a lot.
Caller:
Yeah. But the part I remember the most... is that he noticed. He switched the bowls when I wasn't looking. And when I called him our, he said... "Hindi ako tanga, boang! Alam ko ginagawa mo.
Wonwoo froze. His fingers curled slightly over the desk. That exact thing had happened. Two years ago. Rainy night. One pack of ramen. Tiny kitchen. Mingyu sitting across from him, smirking while steam rose between them. He forced himself to shake it off. Coincidence, obviously.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
FLASHBACK
Rain hammered against the windows that night. They had no groceries. No money until payday.
Mingyu stood in the kitchen holding a single ramen packet like it was a life decision.
"Share na lang tayo," Mingyu said.
"Hindi naman na kailangan. Medyo busog pa naman ako sa kinain ko kanina," Wonwoo replied.
"Anong oras ka ba huling kumain?" tanong ni Mingyu.
"8PM, i think? Before entering the radio station."
"Oh, 8PM pa lang iyon! Ala-una na oh. Please?" Mingyu said. Puppy eyes, pouty lips. Of course, kuhang-kuha naman si Wonwoo sa paganiyan ni Mingyu.
"Fine!!!"
They ended up sitting across from each other, steam rising between them. Wonwoo noticed Mingyu kept pushing more noodled into his bowl. So he switched them when Mingyu grabbed water.
"Ano 'to?" Mingyu protested.
"Huwag ka ngang ano diyan! Alam ko ginagawa mo ha." Wonwoo said. "Huwag mo nga akong gawing tanga, boang! Alam kong sa akin mo na naman binibigay ang maraming noodles. Akala ko ba share tayo? Pantay dapat. Nakakakain ka, nakakakain ako. Busog ka, busog rin ako. Okay?"
Mingyu stared at him for a second.
Then smiled
Soft. Fond. Too fond...
Wonwoo's chest had felt weird that night. He just didn't know why.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
One evening at home.
"If someone confessed to you," Mingyu said casually while chopping vegetables, "like... matagal ka na nilang mahal... what would you do?"
Wonwoo looked up from where he was rinsing rice, water running over his fingers.
"Depende kung sino siguro," Wonwoo laughed.
Mingyu nodded slowly.
"Ah, depende..." Mingyu said quietly.
His shoulders looked tense after that. Wonwoo did not understand why the conversation felt heavy.
The knife kept hitting the cutting board in uneven rhythms - too fast, then suddenly slow, like Mingyu kept losing his place in his own thoughts. Usually, Mingyu talked nonstop when they cooked together - random stories, dumb jokes, complaints about schedules - but now the kitchen felt crowded with something unspoken.
"Why?" Wonwoo asked after a moment. "May nag-confess ba sa'yo?"
Mingyu let out a small laugh. Not his usual loud one.
"Wala. Naisip ko lang." He pushed the chopped vegetable aside, focusing too hard on lining them up neatly. "Kasi diba... sa program mo... may tumawag. Iyong in love sa best friend niya."
Ah. That caller.
Wonwoo remembered the hesitation in the man's voice, the way he kept saying "baka masira lahat" if he confessed. Wonwoo had given the safest advice he could- be honest, but prepare for any outcome. Protect the friendship if you can.
"Mm," Wonwoo said. "Mahirap nga 'yun."
Silence settled again, thicker this time. Mingyu wiped his hands on a towel even though they weren't wet. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then stopped. His jaw tightened slightly, eyes fixed somewhere near Wonwoo, but not quite on him.
"Pero..." Mingyu started, voice lower now. "What if... matagal na? Like years. And you do not even know kung may chance."
Wonwoo turned off the faucet.
"I think..." he said slowly, thinking of the caller, thinking of the fear in that voice, like somehow he recognized it on Mingyu's voice, "Mas mahirap iyong hindi mo sasabihin. Kasi ikaw lang iyong may alam. Ikaw lang iyong mahihirapan."
Mingyu swallowed. "Yeah," he murmured. "Ikaw lang..."
For some reason, Wonwoo felt strange pull in his chest. Like he was standing too close to the edge of something he couldn't see yet.
"Why are you asking?" Wonwoo said gently this time.
Mingyu finally looked at him. There was something in this expression. Nervous, almost vulnerable - that Wonwoo wasn't used to seeing. Mingyu was always confident, always certain. But now he looked like someone about to step into cold water without knowing how deep it was.
"Wala," Mingyu said quickly, breaking eye contact. "Curious lang."
He turned back to the cutting board, but the vegetables were already done. Wonwoo watched him for a second longer than usual.
And for the first time, he wondered if the conversation wasn't really about the caller at all.
LATER THAT NIGHT (RADIO STATION)
Wonwoo:
You sound a bit different tonight
There was a pause on the line. Soft breathing, the faint rustle of fabric, like the caller was covering the phone with his hand and uncovering it again.
Caller:
I almost told him today
Wonwoo leaned back in his chair, gaze drifting toward the studio window where the city lights blurred into streak. He kept his voice steady, warm.
Wonwoo:
So, anong nakapagpigil sayo?
Caller:
Well... He smiled at me. And I thought... if I lose that smile, I wouldn't survive it.
Something in Wonwoo's chest tightened. He'd heard hundreds of confessions on air - breakups, regrets, missed chances - but fear like this always sounded the same: quiet, fragile, like glass about to crack.
Wonwoo:
You're giving him the power to decide your relationship without giving him the truth. Don't you think that isn't fair to either of you?
Caller:
I know. I kept telling myself I'm protecting what we have. But... maybe I'm just protecting myself.
Wonwoo:
That's human, you know? You do not want to lose something important.
Caller:
He is important. He's... everything, actually. He's the first person I want to tell things to. The one I look for in a crowd. Even stupid stuff... Like when something funny happens, I already know I'm going to text him before I even reach for my phone. I tried to date other people... I thought if I just... moved on... it would disappear. But it didn't. It just kept coming back to him.
Wonwoo:
If your best friend were listening right now... would you want him to know?
The silence that followed felt heavier than anything said before. Wonwoo could almost hear the thoughts forming on the other end. Memories, regrets, things never spoken out loud.
Caller:
... That I tried to stop loving him. I really did. But I couldn't. And that... it wasn't his fault. He didn't do anything wrong. He was just... himself. Kind. Close. Always there. I think I fell in love somewhere in between all those normal moments.
Wonwoo:
Do you regret loving him?
Caller:
No... I just regret being scared.
Wonwoo:
Fear doesn't mean you're weak. It means you care about the outcome. But sometimes... the truth is the only way relationships grow. Even if it changes things.
Caller:
I'm scared it will
Wonwoo:
It might. But it also might not. And right now, you're carrying this alone.
Caller:
Do you think it's possible he already knows?
Wonwoo:
I think when someone loves you for a long time... pieces of it usually show. Even if you never say the words
Caller:
Yeah. Maybe.
Somewhere, Wonwoo had the strange feeling that this confession wasn't just reaching the audience. It was meant for one specific person.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
Tonight, the studio felt different. Like a calm before the storm.
"Line three," Producer Woozi mouthed.
Wonwoo:
You're on After Midnight Letters. It's been a while. I was wondering if you'd call again.
Caller:
Well, yeah. I needed time.
Wonwoo:
To think?
Caller:
To accept something
Wonwoo:
So, what did you accept?
Caller:
That loving him is not the problem. Hiding it is.
Wonwoo:
You said before that he listens to this program. And last last week, I told you if he was listening, what would you say. Then maybe tonight, is the night you stop speaking in hypotheticals.
Caller:
You always do that.
Wonwoo:
Do what?
Caller:
Make things sound simple when they are actually terrifying.
Wonwoo:
Well, they're still terrifying. But worth it. So, if he is listening again right now... what would you like to say to him?
Caller:
I'd say... I'm sorry.
Wonwoo:
For what?
Caller:
For pretending I was okay being just your friend.
Wonwoo swallowed. His throat felt dry, like the air itself had thickened around him.
Wonwoo:
That's not something you need to apologize for. Feelings don't follow rules.
Caller:
I know. But i kept telling you I was fine. That I didn't want anything anymore. And that wasn't true. I was scared that if I said it out loud, I'd lose you.
The red ON AIR light glowed steadily between them- him in the studio, the caller somewhere out in the city, separated by wires and distance and years of friendship.
Wonwoo:
And now?
Caller:
And now I realized... I'd rather risk losing you that keep lying to you. Because you deserve honesty. Even if it makes things awkward. Even if it changes everything.
Wonwoo's fingers curled against the desk. Producer Woozi behind the glass had gone completely still, sensing the shift in tone, the gravity settling into the room.
Wonwoo:
If he is listening, I think what he'd care about most is that you trusted him enough to tell him
Caller:
You always say the right things
Wonwoo:
Well, I guess that's my job.
Caller:
No. That's just you.
Wonwoo:
Then... what else do you want to tell him?
A breath in.
A breath out.
Caller:
I love you... I've loved you for a long time. In the small ways. In the everyday things. When you'd send me cat reels. When you'd remember how i take my coffee. When you'd sit next to me and not say anything, but it still felt like home. I tried to convince myself it was just friendship. But it wasn't. It's never been.
Wonwoo's heart was pounding so loudly he was certain the microphone would pick it up. The caller continued.
Caller:
And if you don't feel the same... that's okay. I mean, it will hurt, yeah. But I'll survive. I just... I couldn't keep pretending anymore... Wonwoo... I love you. Not as my best friend. Not only that. I love you as... everything else I've been too scared to admit.
The red light was still on. Millions of listeners, maybe. But in that moment, it felt like there were only two people in existence- one holding the phone, the other holding his breath.
Wonwoo:
Mingyu. You idiot. Do you really think I didn't know?
The line disconnected. Dead air.
He slowly removed his headphones.
"I need a break," he said quietly to his producer.
Then, he stepped outside.
₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚
The night air hit him immediately. Cool. Sharp. Real. And there - under the streetlight across the sidewalk - was Mingyu. Hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. Shoulders tense. Waiting. Wonwoo approached him slowly.
"How long?" Wonwoo asked softly.
"Years," Mingyu exhaled shakily.
"You called me every week."
"Yeah..."
"Why?"
Mingyu let out a broken laugh. "Because you're...you."
"What does that mean?" Wonwoo asked.
"It means..." Mingyu swallowed hard. "You're the most important person in my life. And i was terrified that if I said it out loud... I'd lose you." His voice cracked. "I thought... if I said it somewhere you didn't know it was me... at least I could exist with the truth for a little while."
Wonwoo felt something twist painfully in his chest. "You should have trusted me," he said quietly. "I know," Mingyu said immediately. "I know. I am sorry."
Streetlight humming faintly. Cars passing in the distance. Wonwoo stepped closer. Close enought that Mingyu stopped breathing.
"Do you know what the worst part is?" Wonwoo asked softly. Mingyu shook his head. "Listening to you every week... I started thinking about someone."
Mingyu's eyes widened slightly.
"I didn't realize it was you," Wonwoo continued. "But I kept wondering... if someone loved me like that... what would it feel like?" A pause. "And now I know."
Mingyu's lips parted. "Know what?"
Wonwoo reached forward, gripping the front of Mingyu's hoodie with trembling fingers. "That I do not want to lose you either."
Their faces were close nose. Breath mixing in the cold air.
"I just didn't know I was allowed to love you like that."
Mingyu's eyes filled instantly.
"You are," he whispered.
Wonwoo's breath trembled. "I kept telling myself it was just comfort. That I just relied on you more than other people. That it was normal to look for you first in a crows. Normal to want to sit next to you even when there were empty seats everywhere else." He let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. "But then you'd smile at me and my chest would feel too small for my heart. And I didn't have a name for that."
Mingyu's eyes were shining now, completely unguarded.
"I think," Wonwoo continued, voice quieter, more vulnerable than Mingyu had ever heard it, "I've been loving you for a long time too. I just didn't realize what it was. I thought... if I crossed that line, I'd ruin the one thing I couldn't live without.
"You could never ruin it," Mingyu said immediately, stepping closer without even noticing he'd moved. "You're-" His voice broke. "You're home to me, Wonwoo. You always have been. Even when we were just sitting in silence, even when we were arguing about stupid things... it was still you. It's always you."
"I don't want anyone else to have you," Wonwoo admitted. "I want... this. I want you calling me when something good happens. I want you next to me when things go wrong. I want to keep eating late-night ramyeon together and falling asleep on the couch during movies we never finish." His eyes softened. "I want all the boring days too. As long as they're with you, Min."
Mingyu's composure cracked completely.
"You already have me," he said, voice shaking. "You've had me for years. I was just waiting for you to notice."
A long moment passed, both of them breathing the same cold air, standing so close their shoes were almost touching. Then Wonwoo leaned forward, resting his forehead against Mingyu's.
"Next time you want to confess something..." he murmured. A tiny smile. "Do not call the radio station."
Mingyu laughed through tears. "Okay."
He hesitated for only a second before lifting his hand to Wonwoo's cheek, thumb brushing gently under his eyes like he was memorizing the shape of his face. "Can I..."?
Wonwoo did not let him finish. He closed the distance.
The kiss was soft at first - tentative, almost disbelieving - like both of them were confirming this was real. Mingyu's hand slid behind Wonwoo's neck, warm, and steady, and Wonwoo felt years of hesitation melt away. The kiss deepened naturally, not rushed. Familiar. Like something they had both been moving toward without realizing. When they pulled apart, their noses were still brushing, breaths mingling in little clouds in the cold air.
Mingyu rested his forehead against Wonwoo's, smiling shakily. "I'm glad I called," he whispered.
Wonwoo let out a quiet laugh, cheeks flushed. "Well, I'm glad I answered."
Mingyu's fingers slipped down to lace with Wonwoo's, tentative at first - then firm when Wonwoo squeezed back.
Neither of them let go.
For the first time, the silence between them wasn't full of fear.