Yoon Seul sat on the edge of the bench in the school courtyard, her head bent down, staring at the ground like the world had suddenly turned gray. Her phone was in her hand, screen lit up with a message she didn’t want to read, but her trembling fingers opened it anyway.

"I… I think we should stop seeing each other."

Her heart thudded painfully against her chest. Again. Another heartbreak. She didn’t even know why it hurt so much, because she already expected it. Every boy she liked, every relationship she thought would last, ended like this. Every single time.

“I can’t believe this,” she whispered to herself. Her eyes blurred with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Not yet.

“Seul-ah!” a familiar voice called.

She looked up slowly, wiping her hand across her face, trying to hide how sad she felt. There he was Han Jae, her best friend. Her safe place. The boy who had been beside her since middle school, the boy who somehow always knew when her heart was broken, even before she said a word.

He sat beside her, his usual calm expression softening as he noticed her face. “Another one?” he asked gently, tilting his head.

Seul nodded, letting a small sob escape. She hated herself for crying, hated herself for feeling weak, but Jae didn’t judge. He never judged. He just sat there quietly, offering his shoulder, and that was enough.

“I… I thought he liked me,” she said, voice trembling. “We were… we were supposed to go to the festival together… and now… he just… ugh, he just left me.”

Jae sighed, running a hand through his black hair. He didn’t say much because he knew words didn’t fix this. Instead, he pulled out a small handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Here,” he said softly. “Don’t let your tears stain your uniform. You look better when you smile.”

Seul took it, blinking through her tears. “Jae… why… why are you always here for me?”

He shrugged lightly, looking away. “Because… someone has to be.”

That simple sentence made her heart squeeze. She knew… she knew he was different from all the other boys. He never made fun of her, never teased her in a way that hurt, never left her alone when she needed someone. Yet… for some reason, she never thought of him that way. He was her best friend. That was it.

“Thanks…” she murmured, hiding her face in the handkerchief.

The school bell rang, dragging them back to reality. Classes were about to start, and life had to continue, no matter how broken her heart felt. Jae stood first, offering his hand to help her up.

“You coming to class?” he asked, his usual teasing smile trying to show, but it didn’t fully reach his eyes.

Seul managed a weak smile and nodded. “Yeah… I guess.”

Walking down the hall together, Seul felt the familiar comfort of his presence. She didn’t understand why he made her feel safe. Why his calmness, his quiet care, made her heart feel lighter even when she wanted to curl up and disappear. She shook her head. Stop thinking like that, she told herself. He’s just your friend.

But as the day went on, Seul found herself noticing little things. How Jae laughed at a joke she barely understood, how he leaned over to whisper answers during class when the teacher wasn’t looking, how he always remembered her favorite snacks and little details no one else ever did.

By lunch, she was sitting under the cherry blossom tree in the school yard, trying to eat her sandwich but mostly staring at the petals falling around her. Jae sat beside her again, pulling out a small bag from his backpack.

“Snack?” he asked, offering her a chocolate bar.

Seul took it automatically. “Thanks…”

“You look sad.”

“I am,” she admitted.

“You want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “No… it’s just… stupid. You wouldn’t understand.”

Jae raised an eyebrow. “Try me.”

Seul laughed bitterly. “I’ve had another heartbreak… and I just… I feel so dumb, Jae. I thought this time was different. I thought maybe he liked me for real.”

He nodded slowly. “I get it.”

Seul stared at him, surprised. He didn’t say ‘you’re overreacting’ or ‘it’s not a big deal’, like others always did. He just said he understood. And that was… comforting.

“Jae… how do you always know what to say?” she whispered.

He shrugged again, casual like it was nothing. “I pay attention, maybe.”

That made her smile faintly. She wanted to tell him how much she appreciated him, how much she depended on him, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she just leaned on his shoulder for a few minutes, letting herself feel safe.

The afternoon passed slowly, and Seul tried to focus on her studies, but her mind kept drifting to the boy who had broken her heart again. Why did it hurt so much? Why did she keep falling for boys who never cared? And why… why did she never notice Jae?

As school ended and they walked home together, Seul found herself talking about little things, funny things that happened in class, gossip about their classmates, even some silly rumors about teachers. Jae listened, laughed when he should, made teasing comments that made her roll her eyes. And through it all, she felt… happy.

By the time they reached her street, the sun was setting, painting the sky in pink and orange. Seul paused, looking at the sky.

“Jae… thanks for today,” she said quietly.

“For what?” he asked, tilting his head.

“For… being here. Always.”

He smiled softly, looking at her with eyes that seemed to hold something deeper than friendship, something she didn’t notice. “Of course. That’s what best friends do, right?”

She nodded, smiling. “Right.”

She didn’t see the small, almost sad smile that lingered on his lips as she waved goodbye and went inside. She didn’t notice the way his chest tightened when she turned away, the way he wanted to tell her “I love you” but couldn’t.

Because Jae… Jae had been in love with Seul for as long as he could remember. And every heartbreak she went through, every boy who left her crying, made him feel helpless, frustrated, and more in love with her.

That night, Seul lay in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything. She thought about how lucky she was to have Jae, how he never judged her, how he always made her feel safe. She thought about all the boys she had liked before, and how none of them had ever cared for her the way he did.

Her heart ached in a new way not just for the boy who had hurt her today, but in a quiet, strange way for Jae. She shook her head. Stop it, Seul. He’s just your friend.

But somewhere deep inside, she couldn’t ignore the little flutter that appeared every time she remembered him smiling at her today.

Little did Seul know… this was only the beginning. High school was full of surprises, and sometimes, the person who was always beside you, the one you never thought of as more… could turn out to be exactly what your heart had been looking for all along.

And Jae… he was willing to wait. No matter how long it took.