POV: Male Lead (Min-jae)
Min-jae had always been good at hiding.
Hiding his pain. Hiding his fears. Hiding behind a mask of indifference.
But as Ha-neul sat beside him, her fingers gently tracing patterns on the back of his hand, he felt something shift.
For the first time, he wanted to be seen.
"Min-jae," she whispered, breaking the silence.
He turned his head toward her. Even in the dim hospital light, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She hadn't left his side once.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked hoarsely.
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"This." He gestured weakly. "Staying here. Holding my hand. Looking at me like I'm someone worth fighting for."
Ha-neul inhaled sharply. "Because you are."
Min-jae let out a bitter chuckle. "I don't think so."
"Then I'll keep proving it to you until you believe me."
---
Breaking the Walls
Min-jae turned his gaze to the ceiling. "I've always known my heart wouldn't last long," he admitted. "I thought if I kept people at a distance, it wouldn't hurt when the time came."
Ha-neul squeezed his hand. "You don't get to decide that alone."
He exhaled. "I don't want you to suffer because of me."
Her jaw tightened. "That's not your choice to make, Min-jae."
He hesitated. "What if I leave you behind?"
Her eyes softened. "Then I'll cherish every moment I have with you."
Min-jae's chest tightened—not from pain, but from something far more terrifying.
Hope.
He had spent years pushing people away, convincing himself that he didn't deserve love. That no one would stay if they knew the truth.
But Ha-neul was still here.
And she wasn't going anywhere.
---
A Night of Vulnerability
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions.
Ha-neul shifted closer. "Tell me about your mother."
Min-jae stiffened.
He never talked about her. Not to anyone.
But tonight felt different.
"She had the same condition as me," he said slowly. "She was… kind. Soft-spoken. She used to hum when she cooked. I remember thinking she had the most beautiful voice in the world."
Ha-neul smiled. "She sounds lovely."
"She was." He swallowed hard. "She died on my birthday."
Ha-neul's breath caught.
"She was on her way home," Min-jae continued. "Bringing me a present. But her heart—" His voice broke. "She didn't make it."
Tears burned Ha-neul's eyes.
Min-jae clenched his jaw. "She died trying to make me happy." He let out a shaky breath. "And I've spent my whole life wondering if I was worth it."
Ha-neul's heart shattered.
She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. "Don't you ever say that again."
Min-jae stared at her, wide-eyed.
"You are worth it," she whispered fiercely. "You have always been worth it."
For the first time in years, Min-jae let his guard down.
And in Ha-neul's arms, he finally allowed himself to break.
---