Missing your presence | Yeongyu | Beomjun |

6 | The New Arrival |

Author's POV

It had been a couple of months since Yeonjun and Beomgyu had officially started dating. Their relationship felt natural—easy, even. Everyone at school knew they were together, and for the most part, their friends were supportive. Life seemed to be going smoothly for them.

Until Heeseung arrived.

The new student transferred into their class one bright Monday morning, a confident smile lighting up his face as he introduced himself. Tall, athletic, and effortlessly charismatic, Heeseung quickly became the center of attention. It wasn't long before he was hanging out with Yeonjun, Beomgyu, and their group of friends.

At first, Yeonjun didn't think much of it. Heeseung was friendly to everyone, so why would he be any different to Beomgyu? But then, little things started happening. Heeseung often asked Beomgyu to help him with his schoolwork, claiming he was having trouble catching up after transferring in the middle of the semester. Beomgyu, ever the helpful one, gladly spent time after class explaining things to him.

It was innocent—at least, that's what Yeonjun told himself. But Heeseung began to linger around Beomgyu more than anyone else. The small study sessions turned into Heeseung tagging along during their lunch breaks, then after school hangouts, where Yeonjun found himself sometimes pushed to the side, replaced by Heeseung's easy charm.

One afternoon, Yeonjun was waiting for Beomgyu outside the classroom, tapping away at his phone. Inside, Heeseung and Beomgyu were chatting, their voices carrying through the open door.

"You're fun to be around," Heeseung said, his tone light but somehow suggestive. "I don't get why you spend so much time with Yeonjun. You deserve someone who really appreciates you."

Yeonjun's grip tightened around his phone, his heart dropping. He held his breath, waiting for Beomgyu's reply.

"Come on, Yeonjun's great," Beomgyu laughed it off, but Yeonjun could sense the hesitation in his voice. "You're just jealous!"

It was supposed to be a joke, but that moment of doubt lingered in Yeonjun's mind long after they had left the classroom together.

---

As the weeks passed, Yeonjun couldn't shake the feeling that Heeseung was getting a little too close to Beomgyu. Heeseung's casual comments, like "What's Yeonjun doing now? You think he's with someone else?" always seemed to strike a nerve with Beomgyu, even though he usually laughed them off.

But then came the subtle shifts. Beomgyu began spending more time with Heeseung. More study sessions, more lunch breaks, and eventually even skipping out on plans with Yeonjun just to hang out with Heeseung.

Yeonjun tried to ignore it at first, telling himself that he was being overly sensitive. But the more it happened, the harder it became to push the jealousy aside.

One evening, as they sat together on a park bench after school, Yeonjun couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Do you...do you think Heeseung likes you?" Yeonjun asked, his voice hesitant.

Beomgyu looked up from his phone, surprised by the question. "What? No. He's just being friendly. Why would you think that?"

Yeonjun hesitated, then sighed. "It just feels like he's trying to get between us. Like he's always around you, and... I don't know. It just bothers me."

Beomgyu laughed softly, reaching out to squeeze Yeonjun's hand. "You're overthinking it. Heeseung's not like that. He's just new here and trying to make friends."

Yeonjun nodded, forcing a smile, but the doubt still lingered.

---

Then it happened.