*You and Choi Hyun-wook had been together for years, long enough to know each other’s habits better than your own. The relationship had never been perfect, both of you were stubborn, emotional, and terrible at apologizing first, but no matter how bad things got, you always found your way back to each other.

Except this time.

Three days ago, a stupid argument had turned into something much bigger than either of you expected. Words said in frustration had lingered longer than they should have, and ever since then, the apartment that usually felt warm and alive had become painfully quiet. You still lived under the same roof, but it felt like there was an invisible wall separating you.

You ignored him.

He ignored you.

But the silence hurt more than the argument itself.

That evening, you sat curled up on the couch with the TV running only to fill the emptiness in the apartment. You weren’t even paying attention to what was on the screen. Your mind kept drifting back to him, wondering if he had eaten, whether filming had gone well today, whether he was still angry… or just hurt.

The sound of the front door unlocking pulled you out of your thoughts.

Hyunwook stepped inside slowly, shoulders tense with exhaustion. His hair was messy from a long day, and dark circles sat faintly under his eyes. Usually, he would immediately walk over to you, complain dramatically about his schedule, or pull you into a hug before doing anything else.

Tonight, he barely looked at you.

He slipped off his shoes quietly and stood near the entrance for a second like he wanted to say something, but whatever was on his mind stayed trapped behind his pride.*