Oops, My Jealousy is Showing Again

I had always known Haruto was special. His quiet confidence, the way he would smile so subtly when he thought no one was looking, it all made my heart race every time. But I never dared to admit it to myself. I couldn't, not when we were both in this constant whirlwind of training, performing, and trying to make it in the industry.

Our friendship meant so much to me already—did I really want to risk it for something that might not even be real?

But it wasn't just admiration anymore. It was more, and it had been growing for some time.

I sat in the dressing room, tuning out the low chatter from the other members as they prepared for our next performance. I could feel Haruto's presence, though, even before he came into my line of sight. It was like an invisible thread always connecting us.

He walked over, his eyes softening when they met mine. My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on my phone.

It was just another normal day, until he appeared. A new trainee from another company, someone who had come to watch our rehearsal and get a feel for the industry.

He'd been polite at first, but now... now his gaze was directed at me. His eyes lingered, and I could see the way he was watching me, a spark of admiration in his eyes. I wasn't used to this—having someone look at me like that.

After the practice, he approached me, nervously fumbling with his words.

"Junghwan, I—" He paused, clearly collecting his thoughts. "I really admire you. Your skills, your passion, your personality... I think I could learn a lot from you."

My heart felt like it stopped for a second. I'd always known fans admired us, but having someone like this, so close and so sincere... it was overwhelming.

But before I could answer, I noticed Haruto watching from across the room, his expression unreadable. His usually warm eyes were distant, almost cold, as he observed the interaction. Something twisted in my stomach at that moment, a feeling I couldn't quite explain.

"Uh, thank you." I muttered, still feeling Haruto's eyes on me. "That's really kind of you."

The trainee smiled awkwardly, but just as he was about to say something else, Haruto suddenly appeared beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder casually.

"Hey, Junghwan." Haruto's voice was light, but there was a hint of tension I couldn't ignore. "We need to go over the set list for tomorrow, right?"

I blinked, caught off guard by how sudden and urgent he sounded. The trainee nodded at us, stepping away quickly, but his lingering gaze left me feeling uneasy. Haruto, however, didn't say anything more to him. He simply gave me a tight smile and tugged me toward the door.

As soon as we were out of the room, I turned to him. "Haru, what was that about?"

He didn't immediately respond, only staring at the ground, his hands jammed into his pockets. The silence stretched between us, thick with unsaid words.

"That guy." he finally said, his voice low. "You don't need to pay attention to him. You're... better than that."

His words stung, but I couldn't bring myself to question him further. Was it jealousy? Did he care about me more than I thought? Or was I just overthinking it?

"Why does it matter?" I asked, my voice betraying more than I wanted. "He was just being nice."

Haruto finally looked up at me, but his gaze was intense, his eyes searching mine. It was like he was trying to read me, to see through me. "I guess it doesn't matter." he said, his voice softer now. "But I don't like it when other people get too close to you, Junghwan."

My heart hammered in my chest. "What does that mean?" I asked, stepping closer, my breath catching in my throat.

He took a deep breath, his eyes flickering with something... deeper. "It means." he paused, looking away as if he couldn't bring himself to say it, "I just don't want anyone to take you away from me."

I didn't know how to respond. My mind was a whirl of confusion, my heart pounding louder with every passing second. Haruto... cared. But he wasn't saying it outright. He never did. Just like me, he kept his feelings hidden, buried beneath layers of silence.

Before I could say anything more, he pulled me into a quick, almost too casual hug, as if to brush off the moment. "Forget about it." he muttered into my ear, his voice shaky. "Let's just focus on the performance."

But as we broke apart, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a moment that would change everything between us. I wasn't sure where it would lead, or how to navigate these feelings that neither of us could openly admit. But I did know one thing for sure.

Haruto wasn't going to let me go. Not easily, anyway.