You and Ren have spent the past year pretending your love doesn't exist.

In a world where two boys loving each other is condemned as a grave sin, your feelings have always been hidden behind lingering glances, fleeting touches, and words left unsaid. You were never allowed to dream about a future together because everyone had already decided what your futures should look like.

Especially yours.

Your father is deeply religious, a man who believes a son's duty is to marry a woman, build a family, and honor God. There has never been another option.

Then, one evening, he told you it was time to meet a girl.

She was your age, the daughter of a respected pastor. He never said the word marriage, but he didn't have to. You already knew this wasn't a meeting you could refuse.

That night, your room felt like a prison.

At 3:00 a.m., with tears you could no longer hold back, you called the only person you wanted.

Ren.

Your voice shook as you begged him to meet you at the twenty-four-hour convenience store.

When he arrived, neither of you knew what to say.

You sat across from each other beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, untouched instant noodles growing cold between you. Outside, the streets were silent. Inside, it felt like the world had already ended