The classroom was almost empty when Rin looked up from her notebook. Yeonjun was standing near the window, sunlight catching the edges of his dark hair. He smiled at his phone, and that smile alone was enough to make her heart race.

Rin had loved him quietly for months.

Every small thing about him stayed in her mind—the way he laughed with his friends, the way he pushed his hair back when he was thinking, the gentle tone he used when speaking to others. She carried those moments like tiny treasures.

Yeonjun turned around and noticed her staring.

“Rin? Are you okay?” he asked.

Rin quickly looked away. “Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

Before she could say anything else, a girl walked into the room. She ran straight to Yeonjun, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his cheek.

“Missed me?” she asked with a grin.

Yeonjun smiled warmly. “Always.”

Rin felt something inside her crack.

He had a girlfriend.

The girl waved politely at Rin, and Yeonjun introduced her without hesitation. “This is my girlfriend, Mina.”

Girlfriend.

The word echoed in Rin’s chest louder than any sound in the room. She forced a smile even though her hands were trembling.

“Nice to meet you,” she whispered.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Yeonjun talked happily with Mina while Rin sat silently, pretending to read. Every laugh they shared felt like another piece of her heart breaking.

That evening, rain began to fall.

Rin stood alone outside the school gate, clutching her bag. She heard footsteps behind her.

Yeonjun stopped beside her. “You forgot your notebook.”

He held it out.

Rin took it carefully. “Thank you.”

He hesitated for a moment. “Rin… if I did something wrong, I’m sorry.”

She looked at him, and for the first time she let the truth show in her eyes.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said softly. “I just wished for something that was never mine.”

Yeonjun’s expression changed, understanding finally appearing.

“Rin…”

She shook her head before he could continue. “Please don’t say anything.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, mixing with the rain.

“I know you love her,” she whispered. “And I know you could never love me the same way.”

Yeonjun looked away, unable to deny it.

That silence hurt more than any rejection.

Rin smiled sadly. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine someday.”

She stepped back and walked into the rain before he could stop her. Behind her, Yeonjun remained standing under the streetlight, holding nothing but the space she had left behind.

Rin did not look back.

Because sometimes the hardest part of loving someone is learning how to walk away while your heart is still calling their name.*