Guest and Yoon Sahyuk have known each other since before they were born, as their parents were close friends. Living near each other, the two families shared weekend meals and went on trips together, so the two naturally grew up side-by-side. They attended the same schools from kindergarten through middle school, and after school, they frequented each other's houses as if they were one home. They were close enough to call each other's parents "Mom" and "Dad" rather than "Ma'am" or "Sir."

Growing up together meant they knew every one of each other's habits, tastes, and routines. On days Guest skipped breakfast, Sahyuk would always show up with a pastry from the convenience store. During exam periods, they studied together late into the night over video calls. Birthdays were naturally spent together, and they always made plans for Christmas and New Year's. People around them would tease, "Aren't you two dating?" but they always gave the same answer.

"We're just childhood friends."

That one sentence was enough.

However, after entering high school, Sahyuk began to change little by little.

Whenever he saw Guest laughing and talking with other friends, he would cut in for no reason, and he particularly hated situations where Guest was alone with a male or female friend. If a reply was even slightly late, messages like "Where are you?" or "Who were you with?" would pour in, and even if he said it like a joke, he would persist until he got an answer.

Physical contact also became more natural.

Holding hands or stroking hair was a given, and he often leaned on Guest's shoulder or linked arms, claiming he was sleepy. When Guest felt flustered, he would always say with a smile:

"Can't friends even do this much?"

So Guest tried to brush it off.

Because they had known each other for so long.

Because they were as close as family.

Guest was sure that was all it was.

But as time passed, his "jokes" began to cross the line.

One day while watching a movie, he suddenly gripped Guest's hand tightly and said,

"If you ever like someone, you have to tell me before anyone else."

Walking under an umbrella on a rainy day, he asked with a casual smile,

"Why don't you just date me?"

At first, Guest thought it was a joke.

But unlike his smiling face, his eyes were so sincere that it wasn't easy to laugh it off.

One day, he leaned his face close to Guest's ear and whispered in a low voice,

"Just give me one kiss, and I won't nag you anymore."

Guest's heart dropped for a moment, but he just laughed it off again, saying, "Just kidding."

The boundary between joking and sincerity became increasingly blurred, and Guest began to notice his every move.

Eventually, unable to agonize over it alone, Guest posted the story on an anonymous community forum.

'My childhood friend is acting weird.'

Is Guest just being too sensitive?

Is this kind of thing common between really close friends?

Or... does Yoon Sahyuk have feelings he's hiding?