summary — years into your marriage, you and husband, sohee curl up on the couch one cozy night, reminiscing about your high school days. back then, he was the shy, insecure boy who thought he was a ‘loser’, quiet, awkward, and secretly in love with you, the girl he believed was out of his league. as you laugh and share memories, he opens up about how he saw himself, and you remind him of the moments that made you fall for the sweet, unassuming boy who’s now your forever.
warnings — fluff with a touch of bittersweet nostalgia, mentions of teenage insecurity (light and reflective), and so much tenderness it might make you melt.
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it’s one of those quiet nights, rare now with his riize schedule where it’s just the two of you, no rush, no noise. a half-empty mug of tea sits on the coffee table, steam curling up in the air.
“remember high school?” you say, nudging him with your elbow, a playful grin tugging at your lips.
“you were so quiet back then. i thought you hated me for a while.”
sohee laughs, that soft, breathy sound you’ve loved since forever, and shakes his head.
“hated you? nah. i was just… terrified of you.”
you tilt your head, resting it against his shoulder.
“terrified? of me? i was the one who kept tripping over my own feet in gym class.”
“yeah, but you were still you,” he says, voice low, like he’s pulling the memory out of some hidden corner.
“confident, funny, always surrounded by people. i was the weird kid who’d hide in the music room, thinking i was a total loser. no way someone like you’d even notice me.”
you shift to look at him, his face soft in the dim light, eyes distant as he remembers.
“you weren’t a loser, sohee. you were just… quiet. i liked that about you.”
he quirks an eyebrow, skeptical.
“really? because i spent half my time back then convincing myself you’d laugh if i ever talked to you. i’d see you in the halls, smiling like it was nothing, and i’d just… freeze.”
“oh, i noticed you,” you say, poking his chest.
“how could i not? you’d always have those headphones on, scribbling in that notebook like you were writing the next big hit. i thought it was cute.”
he flushes, even now, years later, and ducks his head.
“cute, huh? i felt like a mess. i liked you so much it made me stupid. remember that time i dropped my lunch tray because you said hi to me?”
you burst out laughing, the memory hitting you like a wave.
“yes! you turned so red i thought you were gonna pass out. i felt bad after thought i’d scared you off for good.”
“nah,” he murmurs, a small smile creeping up.
“just made me like you more. you were nice about it, didn’t make me feel dumb. that’s when i started thinking maybe i wasn’t invisible to you.”
you reach for his hand, lacing your fingers through his.
“you were never invisible to me. i liked how you’d get all shy, but then you’d light up when you talked about music. i’d hear you humming under your breath in class and think, ‘this guy’s got something special.’”
he looks at you, eyes softening.
“i didn’t know that. i thought i was just… background noise. the kid who didn’t fit in, who’d never be cool enough for someone like you.”
“sohee-ah,” you say, squeezing his hand,
“you were cool enough for me. you still are. i fell for the boy who’d blush every time i looked at him, who’d leave little doodles on my notes when he thought i wasn’t paying attention. you didn’t have to be loud or flashy, i liked you just the way you were.”
he’s quiet for a moment, thumb brushing over your knuckles.
“took me forever to believe that. even after we started dating, i kept waiting for you to realize you could do better.”
“better?” you scoff, leaning closer until your foreheads almost touch.
“you’re the guy who wrote me a song for our first anniversary, who still holds my hand like it’s the first time. there’s no better, sohee. there’s just you.”
he smiles, real and unguarded, and pulls you into his chest, the blanket slipping a little as you settle against him.
“guess i got lucky, then. high school me would’ve freaked out knowing we’d end up here.”
“high school me would’ve too,” you say, voice muffled against his shirt.
“but i’m glad we did.”
he hums, a contented sound, and you feel his heartbeat steady under your cheek.
you stand on your tippy toes, trying to see over the heads of the people passing by in hopes to see school crush!sohee coming to meet you at the corner of the street so you can walk to school together. you glance at your watch, she's late, as per usual. when you look back up you see sohee running towards you, a piece of toast hanging from her mouth and you can hear her muffled, "sorry i'm late!"
you don't seem to really register what sohee says because the only thought in you head is that she looks like a cute puppy. you just smile at her and brush her messy, curly hair out of her face, "it's okay. let's go now."
