Chapter 1: The Sunshine in the Room

Felix walked into the lecture hall with a smile that could light up the room. His usual playful energy made him the center of attention, though he never meant to steal the spotlight. His laughter echoed off the walls as he chatted with Jihan, completely unaware of the storm brewing in the back of the room.

Hyunjin, sitting a few rows behind, was doing everything in his power to ignore the fluttering sensation in his chest. Felix's laughter, his bright smile—everything about him made Hyunjin feel like he was slowly drowning in an ocean of warmth. And yet, he stayed cold, distant, as if the sight of his stepbrother didn’t affect him at all.

"He's really got you whipped, huh?" Jihan teased Felix, nudging him with a mischievous grin.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Jihan smirked, glancing at Hyunjin, who was glaring at his phone as if it held the secrets of the universe. "I don’t know, you’ve been looking at him for, like, five minutes straight."

Felix, oblivious as always, shrugged. "I mean, he’s my stepbrother. It’s not weird."

Jihan bit back a smile. "Right. Not weird at all."

Meanwhile, Hyunjin’s eyes darted to Felix for a split second before quickly averting. The more he tried to ignore Felix, the harder it became. His heart thudded in his chest, and he cursed under his breath. He couldn’t let anyone know how much he cared—especially not Felix. He’d made sure to keep that part of himself hidden for years, and he wasn’t about to let it slip now.

The professor walked into the room, and Felix, as always, was the first to greet them with a smile and a wave. Hyunjin couldn’t help but watch, his eyes narrowing in frustration. Why did he have to be so... bright?

Felix settled into his seat beside Jihan, completely unaware of the battle raging inside Hyunjin. As the lecture began, Hyunjin found himself distracted, stealing glances at his stepbrother. Every time their eyes almost met, Hyunjin would look away, pretending the sharp pang in his chest didn’t exist.

Felix, oblivious to the tension, jotted down notes with his usual enthusiasm, unaware that his presence was driving Hyunjin absolutely insane.

Jihan watched the whole scene with a smirk, leaning closer to Felix. “Hey, you know Hyunjin’s really good at pretending, right?”

Felix blinked. “Pretending? What do you mean?”

“Pretending he doesn’t like you.” Jihan grinned. “You’re not blind, are you?”

Felix blinked a few more times. “I... no. I’m not blind. But I think you're imagining things. He’s my stepbrother, Jihan.”

Jihan chuckled. "Yeah, but even a blind person could see the way he looks at you.”

Felix shrugged, not giving it a second thought. He didn’t want to read too much into things. Hyunjin was just being... Hyunjin. And that was fine.

To be continued...

@chichikay

February 4,25

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