you bite your tongue as you try not to cry while jaehyun holds you close. you squeeze him tight, savoring the feeling of his arms around you.
"i'll miss you, dummy," you say quietly as he lets you out of his embrace. you quickly wipe the tears from your eyes, for you know if he were to see them, he'd make fun of you for crying and never let you live it down. you smile as you look up at him, and he tilts his head, looking at you admirably. you loved jaehyun, he was your best friend, and you were going off to college for the year, which was always a hard departure to make. he was your rock; you grew up together, you had become closer than ever.
"i have to tell you something before you go," jaehyun said softly, grabbing your hands. you guys held hands before, but never like the way he held yours in that moment. you wanted to cry again. "i really like you. more than a friend. and i'm sorry if that ruins things, but you deserve to know. it's not something i wanna keep to myself anymore."
your mouth opened slightly as if you were about to speak, but no words came out. you bit your lip, and jaehyun dropped your hands. "you don't have to say anything. just know that i love you, a lot."
you hugged him tight again. he slowly but surely hugged you back, and you kissed the area of his neck that you could reach. you felt his cheek swell against your head as he smiled to himself.