Ben didn't want to return to the dorm just yet, so he wandered aimlessly until a familiar voice sliced through his thoughts.
"What are you doing here?"
Ben turned and found Sean standing nearby, bag slung over one shoulder, headphones pulled halfway down his neck. His face was as unreadable as always.
"Wandering," Ben replied flatly. "What about you?"
"Returning from SSG Uni," Sean said simply.
Ben barely nodded. His thoughts were still wrapped around Daniel and the slow-burning disaster of their dance.
He asked absentmindedly, "Did you guys dance? Come up with a concept?"
Sean shook his head. "Not yet." After a short pause, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why do you look like you're about to pass out?"
Ben groaned. Hiding emotions had never been his strong suit, and someone like Sean could probably read him like subtitles.
"Nothing serious. I and Daniel hyung are struggling, that's all."
Sean quirked a brow. "Daniel hyung? Struggling? Is that even possible?"
Ben let out a breath of amusement. "He's not struggling with the dancing part. It's the concept we're stuck on."
Sean nodded once, absorbing the information.
Silence fell.
Sean didn't speak, just watched him with that calm, unreadable stare he wore like it was part of his uniform. The silence pressed against Ben until he felt himself fidget. He was on the verge of mumbling an excuse and slipping away when Sean spoke again.
"Do you want to walk?"
Ben blinked. Walking with Sean sounded like walking beside a particularly broody lamppost. Still, he could use the company, so he nodded.
***
As they walked, Ben quickly realised this wasn't the route to either of their dorms. Before he could ask, Sean spoke in his usual tone.
"It's the Pedestrian Route. You can walk here for a long time. It helps clear your head."
Ben looked around, surprised. He'd heard about this trail before, but never bothered coming. He was more of a cafe-hopping, brooding-in-the-corner kind of guy than "take a walk with your thoughts" guy.
But this place was oddly peaceful.
Solo walkers everywhere. Some leaned against railings, scrolling through their phones, and some sipped drinks while staring blankly into the night. Others were nose-deep in self-help books with suspiciously optimistic titles.
It was an introvert's heaven.
Ben glanced at Sean. "Do you come here often?"
Sean nodded.
As they continued walking, with a cool breeze gently fluttering their hair, Sean delivered a line that promptly ruined the serenity.
"Did you confess to Daniel hyung?"
Ben literally tripped, only to be caught around the waist by Sean, who yanked him upright before he could face-plant into the pavement. Ben's heart rate spiked.
"Wh-why do you ask?"
"Last time we talked," Sean said quietly, "you looked hurt. Now you're partnered with him, but you look confused. So I figured."
Ben stared. Unlike Terrence and Kai, Sean knew about his feelings for Daniel. He'd checked in on the matter before. He didn't want to read too much into it, but Sean's concern felt… different. It felt more than just simple sympathy.
"It's–It's doomed," Ben muttered, forcing his attention away from whatever was happening with Sean and back to his own mess.
Sean's hand tightened at his waist, but Ben barely noticed. His gaze dropped to the asphalt, chest tightening. Ben knew that none of this was Daniel's fault, but that didn't make his feelings disappear.
Sean's voice softened, almost a whisper. "He rejected you?"
Ben let out a humorless laugh. "Worse. He didn't even understand I confessed."
Sean stared at him. When he spoke, his tone was low and steady. "Then make him understand."
Ben looked up, only to realise Sean was still holding him. Their faces were way too close, noses almost brushing. The air between them felt charged; not the dizzy, helpless rush Daniel stirred in him, but something quiet. Sean's eyes held his, and for a moment Ben thought he saw something flicker beneath the stoic surface.
"S–Sean hyung, you're k-kind of close," Ben stammered.
Sean didn't move right away. His gaze stayed locked on Ben, unreadable but intense, like he was trying to say something without speaking. Instead of letting go, he leaned in a little more, stopping just shy of Ben's lips.
Ben's breath hitched. He squirmed, uncomfortable and confused. "H-hyung–"
Sean interrupted with a murmur, "Ben, you can't always get what you want. But giving up before even trying… that's just sad."
The words dropped quietly, but they echoed through Ben. His throat tightened.
The closeness, the intensity, the way Sean said it like he actually got it, like he knew exactly how it felt—
Ben swallowed, unsure what to do with any of it.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Sean suddenly let him go and stepped back.
"Mianhae," he said softly. "I didn't mean to freak you out." [I am sorry]
Ben shook his head. "You didn't, I just…"
How was he supposed to explain it? He had never been close to a guy like this. Daniel wasn't just his love; he was the first guy he'd ever felt this way about. So when Sean looked at him like that, held him close, Ben couldn't tell whether it was flirty, friendly, or something dangerously in between the two.
Sean's eyes flicked away, his voice barely above a breath. "Open-ended stories never sit well with me. They leave you hanging. So, get an answer. Make hyung understand. Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering 'what if.'"
Ben stared. Sean had spoken more in the last five minutes than in every conversation they'd had combined. He knew about Sean's story, but the way he was reacting now made it hard to believe the story ended that neatly. Curiosity pressed at him, but he pushed it down. It wasn't his place.
Instead, he offered him a small smile. "Thanks," he said. "You actually sound like an adult."
Sean blinked. "I am an adult."
Ben laughed. "That's not what I meant."
And just like that, a chaotic day ended with a strange, awkward walk with a quiet friend.