Jin was still staring at their fingers when Ming Ji asked softly:
*"Hey… you okay?"*
Jin nodded—then, almost hesitantly, "…can I ask you something?"*
*"Anything."* Ming Ji replied immediately, squeezing his hand.
*"It's… kind of stupid,"* he muttered. *"I know I shouldn't be worried, but…"*
*"But…?"* Ming Ji prompted, watching him close.
*"…I just…"* Jin took a deep breath, trying to quiet the last lingering doubts whispering in his head.
*"…you're really not just... staying because I'm a lost cause, right?"*
*"Jin."* Ming Ji said sharply. *"I already told you before, and I'll say it again: I'm staying because I care. Because you—"*
*"Yeah, I know, I know…"* Jin said quickly, waving his free hand. *"You care. You like me. You wanna stick around."*
*"But?"* Ming Ji pressed, not letting him off the hook.
Jin hesitated—then whispered:
*"…what if one day you wake up and realize I'm not worth it? That I'm too much? Too broken?"*
For a second, silence.
