I didn't notice it at first.
That was the problem.
Minjae never forced himself into my life. He didn't demand my time or ask for answers.
He simply… adjusted things. Softly. Quietly.
Like rearranging furniture in a dark room so you don't realize it's different until you trip.
It started with small things.
A seat saved beside him in class.
A teacher informed me my group had changed and somehow, Minjae was always in it.
A message sent before I could leave school:
Don't take the back stairs today. They're crowded.
I stared at my phone for a long time before typing back.
How do you know that?
The reply came instantly.
I heard people talking.
A lie.
Or at least, not the whole truth.
But I followed his advice anyway.
And nothing bad happened.
Which made trusting him easier.
That afternoon, something did happen.
A boy from my class loud, careless, cruel in the lazy way people are when they know they can get away with it brushed past me in the hallway and laughed when my books fell.
"Watch where you're going, mute girl."
I bent down quickly, hands shaking, heart pounding.
Before I could gather everything, a shadow fell over us.
Minjae.
He didn't raise his voice. Didn't touch the boy.
He just smiled.
"I think you should apologize," Minjae said.
The boy scoffed. "Why? She—"
Minjae leaned closer, whispering something I couldn't hear.
The boy's face changed.
Paled.
He laughed nervously. "Whatever, man.
Sorry."
And then he left.
Just like that.
I stared at Minjae, stunned.
"What did you say to him?" I asked quietly.
He picked up the last book and handed it to me, fingers brushing mine again.
"Nothing important."
That smile again.
The one that never reaches his eyes.
"You don't need to worry about people like that," he added. "I'll handle it."
I should have told him no.
I should have said I didn't need protecting.
But the truth is… I liked it.
I liked not being the one who had to endure it alone.
And that scared me.
Later that day, I realized something else.
The boy never looked at me again.
Not once.
Fear replaced his cruelty.
And suddenly, I wondered how many things Minjae could "handle" without me ever knowing.
That night, I lay awake thinking about him.
About how he always knows where I am.
About how he steps in before I ask.
About how my life feels easier with him beside me.
Quieter.
Safer.
And the worst realization crept in slowly, settling heavy in my chest:
If Minjae disappeared tomorrow…
I wouldn't know how to walk alone again.
Comfort had become a habit.
And habits are hard to break.