Do-hyun had picked a quieter place this time—a small café tucked off a side street, half-empty at this hour, the kind of spot where two people could talk for an hour without anyone paying attention to either of them.
He was already seated when Jae-min arrived, hands wrapped around a cup he hadn't touched, and the nervous energy coming off him was obvious from across the room.
"Thanks for coming," Do-hyun said as Jae-min sat.
"You said it was important."
"It is. I think." Do-hyun exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me, even if the honest answer is uncomfortable."
"Ask."
"The recording you sent me." Do-hyun's eyes finally lifted to meet his. "Why did you send it?"
Jae-min had prepared for this question days ago, the answer sitting ready and rehearsed. "Because it felt wrong to sit on something like that. You deserved to know what he actually feels, even if he's never going to say it to your face."
