BEST FRIENDS OR BOYFRIEND

Saint POV 

As Shin turned toward the door, I grabbed his wrist, spinning him back around. He blinked at me in surprise, his mouth opening as if to protest, but I didn't let him, pulling him close.

"Not so fast, Shin" I said quietly, my tone firm but calm.

I leaned against the rooftop railing, arms crossed, my eyes fixed on him. He stood there awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze like a guilty kid caught red-handed.

"Why didn't you tell me, Shin?" I finally asked, my voice soft but heavy with disappointment.

"Tell you what?" he muttered, still avoiding my gaze.

.

"About your dad. About what happened yesterday," I said, my chest tightening. "I'm not just your boyfriend, you know. I'm also your best friend. You could've talked to me about it yesterday."

"I didn't want to worry you," he said quickly, his voice defensive as his eyes darted to meet mine.

"Not worry me?" I repeated, my tone sharper than I intended. "Shin, do you know how much it worried me to have you act like I didn't exist yesterday? To shut me out completely?"

"I didn't mean to-" he started, but I cut him off.

"You're supposed to trust me," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "That's what this is about, right? Trusting each other, being there for each other. If you can't even tell me when something's bothering you, then what's the point? Maybe we should've just stayed best friends."

Shin flinched at my words, his eyes widening for a split second before narrowing, guilt flashing across his face. "Don't say that, Saint," he said quietly, his tone laced with urgency.

"Why not? It feels like it's true," I shot back, the frustration bubbling up. "What's the point of being your boyfriend if I'm not even someone you can talk to?"

"You are!" he argued, stepping closer, his voice rising. "You're the only person I trust with everything."

"Then prove it," I said, my chest tightening. "Because right now, it feels like you're just shutting me out."

Shin ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "It's not about shutting you out. I just-" He hesitated, his eyes darting to the side.

"What?" I pressed, my voice softer now. "What are you so scared of Shin?"

He looked at me, his expression conflicted. "I didn't want you to see me like that," he admitted finally. "I didn't want to put my mess on you. You've got enough going on without me dragging you into my problems." his voice is quieter now. "I didn't tell you because... because I know how you are. You'd get upset, and then you'd try to fix everything, and I didn't want to put that on you. I just... needed to deal with it myself."

"Shin..." I said, my voice softening further. "That's not how this works. I want to be there for you. You're not dragging me into anything-I'm here because I want to be. But if you don't let me in... how am I supposed to help you?"

"I know," he said, his shoulders slumping as he looked down. "I know I screwed up, okay? I just didn't know how to handle it. Seeing him again... it messed me up. I thought I could deal with it on my own, but clearly, I can't."

I stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. "You don't have to deal with it on your own," I said gently. "That's what I'm here for. Whether it's messy or painful or whatever-just let me in, Shin."

He looked up at me, his eyes glassy with emotion. "You mean that?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I mean it," I said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter how messy things get. You know who I'm Shin... "

For a moment, he just stared at me, like he was searching for something in my expression. Then, with a shaky exhale, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Saint, I'm sorry for being such an idiot. I'm a dumb boyfriend who doesn't know how to communicate. Please forgive me. I'll do better, I promise."

"You'd better," I mumbled , my arms circling him as I held him just as tightly.

We stayed like that for a while, the tension between us finally easing as the unspoken wall cracked and fell. And in that moment, I felt something shift-like we'd taken another step forward, stronger together.

.

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When Shin finally pulled back, his hands lingered on my shoulders. He looked at me, his expression soft yet teasing. "You're such a dramatic idiot, you know that?"

I blinked at him, caught off guard by the sudden change in his tone. "Excuse me, Mr. Narubet?"

He chuckled, shaking his head as he let his hands drop. "You get all worked up about me not talking to you, and now you look like a sulking puppy."

My cheeks flushed, and I glared at him. "I wasn't sulking!"

"Sure you weren't," he said, the corners of his lips twitching upward in a small, mischievous smirk. He took a step closer, leaning in slightly. "But you're cute when you're mad, you know that?"

I turned my head away stubbornly, crossing my arms. "I'm still mad at you."

"Are you now?" he teased, his voice light and playful. "I just poured my heart out, apologized, and promised to do better, and you're still mad? Harsh, Saint."

"Apology accepted," I muttered, still refusing to look at him. "Doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"Oh, I'm on the hook, am I?" he said with a grin, stepping even closer until he was practically in my personal space. "Well, I guess I'll have to make it up to you, then."

I finally turned to glare at him, but the mischievous glint in his eyes made it impossible to stay mad. He always had a way of turning things around, of making me forget why I was upset in the first place.

Shin stepped closer to me, his lips twitching in a small, mischievous smirk as I stubbornly turned my head away, crossing my arms even though I'm not actually mad at him.

"Saint..." he drawled, dragging out my name in that sing-song tone that always made me melt.

I didn't answer, keeping my pout firmly in place.

"Are you seriously mad at me right now?" he asked, leaning in closer.

"You didn't tell me about something really important," I muttered, keeping my eyes fixed on the railing.

"I already said I'm sorry," Shin said, his voice laced with exasperation. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "What do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg?"

The mental image of Shin doing that made my lips twitch, but I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.

"Oh, so we're still mad, huh?" he teased, stepping even closer until I could feel the heat of his body beside me. "Let me guess. You're going to give me the silent treatment now? Or maybe you're going to start calling me by my full name. You only do that when you're really pissed."

"I might," I shot back, finally glancing at him. "If you keep being such an idiot."

Shin let out a dramatic sigh, raising a hand to his chest. "Wow. Harsh words from my loving boyfriend. And here I thought I was your favorite person in the whole world."

"Not when you act like this," I grumbled, though my resolve was starting to crack.

"Aw, come on," he said, stepping around to block my view of the railing. He crouched slightly, trying to catch my eye. "You're seriously going to stay mad at me? I already feel bad enough as it is. You're really going to kick me while I'm down?"

I tried to hold my glare, but the way he was pouting at me-his big eyes and exaggerated frown-made it impossible.

"You look ridiculous," I muttered, fighting back a smile.

"But I got you to look at me," he said with a triumphant grin.

I rolled my eyes, but before I could retort, Shin reached out and grabbed my cheeks, squishing them gently between his hands.

"Look at this grumpy face," he said, tilting my head side to side. "It's kind of cute, actually. Maybe I should make you mad more often."

"Shin!" I protested, my voice muffled by his hands.

He laughed, letting go of my face and wrapping his arms around my waist instead. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing. But seriously, Saint, I'm sorry for not telling you. I didn't mean to upset you. I just... I didn't know how to bring it up."

I softened at his words, my arms uncrossing as I leaned into his hold. "I just wish you'd trust me enough to share these things with me. Even if it's hard. I want to be there for you, you know?"

"I know," he murmured, resting his forehead against mine. "And I'll do better, I promise. But can you stop looking like a kick puppy? It's killing me."

I finally cracked a smile, shaking my head. "You're such a jerk."

"Yeah, but I'm your jerk," he said with a smirk, leaning in to press a quick kiss to my lips.

"You're lucky you're too cute," I muttered, pretending to be annoyed even as my heart fluttered.

"And you're lucky I'm such a good boyfriend," he shot back, grinning as he pulled me into a tight hug.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my smile, resting my head against his shoulder for a brief moment. The warmth of his embrace made it hard to hold onto even a shred of annoyance, and for a second, it felt like everything was back to normal.

.

But as he turned toward the door, clearly ready to head back inside, I wasn't quite done yet. Without thinking, I grabbed his wrist, spinning him back around to face me. He raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion crossing his features, his mouth opening to say something. Before he could get a word out, I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him close again.

"You're not getting off that easily," I murmured, my voice soft but teasing, grinning as I nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent . "I'm still mad at you. A hug is not enough."

"Saint!" Shin's voice came out in a scandalized whisper, his hands pushing weakly at my shoulders. His face turned a deep shade of red, the tips of his ears matching. "Stop messing around!"

"But you're so cute when you're flustered," I teased, pressing a kiss to his jawline. He squirmed, and I laughed, tightening my hold on him. "Who's this cute boyfriend, huh? Who does he belong to?"

"You're ridiculous," Shin muttered, his voice exasperated but laced with a hint of fondness.

"Come on, say it," I prodded, leaning back just enough to look him in the eye. "Whose is this adorable boyfriend?"

"You're impossible," he groaned, glaring at me, though the blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

"Yours," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that? I didn't hear you." I cupped a hand to my ear dramatically.

"Yours!" he snapped, shoving at my chest lightly, though his lips quirked upward in a reluctant smile. "Now stop being so annoying."

I laughed, leaning in to steal another quick kiss. "Okay, okay, I'll stop-for now."

As the teasing subsided, I pulled back slightly, resting my forehead against his. "So... do you think we should tell the others about us?"

Shin tensed, his playful demeanor fading as he stepped out of my hold. "I don't think that's a good idea right now."

My smile faltered. "Why not?"

"It's just... we just started this," he said carefully, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think we should keep it between us for now. You know Jom and others are so nosy about those things... At least until we're... sure, you know? "

I frowned, his words stinging more than I wanted to admit. "Sure? You mean you're not sure about this?"

"No!" he said quickly, his eyes wide with alarm. "That's not what I meant. I just think... it'll be easier if we keep it private for a while. Less pressure, fewer questions."

I studied him, my chest tightening. It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but the genuine worry in his expression made me swallow my disappointment. "Fine," I said softly, forcing a small smile. "If that's what you want."

"Thank you," he murmured, his relief evident. He hesitated for a moment before taking my hand, his grip firm but gentle. "Come on, let's get back before people start looking for us."

.

As we descended the stairs, I held onto his hand, letting the warmth of his touch soothe the lingering unease in my chest. But just as we reached the lower level, we ran into Chadjen.

"Shin!" Chadjen called, his tone bright as he jogged over to us.

Shin's hand slipped out of mine so quickly it felt like a slap. My chest tightened as I glanced at him, but his focus was entirely on Chadjen.

"What's up?" Shin asked, his tone casual as though nothing had happened.

"I need help with something, Shin krab." Chadjen said, gesturing for Shin to follow him.

"Sure, just a sec," Shin replied, glancing back at me briefly. "I'll catch up with you later, Saint."

Before I could respond, he was gone, following Chadjen down the hall.

I stood there for a moment, my hands clenching into fists as a dull ache settled in my chest. The warmth of his hand in mine was already a distant memory. I sighed heavily.

"Hey, Saint!"

I turned at the sound of Peeta's voice, surprised to see her approaching with her usual bright grin.

"Hey, Peeta," I said, trying to sound polite despite the lingering frustration in my chest because of Shin.

"I was looking for you," she said, her tone light. "I need some help with something-shouldn't take long."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Help? With what?"

"Just a quick favor Saint. You're the only one I can count on right now," she added with a laugh. Before I could respond, she reached out and grabbed my wrist lightly, tugging me toward the hallway with her.

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Shin POV 

I watched them from the corner of my eye, my body tensing as Peeta's hand curled around Saint's wrist.

What the hell is she doing?

I forced my expression to remain neutral, even as my chest tightened with an uncomfortable, burning sensation. Peeta's voice was light, almost playful, as she led Saint away, completely oblivious to the fact that I was standing there, watching. And Saint only mine ! 

The worst part? Saint didn't pull away.

I clenched my jaw, feeling my grip on the book in my hand tighten. My nails dug into the cover as I tried to focus on Chadjen's words. But I couldn't.

All I could see was the way Peeta smiled at Saint. The way she leaned just a little too close. The way Saint let her.

It was irrational, I knew that. Saint wasn't doing anything wrong. He loves me the most. I'm his boyfriend already. But the thought of someone else getting so close to him, even for something innocent, made my stomach churn with jealousy.

What if Saint liked her more? What if Peeta could offer something I couldn't?

I swallowed hard, shoving the thoughts down before they could spiral further. I didn't want to doubt Saint. I trusted him. I cared about him. He is my love. My everything. 

But damn it, seeing them together was driving me crazy.

I barely noticed when Chadjen stopped talking, his voice fading into the background as my attention stayed locked on Saint's retreating form.

This isn't okay.

Shoving the book under my arm, I turned on my heel, my mind racing as I followed them at a distance. I needed to do something-anything-to pull Saint back to me. Because no matter how much I trusted him, there was one thing I couldn't stand:

The idea of losing him to anyone even for a second.

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To Be Continued.....