That morning, amidst the bustle of the book fair, Jimmy stood beside P'Ying, coffee cup still half full in his hand—but his eyes couldn't leave the small figure a few stalls away.

Sea was bent over, arranging a stack of new books onto the shelf. Early sunlight slipped through the awning and fell across his shoulder, and for a fleeting second Jimmy felt his chest ease. Even while listening to P'Ying speak, he never stopped glancing toward his boy, checking every few minutes to make sure Sea wasn't tired, wasn't struggling alone. It made him laugh at himself inside—this constant worry, this "mother hen" instinct. Sea was obviously capable, especially when it came to publicity and communications—things he excelled at, things he was confident about. And yet Jimmy couldn't help watching every step, every breath, as though he had to guard him.

He was lost in thought until a light tap on the shoulder from P'Ying jolted him.

"What's wrong with you? I've been talking this whole time and you haven't reacted." She frowned.

Jimmy laughed it off, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, P'Ying. I zoned out a little."

Her eyes flicked toward where he'd been staring, and a mischievous smile curved her lips. "Your type, isn't it? New at the company? So... when do you plan on pursuing him?"

Jimmy flushed, like a student caught passing a love note. He scratched his head, awkward. "Actually... he's already mine. My intern, I just made official."

P'Ying sighed softly. She looked at Sea for a moment before turning back, her voice calm but firm.

"You know what I think about office relationships. Especially between a supervisor and a subordinate. I believe you won't show favoritism—in fact, you'll probably push him harder. But not everyone will see it that way."

Jimmy opened his mouth, but she lifted her hand to stop him.

"Don't say things like, 'He's mine, I'll handle it.' You can take the gossip, but he can't hide behind you forever. Relationships need building from both sides. So does maturity."

Her words were always blunt, never sugar-coated. And Jimmy—who respected her almost like family—could only nod silently.

Checking her watch, she said, "I've got a meeting with a business partner. If you're free tonight, same restaurant as always?" Then she left, leaving Jimmy standing still for a while before he drifted back to his little one.

Afraid Sea might misunderstand, Jimmy took the first chance to explain his relationship with P'Ying. But Sea only smiled, gentle and unbothered—as if it didn't weigh on him at all. And sometimes, that silence unsettled Jimmy more than words. Sea could be soft as water, yet stubborn as stone. That calm look of his often made Jimmy wonder if he wasn't yet enough of a safe place for the boy to lean on completely.

He wanted to take Sea home, but the boy insisted on going back by himself—worried about Jimmy having to shuttle back and forth. All Jimmy could do was sigh quietly to himself: Please, let my little one be less stubborn, so I can take care of him the way a real boyfriend should.

That evening, at their usual spot, Jimmy and P'Ying met again. They talked through the years—from the time he'd worked at the head office in Japan to his return to Thailand. Midway through, the air grew heavy when her gaze lingered on him, thoughtful.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Jimmy chuckled.

She leaned her chin on her hand, half-teasing, half-serious. "Just wondering how you managed to come back to Thailand and so quickly catch yourself such a sweet little boyfriend. Tell me honestly—did you trick him? Pressure him?"

"Do you really think I'm that kind of guy?" Jimmy laughed again, though there was a touch of seriousness in his eyes.

"No," P'Ying replied. "But plenty of people fall for your looks, but to put up with your bossiness and that teasing nature of yours, though—that's not so easy."

Jimmy didn't deny it. "Come on, Phi. I'm not that bad. But... he really is too obedient. He listens to everything I say. Sometimes I feel like I'm taking advantage of him. And that look on his face every time I tease him... it's so cute I just want to push further. I'm scared... scared I would cross the borderline."

For the first time, he spoke about Sea to someone else.

P'Ying wasn't family, not by blood. But everything she'd done for him—everything she'd witnessed in his hardest years—made her feel no different than one.

"I feel like he only sees me through a glass bubble," Jimmy murmured. "Only the good parts. But that bubble is fragile... If it ever shatters, will he still have the courage to stay? To accept who I really am?"

P'Ying leaned her chin on her hand, tilting her head. Her sharp gaze softened. "The Jimmy I know doesn't usually brood like this. If this time you are really serious, have you thought about the future?"

He didn't answer.

And in that silence, Jimmy realised something deep inside: this time, he truly wanted to take Sea's hand and never let go. Not a half-hearted relationship, not indulgence for its own sake. But for real. To be Sea's safe place, no matter how fast or cruel the world outside might spin.

He hadn't yet found the words when another voice cut in—sharp enough to make the air around them drop in temperature.

"You're dating Sea, and yet here you are... having dinner so happily with your ex?"

Jimmy didn't need to turn. He knew that voice—cold as steel, sharp as a knife's edge, and yet all too familiar. Fire.

The boy stood right in front of their table, eyes blazing with disappointment, hurt, and something dangerously close to jealousy. His usually sharp, handsome face was set tight, every line sharpened under the low restaurant lights.

P'Ying froze for a beat, startled. Then she only pressed her lips together, gave a small nod, and calmly lifted her glass to sip. She placed it back down with grace, unbothered, exactly as he'd expect from her.

Jimmy rose to his feet. His eyes flicked toward P'Ying in a silent apology. She understood at once, nodding lightly—permission given without words.

He crossed to Fire, laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "Let's talk outside"

Jimmy didn't wait for an answer. He led the way out, pushing open the glass door. A wash of cool night air rushed in, carrying the quiet hum of the city. They stopped at the corner of the street, golden lamplight falling across the peeling wall nearby.

"Fire," Jimmy began, his voice calm and low, meant only for the two of them.

"You've misunderstood," he said evenly. "P'Ying and I were talking about work. For one thing, barging in on my conversation like that wasn't polite. And assuming she and I were lovers—don't you think that's crossing a line? When will you ever learn to control that temper of yours?"

Fire let out a sharp laugh, eyes flashing. "Talking about work, huh? While Sea went home alone? Sea doesn't complain because he's blinded by how much he loves you. He trusts you not to let him worry. Tell me, Phi Jimmy—do you really see Sea as your boyfriend? Or just that little shadow trailing you since college?"

Jimmy's brows drew together. His voice deepened. "You're overstepping, Fire. Whatever is between me and Sea, it's not for you to interfere in. And don't think I don't know what your intentions are toward him."

Fire's smile cut through the air, bitter and sharp. He shrugged, but his words were knives.

"Why bother pretending? I don't hide it—I like Sea. I care about him so much it sometimes suffocates me. But he chose you. You, who have everything—confidence, maturity, the aura of someone who makes others feel safe. You think if he hadn't already loved you since college, I'd just stand by and watch him go to someone as careless as you?"

Jimmy was silent.

He held Fire's gaze, listening, but inside, something twisted. Not jealousy—but the sting of hearing Sea's name placed between them like a weapon. Sea was not meant to be in the middle of this.

"Sea isn't some prize for us to fight over," Jimmy finally said, his voice calm but heavy. "And he doesn't need you deciding who deserves him. That's his choice—and his alone."

Fire laughed again, this time softly, painfully. His shoulders dropped, and his eyes clouded, like smoke settling over a flame.

"I know I have no right. But when you love someone, you can't just stand by while they're left behind. Sea smiles, but I see the emptiness in his eyes. Meanwhile you're busy playing the 'good adult' with P'Ying."

Jimmy inhaled deeply, tamping down the flare of anger in his chest. He closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them, sharper now.

"You're allowed to like him. You take control of your emotions. But don't twist that into speaking for him. He's not a child. He knows who hurts him, and who's his safe place. And he's strong enough to face that with me. If you've chosen to stand aside, then stop making decisions in his place."

Fire clenched his fists, silent. His lips parted, but nothing came out—only a long, quiet exhale.

Jimmy was the one to break the silence. "Thank you for caring about him," he said at last, his tone softening for the first time. "But from now on, let me be the one to carry his heart. You can worry, but don't take my place."

Fire's eyes darkened, the anger dimming but not gone. He let out a weary breath, almost like surrender.

"I don't want Sea to hurt," he said quietly. "I just... don't want him to trust in someone who'll only break him in the end."

And with that, he turned and walked away. His slim figure slipped back through the restaurant's glass doors, swallowed quickly by the crowd. No goodbyes. No backward glance.

After Fire left, Jimmy exhaled slowly, eyes shut tight. He stood still for a long moment, chest heavy with the weight of words unspoken.

If Fire, someone standing on the outside, someone who had only recently stepped into Sea's orbit, could already see the emotions Sea tried so hard to bury... then what about him? What kind of useless boyfriend was he, that he hadn't seen it sooner?

The frustration knotted in his chest pressed down until it was hard to breathe, and for the first time in years, Jimmy had the sudden urge to reach for nicotine just to dull the edges of the ache. But even through the fog, there was one truth he couldn't deny: Fire had probably known Sea for far longer than he had—and the feelings Fire carried for his little one had been nurtured quietly, perhaps long before Jimmy had ever touched Sea's world.

When Jimmy finally returned to the restaurant, the lights had softened. The ice in his glass of water had nearly melted away, beads of condensation sliding down the side. P'Ying was still seated, waiting calmly, like nothing had happened.

"All settled?" she asked evenly.

Jimmy gave a small nod, trying to hide the exhaustion etched into his features.

"Head home safe. We'll talk another time."

"Mm." She rose, but not before glancing back at him with a faint smile. "Next time, I hope the one interrupting will be Sea—and no one else."

Jimmy's answering smile was thin, strained. He bowed his head in farewell and stepped out into the cool night, sliding into his car parked by the curb. The door shut, enclosing him in silence. A silence that was meant to soothe—but only made the ache sharper.

His hands rested on the wheel, unmoving. He closed his eyes as if he could gather every restless thought and lock them neatly away.

But he couldn't.

Not tonight.

On the drive home, his mind spun in looping reels, like film caught in a projector.

Sea.

The name echoed again and again, crashing over him in relentless waves. Sea—his quiet, obedient boyfriend, always smiling, always so careful to keep the atmosphere light. Yet lately, in those dark, luminous eyes, Jimmy had begun to see a sadness tucked away too deep.

A wall.

It was there, rising between them. One he thought he could breach with patience, with affection. But the harder he tried, the higher it seemed to grow.

Had he failed Sea somehow? Was he not enough—for the boy to feel safe enough to truly open his heart?

Jimmy loved him. That much was certain. He wanted to cradle him like a kitten, hold him through the night, listen to him ramble about the smallest, silliest things. But instead, what Sea gave him was obedience, gentleness, restraint—so much restraint it frightened him.

Love shouldn't always be calm water. He longed for Sea to flare up at him just once. To get angry, to cry, to accuse him of something—anything—so Jimmy could know how to comfort him, how to earn his forgiveness. Not this silence. Not this quiet surrender that left him locked outside, watching a smile he couldn't trust.

What he wanted—what he needed—was to be the one to hold Sea's grief, his fears, his stubborn little insecurities. To be the place where Sea could crumble without fear.

His throat tightened. The steering wheel trembled under his grip as if to ground him, but the helplessness seeped through every breath.

By the time he pulled into the familiar apartment building, the city already glittered under the night sky. Still, Jimmy stayed inside the car, knuckles white against the wheel.

How could he make Sea believe?

How could he show him that he didn't have to be strong, not with him?

Outside, the night was dry. But inside, Jimmy felt drenched—as if he'd walked through a storm no one else could see.

After getting home, he called Sea. Maybe it was a moment of childish defiance, but Jimmy switched off his camera and made Sea guess his mood—his own way of protesting the way he'd had to guess Sea's true feelings for days, hidden behind polite words and uneasy smiles. But almost as soon as he did it, regret settled in. He shouldn't have scared his little boyfriend like that. Afraid the call would drag on until morning, he told Sea to go to bed, assuring him gently that he wasn't angry. That he could never be angry with him.

When the call ended, Jimmy couldn't sleep either. He thought he might as well get started on editing Day's manuscript. And then— the doorbell rang.

It was Sea.

The boy stood there in the hallway light, eyes red, fists clenched at his sides as though he'd gathered up every last bit of courage just to show up at his door. He didn't say much, only whispered, "I couldn't sleep... I thought if I didn't say what was in my heart tonight, I'd stay awake until morning."

Jimmy hadn't expected him. But now that he was here, Jimmy's heart felt impossibly full.

In the quiet of his small living room, they sat together. Sea let everything spill out—the fear of not being enough, the fear Jimmy would one day leave, the insecurities he'd never dared voice. He asked if Jimmy thought he was selfish for liking him silently for three long years. Jimmy didn't answer with words. He only pulled him close, holding him tightly as if to say Sea wasn't selfish at all. Sea was simply stubborn, quietly loyal in his love. And Jimmy knew then: if he didn't hold onto that love with everything he had, he'd lose the most precious thing in his life.

Sea fell asleep on his shoulder. When he stirred awake, he insisted on going home so his sister wouldn't worry. Jimmy drove him back, reluctant to let go. But at the doorstep, for the first time, Sea slipped his hand into Jimmy's, lifted his chin, and said softly to his sister-Pun- "This is my boyfriend."

Jimmy never imagined a simple phrase could shake him so deeply. But maybe love really was made from these small, steady gestures.

Under the yellow glow of the porch light, Jimmy and Pun lingered after Sea had gone upstairs. The night wind stirred Pun's blouse, but her voice was firm, carrying a thread of hesitation.

"P'Jimmy," she began, her gaze following the upstairs window where Sea had vanished. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time... but tonight feels right."

Jimmy nodded, giving her his full attention.

Pun studied him for a while before smiling faintly, almost self-mocking. "Do you know? When I saw you standing with Sea just now, I finally recognized you—you're the man in the photo he's kept hidden in his drawer since freshman year."

Jimmy blinked, taken aback.

"It's an old picture, taken when you came to give a speech at some event. Back then I thought, oh, it must be some senior he admired at university. Who would've guessed it'd be the same man who ended up stepping right into his life?"

Her lips pressed together, a sigh escaping. "P'Jimmy, Sea is capable, charming—he seems confident, mature at work. But when it comes to love, he's heartbreakingly insecure. Since he was little, he's never believed that anyone would truly stay."

Jimmy stared at her, startled. There were still so many things he hadn't known about his little boyfriend.

Pun's voice softened, though it carried the weight of each word.
"Our family... it like a puzzle crafted from missing jigsaw pieces. My dad and Sea's mom were both coming out of broken marriages when they married. For me, it wasn't too hard—I understood things like that sooner or later happen. But for Sea, it was a turning point.

He was already the quiet one, the sensitive one. From the time he was small, he tried so hard to be the 'good kid,' to hold everything in so the adults wouldn't be too worried about him. But at school... he was bullied for being withdrawn, for not knowing how to fight back. I caught it more than once—kids yelling the cruelest things at him. But Sea never dared to tell our parents. He only said: 'It's fine, I'm used to it.'

For the longest time, he couldn't even bring himself to call my dad 'Dad.' It took years before he dared to see this patched-together family as his real family."

Pun's words pierced Jimmy like a silent blade.

She turned to him, gaze gentle now.
"I'm not telling you this so you'll pity Sea. He doesn't need pity. What he needs is someone genuine, someone patient enough to stay. If you're serious about him, then please don't rush him. Don't push him to open up before he's ready. Give him time. Give him trust. Some fears don't come from weakness, but from carrying too much alone for too long."

Jimmy lowered his head, his chest heavy.

"I don't want to see him in a love where he's always anxious, always afraid of being left behind. Sea deserves someone who loves him as fiercely as he's loved—quietly, stubbornly—for years. The same boy who kept your photo hidden away in a drawer, as if holding onto it meant holding onto hope."

Silence hung between them. Then Jimmy finally spoke, his voice steady but deep with emotion:
"I understand, Pun. Thank you for telling me this. I won't make him wait anymore. And I won't let go. I'll keep moving closer—step by step—into his world."

Pun smiled faintly, as if letting go of a weight.
"I believe in the way you look at him. Just... don't make me regret it. Because if you ever make my brother cry, I will come after you. Every kid who ever bullied him ended up with bruises from me."

Jimmy nodded, a wry smile tugging at his lips, even as his heart ached for everything his small boyfriend had endured. He was grateful, too—grateful that back then, Sea had someone strong enough to protect him when he couldn't protect himself.

Later that night, after telling Sea to get some rest, Jimmy was driving home when his phone buzzed. A LINE message from Sea lit up the screen.

*"There's something I wanted to say earlier, but I was too shy.

The truth is, my love for you has always been there.

I've liked you for three years—back when I only dared watch you from afar. At that time, I just wished I could be near you, even if only as your junior.

I never thought that wish would come true—and be even more than I dreamed of.

So no matter how much time passes, my feelings won't change.

My love... can withstand the wear of time."*

Jimmy read those lines over and over. Sea didn't wait for a reply, but Jimmy still typed back:

*"I know you've liked me for a long time. I know your love is gentle, and enduring.

But Sea, I want to honor every piece of it.

I'm serious when I say this: from now on, I want to be your anchor.

Don't hesitate anymore. Don't be afraid.

With me, you can show every feeling, every side of yourself.

I'm here. For you. And I'm not going anywhere."*

Love, Jimmy thought, is when two people manage to find each other despite all the missed chances. And now that Sea had chosen him, he vowed to be the one who would guard this boy—his small, stubborn sun—for the rest of his life.