Trope: Persistent flirt x gentle rejector | One-sided... until it isn't
Tone: Teasing → quiet ache → realization → soft ending
requested by 

☀️ Every Day, Like Clockwork

Yuma chased Jo like he was training for it.

"Hyung, let's get lunch together?"
"No, thanks."

"Wanna sit next to me today?"
"I already promised Nicholas."

"Then at least take this snack I definitely didn't make for you but might've maybe made for you—"

Jo smiled, tired but fond.

"Yuma."

"Right, right. I'm giving up. Today."

He said that every time.
And then the next day?

He was back. Grinning. Soft eyes. Always one step too close.
Persistent. Unshakable. Ridiculous.

Jo never let him in.

But he never told him to stop.

🌥️ Until He Doesn't Show Up

It's morning.

Jo sits in the common room with his coffee, book open, already waiting for the usual.

Waiting to say no again.
Waiting for the routine.
Waiting for Yuma.

But he doesn't come.

Not by 10. Not by noon. Not by dinner.

At first, Jo tells himself it's probably a schedule change. Or maybe Yuma really meant it this time.

Maybe he gave up.

Jo should feel relieved.

But instead?

His cup goes cold in his hands.

🕯️ Something's Off

By night, Jo's asking around without meaning to.

"Have you seen Yuma?"

"He didn't show up to lunch."

"No, he missed practice too."

That's when Jo freezes.

And his stomach does this weird collapsing thing.

He doesn't think. He just moves.

Room. Door. Knock.

No answer.

He tries again—louder.

Still nothing.

"Yuma?" Jo's voice cracks. "Yuma, are you okay?"

The door opens slowly.

And there he is.

Messy hair. Pale skin. Blankets over his head. Eyes blinking slowly.

"Jo...?"

"You're sick."

"Yeah," Yuma mumbles. "Didn't wanna bother you today."

Jo's heart twists.

"You're not a bother."

Yuma gives him a weak smile.

"You sure? You looked relieved every time I said I'd stop."

Jo steps inside without asking.

"I lied."

Yuma blinks.

"Huh?"

"About being relieved. I lied. I got used to you showing up."

Jo kneels beside the bed. Gently presses the back of his hand to Yuma's forehead.

"And then you didn't. And I... I hated it."

🌙 The Shift

Jo stays with him that night.

Refills his water. Makes bad tea. Sits on the floor next to the bed until Yuma's breathing evens out.

And right before sleep, Yuma mumbles:

"So... tomorrow?"

Jo brushes his hand lightly.

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

"I can chase you again?"

Jo finally smiles.

"No need."

He intertwines their pinkies under the blanket edge.

"I'll be waiting."

For the first time, Yuma doesn't have to chase.
And Jo doesn't have to run.
They just meet—right where they are.

🔙 Flashback: The Third Rejection, The Fifth Snack

Jo always thought Yuma's persistence was cute. Annoying. Predictable.

He even counted—like a joke.

Third rejection: lunch invitation.
Fifth snack: strawberry mochi, homemade.

He took that one.

Said thank you.

Didn't eat it until later, when Yuma wasn't looking.

But that night, he sat in his bed, chewing slowly, and realized—

Yuma never expected him to say yes.

He just hoped.

And he kept showing up anyway.

Jo stared at the empty wrapper, heart twisting.

"He really means it," he whispered to himself.

And the worst part?

Jo already liked him.

Somewhere between the way Yuma remembered his favorite flavor and how he smiled when Jo still said no, Jo had already fallen.

He was just afraid to admit it.

🕰️ Now: The Roles Reverse

Yuma's back on his feet after the fever.

Bright as ever—but quieter now.
He doesn't hover anymore. Doesn't ask Jo for lunch or sneak him snacks or throw out his usual:

"Don't miss me tomorrow~"

Jo notices.

And he hates how much he misses it.

So he shows up at Yuma's side first.

Once. Then again. Then every day.

He brings two coffees and hands one over with a shrug.

"Didn't want it to go to waste."

Sits beside Yuma at lunch before anyone else does.

"This seat taken? No? Cool."

Starts leaving small notes. Jokes. Inside-out paper hearts.

"Revenge for all the snacks you gave me."

At first, Yuma doesn't say anything.

Just smiles, soft and wondering, like he doesn't want to believe it yet.

Until Jo slips a piece of mochi onto his tray one afternoon—same flavor Yuma once made for him.

"I didn't make it," Jo says. "But I walked across the city for it."

Yuma blinks.

Jo doesn't look away.

"I just want you to know I'm not running anymore."

"Why?"

Jo reaches out, brushing Yuma's hand.

"Because I want to be the one waiting now."

Yuma doesn't chase anymore.
Because Jo meets him halfway—
with snacks, with smiles, with steady hands.

And this time, he stays.

🌃 Scene: The Rooftop Confession

It's cold but not freezing.

They're wrapped in a blanket, shoulders touching, the quiet hum of the city below. A thermos sits between them—tea Yuma made, hands warmer than the cup.

They haven't spoken for a while.
They've just been sitting there, stars flickering above, the kind of silence that's not awkward... just full.

And finally—Jo speaks.

"You know why I kept saying no?"

Yuma doesn't look away. Doesn't smile yet. Just waits.

Jo exhales, eyes on the skyline.

"Because I liked you back. Too early. Too much."

A pause. The words feel heavy coming out. But right.

"Every time you showed up, I panicked. I thought if I said yes once, I'd say yes to everything. And I didn't know how to handle that."

Yuma swallows. Still quiet.

Jo turns to him finally, voice lower.

"I didn't want to hurt you. Or lead you on. Or start something I wasn't brave enough to finish."

"But you weren't leading me on," Yuma says, softly.

Jo blinks.

"You were protecting me. And you thought disappearing would protect you."

That hits.

Harder than Jo expected.

He nods, barely.

Yuma reaches over, grabs Jo's hand under the blanket.

"You didn't lose me."

Jo looks up. Heart in his throat.

"How do you know?"

Yuma squeezes his fingers gently.

"Because you're here now."

🕯️ Final Moment

The wind picks up a little.

Jo leans his head onto Yuma's shoulder, finally letting it rest.

"I'm sorry it took me so long."

"I'm not," Yuma says.

Jo frowns.

"Why?"

Yuma smiles, tilting his head to rest against Jo's.

"Because you still came back. And I've always been good at waiting."

💬 Final Line:

Jo said no a hundred times.
But tonight, under the stars, wrapped in Yuma's quiet warmth—
he finally means yes.