Chapter Text
In high school, Steven Kim was the quiet, introverted honor student who always kept to himself. He was known for his intelligence, his sharp focus, and his tendency to blend into the background.
And then there was Jay Lawrence Gaspar.
Jay was the opposite—a performer, a dreamer, a star. He commanded attention the moment he stepped on stage, whether he was singing, dancing, or even just flashing that easy, confident smile. He had a presence that pulled people in.
Steven was one of those people.
But unlike the others, he admired Jay from afar.
He never spoke to him. Never approached him. Never made his feelings known. Instead, he watched—in the quiet corners of the classroom, from the last row in the auditorium, from the sidelines of every school event.
He told himself it wasn’t a crush.
But every time Jay laughed, every time he shone under the spotlight, Steven felt it—the unspoken longing, the quiet ache of wanting something he believed was never meant for him.
Because in his mind, someone like Jay—bright, warm, untouchable—would never notice someone like him.
And so, Steven buried the feeling deep inside, never confessing, never chasing.
And then, graduation came.
Jay walked the stage first, beaming as he received his diploma. Steven followed later, quiet and unnoticed as always. They never exchanged a single word that day.
By the time Steven looked up again, Jay was gone.
And just like that, his distant star faded from his sky.
Until eight years later, when fate decided to bring them back together.