Burnout ⊗ Jeongchan

④⑧ Bruised Goodbyes

"Troll face."

Was the first comment Jeongin heard when he stepped downstairs.

Seungmin sat leaning back on the couch, arms folded over each other as he scowled at the offended street racer across from him. A little off was Felix, sitting on the floor away from him. And the last critical piece to the puzzle, was the others had mentioned, was Hyunjin. He lifted his chin up slightly, glaring down at Jeongin's school friends with the additional extra height it provided him. He simpered slightly and spat back, "I hope every shopping cart you pick has at least one broken wheel."

"Is that an insult?"

"You think just because you helped us find our friend, I'll like you?"

"Degenerate," Seungmin mumbled.

"Oh look at me, my name is Seungmin, my parents are rich, I have three sticks up my ass, I think I'm so clever, I'm so cool," Hyunjin mocked him, mimicking his voice in a taunting manner. In turn, Seungmin's scowl grew more. The street racer approached the couch and stepped on the cushion next to the other's leg, talking down to him with a condescension like no other, "You make a lot of noise for someone who says nothing."

Seungmin shot from his spot, "You insufferable little worm, who do you think you're talking to?"

"Nobody," He pressed away from the couch and trotted past Jeongin, who he gave a slight nod to in passing, before carefully bounding up the stairs, "I was talking to nobody."

Seungmin growled at the floor, sole of his shoe sweeping slightly against the carpet before he plopped back on the couch, teeth gritting and words mumbling under his breath all the while. Whatever argument or insulting match the two had gotten themselves involved in to send the student into a fit of muted rage while Felix was forced to watch him lose his mind with a hidden amusement, it lingered in the room even after the assumed main instigator had left. Main instigator, as in, Jeongin had seen enough insults thrown back and forth due to provocation from Hyunjin than anyone else. Jisung too, but usually only if the aforementioned was also in the room.

Felix was the first to look over, eyes naturally drifting in the direction Hyunjin left and came to land on Jeongin standing unsure next to the stairwell. When Seungmin noticed his focus trained for too long in one area, the top of his head poked over the back of the couch, Felix nodded a gentle greeting of, "Hey."

"...Hey," Jeongin shuffled on his feet, gaze falling down as he repeated back softly.

They watched him tentatively, both not letting their eyes drifted elsewhere as Jeongin uprooted himself from the spot he was locked in, and shuffled forward to the couch. Wordleslly, Seungmin shuffled over to provide more room as the youngest sat meagerly next to him. Mentally, physically, in any way Jeongin could, trying to put a bit of distance between them despite seeking them out to talk.

They let a quiet fall over them.

For a while.

A lot longer than he wished.

This is more awkward than I thought it would be, Jeongin pulled his legs up to his chest and curled into a ball.

Eventually, Seungmin shifted on the couch to face the younger head-on. And bluntly, without much other thought or hint of restraint, Seungmin blurted, "It would've been nice if you told us why, before you blocked our numbers."

What? Jeongin's eyebrows furrowed.

"Seungmin is that necessary right now?" Felix tested, eyes narrowing at his friend.

"Yes it is. One day we were talking, then we're ghosted, next thing we know we're blocked. How was I supposed to take that?" Seungmin countered. He shifted again, trying to find a comfortable spot to no avail and finally coming to rest with his back leaning against a padded arm rest. Even after, he continued to move. He fiddling with his fingers, his leg would bounce, his limb would flinch; Seungmin deliberately tried to stay still but couldn't. Until, he vocalized, "It hurt."