The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

153 🩺 Heartbroken

Rubbing his neck, Yunho heaved an enormous breath. Somehow, he was finally starting to be able to see a little bit of the kindness inside the hospital again. Being paired with a much more kind and honey able doctor, he was finally feeling like there was something to get from his time inside these walls...

In a better mood, he pushed open the door to the on call room, and was suddenly met with a harsh reminder of another issue going on in his life...

He wasn't ready... He hadn't even thought about what he was meant to say...

But there Mingi was, sitting in the corner of the on-call room on the couch eating cup ramen with his AirPods in, watching a video on his phone that was propped up against a water bottle. He looked completely unfazed, zero issues bothering him, zero worries in the world.

The exact polar opposite of Yunho.

He thought back to the first day Mingi had taken him to San's studio and sat with him. He remembered the way he'd leant in and spoken so close to his ear, and the way even his own lips had brushed the shell of his ear...

He remembered the countless moments he'd experienced since... Moments that he'd always shaken off without a second thought, but now seemed so very relevant...

Mingi looked up at the movement, and smiled when he saw who it was. 'Yunho, hey~. You on break?'

Yunho swallowed, nodding as he walked over. He had to do it. He knew he shouldn't, but he had to.

'I think you should talk to Mingi about that yourself...' San's voice rung in his ears...

'Hey, uh... do you have a minute to talk?'

Mingi, who had been mid mouthful of ramen, quickly swallowed and nodded, shuffling over to make room on the couch. 'Yeah sure, what's up? Did something happen on shift?'

He was so painfully oblivious... Yunho felt like an absolute prick. 'No, no... nothing happened... It's actually about, about... us...' Memories of them on the bus together on the way to San's studio, arm to arm, flooded his memory, and the way they had shared EarPods to listen to music... The way their hands touched when they were painting...

Mingi seemed a little confused, but nodded anyway, listening.

Taking a seat beside him, Yunho suddenly wished he'd sat on the chair instead... 'I was talking to San the other day...'

Mingi nodded, apparently deciding it wasn't really the time to be eating ramen and sitting it down on the bench. He took out his AirPods and turned off his medical video he'd been watching.

'When you were at the bar, right? San mentioned you guys were going to get a drink.'

Yunho nodded, and as he glanced down, he noticed that Mingi was wearing that dainty little bracelet again... It reminded him of countless times he'd seen Mingi in it, but mostly, the night in his parents' clinic...

'So, I found out that San likes guys...'

Mingi's gaze tensed a little, but more out of confusion than anything. 'So you didn't know...? San's been out for years... I just kind of assumed you'd know...'

Yunho was a little taken aback by how casual he spoke about it... He knew that was how he was supposed to sound too, but no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn't there yet. 'No, I didn't know...'

Mingi nodded slowly, apparently unsure of what to say.

Yunho felt like an asshole. He wasn't done. 'I asked him about you...'

Mingi looked up. Suddenly, now, of all times, he finally seemed uncomfortable... worried even...

'I asked him whether you like men as well...'

Mingi suddenly looked down and fidgeted with his hands in his lap. 'What did he say?' He asked softly.

'He said that I should ask you...'

Mingi nodded as he bit his lip and took a deep breath. 'He said that...' It seemed more like an affirmation than anything, perhaps just him processing...

Yunho looked at Mingi's side profile, watching him look down at his hands in his lap. This was by far the most insecure he'd ever seen him...

Yunho cringed. What a prick he was... 'Mingi, you like men, don't you?'

He watched the boy take a shaky breath, fidgeting with the bracelet on his wrist. He took a few moments to think before he responded.

'I had a feeling you didn't know... It wasn't my place to tell you about San, but I was going to tell you about myself... I just couldn't really find the right time...'

Yunho nodded. So he does...

'In hindsight, it was a mistake to wait this long to tell you. You have a right to know...

...

... and you have a right to know how I feel about you...'

Yunho wasn't nearly as shook as he thought he would be.

I think deep down, I knew... 'I'm sorry...'

Mingi shook his head. 'Nono don't be~. I know that I'm alone in it. I'm just sorry that you had to ask me to be told. I should have spoken up earlier.'

Yunho wasn't sure what to say. So it was true. Mingi, the boy he'd made friends with and opened up to, liked him, as more than a friend. All of those times things had happened between them that had surprised Yunho, they had been far more profound for Mingi, than it was for him... And those moments would continue to be like that...

He didn't know how to act anymore... Even sitting here, he felt hyper aware of their bodies... how close they were. He was uncomfortable, and he couldn't help it. I'm an asshole. 'I think that we should have some space...'

Mingi nodded, lips ever so slightly pressed together. 'Whatever you need.' He forced a smile. 'San knows, so if you ever need to talk about it, don't feel that you have nobody to go to.'

He leaned forward and tapped his phone screen, lighting it up. 'I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I have to scrub in in fifteen minutes and I still need to change.' He stood up, grabbing his phone, headphones and cup of noodles. He glanced down at the water bottle and his full hands. 'The cap is still sealed. You can have the water if you want. I don't have time to drink it.'

And with that, he side stepped around the coffee table and made his way to the bin for his cup. He then shoved his phone and AirPods in his pocket and turned, flashing a smile that Yunho just knew was fake. 'Try not to think too hard about it. I can see it bothers you, so it's okay to pull away. Don't stress!' He gave him a smile and a wink. 'No harm done! Enjoy your break.'

And with that, he disappeared out the door, leaving Yunho to sit by himself, feeling like absolute trash.

No harm done...

What a big, fat, lie.

~~~