Lee Minho 𓃠 To The guy with a Black Umbrella

C h a p t e r 𓃠 31

I felt my throat burn with each shot, but the heat didn't dull the ache in my chest. Yuna and Yeji sat quietly, processing what I just told them. The music from the club thumped in the background, but their focus was completely on me.

"You need to tell him," Yeji finally said, breaking the silence.

"I already did," I whispered. "And he walked away."

Yuna leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand. "You didn't just tell him. You dropped a bomb on him, Julie. He's probably drowning in confusion right now, just like you were when you first realized the truth."

"I can't face him," I admitted. "I'm leaving in ten months anyway. What's the point of digging this hole any deeper?"

Yeji shook her head, her eyes sharp. "The point is closure—for both of you. You love him, Julie. Whether or not you leave, you deserve to know where you stand with each other."

I stared at the glass in my hand, watching the way the liquid caught the dim lights. "It's not that easy," I muttered.

"Neither is living with regret," Yuna said softly.

Minho' POV

Minho sat in the driver's seat of his car, gripping the steering wheel as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. The photo hung from the rearview mirror, swaying slightly with every small movement.

"She's been here all along," he whispered to himself. His head fell against the steering wheel. He thought back to every interaction with Julie—how she always seemed to know exactly what he needed, how she had that same spark in her eyes that he remembered from their childhood. And he had been blind to it.

Hyunjin tapped on the passenger window, snapping Minho out of his thoughts. "You've been sitting here for hours, man," Hyunjin said as he slid into the seat. "What's going on?"

Minho hesitated before answering. "I think I've messed everything up. Julie...she's Juliet."

Hyunjin froze, eyebrows raised. "Wait—the Juliet? Your Juliet?"

Minho nodded. "She didn't tell me. She's known for months, and I—"  My voice cracked. "I yelled at her. I accused her of lying, of watching me make a fool of myself."

Hyunjin sighed. "And now you're just sitting here instead of doing something about it?"

"You fix it," Hyunjin said simply. "She deserves the truth, too. The real truth—how you feel about her now." 

Third person's POV

Julie's phone buzzed on the table, lighting up with Minho's name. She stared at it, her heart pounding, but didn't pick up. Yeji leaned over, seeing the name on the screen.

"Answer it," she urged.

"I can't," Julie said. "Not right now."

The buzzing stopped, only to start again seconds later. This time, Yuna snatched the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Julie's not in the mood to talk right now," she said bluntly, earning a glare from Julie.

"Yuna!" Julie hissed, reaching for the phone.

"She's here? At the club?" Minho's voice was frantic on the other end.

Yuna smirked and gave Julie a look. "Yeah, she is. You know where to find us."

Before Julie could stop her, Yuna hung up and set the phone back on the table. "You're welcome," she said with a satisfied grin.

Julie groaned. "You shouldn't have done that."

"You're right, but you'll thank me later," Yuna said, raising her glass.

It didn't take long for Minho to find the club. When he walked in, the lights were blinding, and the music was deafening, but his eyes locked on Julie immediately. She was laughing with Yeji and Yuna, a half-empty shot glass in her hand.

"Julie!" he called, but the music swallowed his voice. Frustrated, he pushed through the crowd until he was standing right in front of her.

She froze when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and annoyance.

"We need to talk," he said firmly.

Yuna nudged Yeji. "We should give them some space," she said, dragging her friend away.

Julie crossed her arms. "I think we've said enough."

"No, we haven't," Minho said. "Not even close."

Minho took her hand and led her outside, where the night air was cool and quiet. The stars above seemed to twinkle just for them. Julie pulled her hand away, crossing her arms again.

"I'm sorry," Minho said, his voice soft. "For yelling, for not seeing the truth sooner, for everything."

Julie stayed silent, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"I didn't want to believe it at first," he continued. "Because if I did, it would mean admitting how much I've hurt you—how blind I've been."

"Why does it matter now?" Julie finally said, her voice breaking. "I'm leaving. This isn't some fairy tale where everything magically works out."

"I know it's not," Minho said, stepping closer. "But that doesn't mean we can't try. You're the most important person in my life, Julie. You always have been, even when I didn't know it was you."

Julie looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "And what happens when I leave? What then, Minho?"

Minho stopped talking as if he didn't know what to say nor do but in his heart he knows he wants Julie back after how messed up everything was.

"See, we're not really for each other Minho" Julie said and got back Inside the bar in tears and left Minho outside.