𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 ♡ Minsung

Ch. 174

Jisung knocked on Minho's apartment door, waiting for a response. The elder told him to come over after dinner, so that was what he had done.

It worried him that Minho said he wanted to confess something. It made him wonder what it could possibly be about—at this point Jisung felt that he knew everything about the elder.

What if Minho had cheated? No, no that was impossible. Minho would never do that, especially after all that they'd been through.

Jisung watched as the door opened. Minho looked normal, more normal than expected. He invited the younger inside wordlessly and closed the door behind them.

"Hi, Minho." Jisung smiled lightly, just to ease the tension that sat in the room so heavy.

"Hey." Minho said shortly, watching the boy remove his shoes. He lead the two of them to his living room, taking a seat across from Jisung.

"So uh.. I assume you want to start off?" Jisung asked, watching Minho's nervous features. He was left glancing around, everywhere but Jisung's eyes.

When Minho looked into the others eyes he felt so weak and pathetic. He hated it—so he opted to look down at the coffee table. "I just wanted to make a confession. Two actually."

Jisung nodded. He leaned forward slightly more to show that he was listening.

"Remember when you asked me if I was scared of the dark? Earlier today at lunch? I uhm, I am.. but not for just any reason. It actually has to do with my.. childhood." He looked up a moment, reassuring himself that Jisung was still listening, "When I was a little boy, up until I was 14, my dad used to put me and Chan in the cellar as a punishment for stuff. Like, he'd lock the door and turn the lights out. It was.. scary."

He didn't know where to go from there.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this, it was just.. a huge part of me being a kid. I was scared of my dad and what he'd do if I misbehaved. I remember that I couldn't see even a few inches in front of my face, and bugs would crawl on me, but I didn't know what they were so I couldn't get them off. Thats why I'm scared of bugs too. I used to call out for my dad to save me, even though he was the one that put me down there.."

A lump started to edge up his throat.

"I was too scared to move.. and it happened to Chan too, but I was too scared to help him. He always helped me when I needed it.. I dont know.. I just wanted to tell you that I guess. I know it doesn't matter anymore, but that's just why I've grown up so.. fucked over."  He sniffed, the tears still not quite spilling.

Jisung looked like he was about to speak again but Minho stopped him, "I'm sorry, I just want to get through my second confession before I talk about it.." he asked, Jisung simply nodding.

Minho swallowed hard, the fight to keep his tears away was getting harder. "You know when you sometimes call me Minnie?" The word stung the back of his throat.

"Mhm."

"I don't..  I don't like it. I don't like it when anyone calls me that actually. When I was in middle school I used to get bullied.. badly. They bullied me for being feminine and called me that name.. Minnie. I know it's stupid that when I finally got out of middle school I turned into the bully myself.."

A single tear managed to skip past his hold.

"The bullying got so bad that I started to slit my wrists. I managed to get clean before I moved out of my parents house for high-school though." He neglected to mention how he was still doing it again, "it was a really bad time in my life and it's probably the reason I hate to show my feminine or vulnerable side. It's a part of me I wish didn't exist."

There was a long silence as Minho finished, Jisung only saying three words as a response, "I love you.."

Minho nodded, tears splitting onto his cheeks. "I love you too."

"I'm so happy you told me that. I promise that I'd never judge you for this, and that no matter who you are I'll always love you. You try so hard to hide yourself from me Minho, but please just accept that as I'm struggling, you're struggling along with me. Don't try to pretend to always he the hero, because I'll he there with you even when you aren't strong enough to fight your own battles."

Minho nodded, still staring at the ground. As he spoke his voice projected as nothing but a shaky whisper, "Thank you.."

Jisung nodded, standing up and going to sit next to Minho. "I know your hurting, and I know you aren't as strong as you pretend to be. Let me help you, let me be there for you.."

It felt unnatural for Jisung not to call him 'Minnie' at the and of the sentence, but nonetheless he stopped himself. Minho was Minho. Nothing less. "You don't want me to call you Minnie I take it?"

Minho surprisingly shook his head, "No, please do. It's strange Jisung.. I hate it so much, but coming from you, even with the pain, it makes me feel so.. so special."

Jisung smiled, brushing some spair hair out of Minho's face, "Well darling," he said softly, "You are special."

Minho nodded, "Right.." He said, as if to convince himself.

Special.