↱ENNUI↲ ⇾seongjoong⇽

동화하다

동화하다 - donghwahada : assimilate

take in (information, ideas, or culture) and understand fully.

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Hongjoong wasn't there when Seonghwa and Yunho got back to the apartment.

Seonghwa had silently braced himself before Yunho opened the door, and he had felt ready to face whatever emotions seeing him might bring, only to be met with everyone but Hongjoong.

"W-where's Hongjoong?" He shakily asked after hugging everyone in greeting.

Wooyoung tutted, "Oh, nice to know you value our presence, hm?" He spoke with a hand on his hip.

Yunho took Seonghwa's bag of food and walked to the kitchen table, leaving Seonghwa to run a hand up his arm.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Wooyoung punched his arm playfully.

"I was only kidding Seonghwa."

"Hongjoong said he didn't want to come today. Didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Jongho supplied, smoothing Seonghwa's hair down that had been ruffled in the wind.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make him feel like he couldn't come."

"We know," Jongho said kindly, "I told him you wouldn't mind, but you know Hongjoong. He's stubborn."

Seonghwa couldn't have this.

This was supposed to be a family night, and whether or not things were tense between him and Hongjoong, he couldn't just let that exclude Hongjoong from the rest of the group.

Allowing that would be unkind.

Seonghwa needed to clear the air between the two.

"Can someone give me a ride to Hongjoong's? Please?"

The entire group blinked a few times at him.

Mingi was the first to wake up from the daze and nodded.

"Of course, Hwa."

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Before Seonghwa even had a chance to work out what on earth he was going to say, he was in front of Hongjoong's door with a bag full of their portions of curry.

"Nope, I can't do this. I can't. What will I say to him?" Seonghwa starts to panic, turning towards Mingi with wide eyes and beginning to walk away.

But Mingi, being the traitor that he is, knocked hard on the door and sprinted away.

Like, sprinted.

Seonghwa doubts he's seen anyone move so fast in his life.

He was left gaping at the wall where Mingi had been before hearing the doorknob turn from the other side of the wall.