THE8 | Junhao

TWENTY - TWO

| CHAPTER TWENTY - TWO |

The bed springs weigh under the weight of Minghao's harsh movements, his duffel bag slowly growing bigger with each article of clothing and belongings he throws inside.

He was pissed, that's sure.

He felt untrusted. He felt thrown aside. He felt like the kid that was left out of the friend group for being just a little too weird.

He felt dumb, he felt useless.

His door bursts open then, and it normally would've startled him... but he finds all this horrid, pent up anger blocking any other type of emotion or reaction at all.

"What are you doing?" Minghao slumps his shoulders at Jeonghan's uneasy tone, although not bothering to stop his movements.

"What does it look like, hyung?" Minghao almost laughs, the hangers in his closet swaying back and forth at the strength of the clothes being slipped from them.

"You..." Jeonghan's eyes are practically spinning as they follow Minghao, "You can't leave." He finally snaps together, rushing forward to snatch the things out of Minghao's bag, "What the fuck?! You can't leave!"

Minghao's groan echos, and he's pushing Jeonghan away, "And why the hell not?!" He throws one of his shirts down on the bed harshly, hard eyes on Jeonghan, "I'm useless here anyways. Nobody wants a person around whom they can't trust."

"We do trust you!" Jeonghan shouts with a frustrated stomp of his foot on the cement, glaring at Minghao. Then, after a few moments of silence, he takes a shaky breath, "I trust you. I want you around! Isn't that enough?"

"No." Minghao shakes his head, looking at him, eyes full of sarcastic pity, "No, honestly it's not, hyung. But thank you for your sincerity." He says, and Jeonghan's chest just about caves in. but nonetheless, Minghao continues, "All my life, I've been incapable of anybody's trust. Just because my father was known as the fuck up of the town, I was immediately labeled as the offspring of a criminal." Minghao clenches his jaw, "Being bullied sucks, hyung. It really does."

Jeonghan slumps his shoulders, "But you..." He shakes his head, glancing between Minghao and the stuffed bag on his bed, "You can't just leave."

Minghao sighs for a moment, turning to face his bed before he shouts even more at Jeonghan. He doesn't want to make the situation worse, instead, he'd like to tone it down... maybe let the boy down easily.

"I'm not leaving the gang, hyung, if that's what you want to hear." Minghao doesn't catch the relief that floods Jeonghan's eyes, "I'm just leaving the hideout, I'm not disappearing forever. Seungcheol already knows."

Jeonghan swallows, brows twisted, "But, where will you stay?"

Minghao sighs, "I purchased a small apartment in a fairly well complex a couple weeks ago," Minghao zips up his duffel bag, "I work at the police station, remember? I need to look like a normal officer with a home of his own... not a sketchy person who's working all day only to disappear into thin air at night. What if someone tries to visit me?"

Jeonghan doesn't know what to say, or even think. He just stands there with an unreadable expression on his face.

Minghao swings the duffel bag over his shoulder, meeting Jeonghan's eyes, sighing at the tears that beam, "Hyung," He frowns, lowering his bag, "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying." The tear that falls down Jeonghan's cheek betrays him. He quickly wipes it away, looking down.

Minghao feels his heart slow, and he drops his bag to the floor, taking a couple steps forward.

Jeonghan's a bit surprised when he feels arms wrap around his body, Minghao pulling him into the most comforting embrace he thinks he's ever felt in his life.

Minghao never hugged anybody.

Jeonghan sniffs, sighing shakily before throwing his own arms around Minghao's back, pulling him even closer. He lets his tears soak the boy's shirt, the soft pats on his back, and words of reassurance whispered into his ear not making the situation better.

"I'm not leaving you, hyung." Minghao rests his chin on Jeonghan's shoulder, lips turned downwards when Jeonghan's sniffles ring through his ears, "I'm just leaving the hideout, not the gang. Not you."

Jeonghan just clenches his eyes shut, silent tears running down his quivering chin, "What am I supposed to do without you, huh?" He weakly punches Minghao's back, the boy laughing at the attempt.

Minghao pulls back, looking into Jeonghan's eyes, "Don't cry over me, please?" He frowns, thumbs swiping under Jeonghan's eyes, "Don't waste your tears on a nobody."

"A nobody?" Jeonghan shakes his head, chuckling in disbelief, "You think I'd be crying this hard over a nobody?" He shrugs, "You're my best friend. You mean everything to me."

"And there you were choking me to death two years ago." Minghao giggles when Jeonghan pouts, pushing him.

"Italicize the two years, The8." He huffs, rolling his eyes, "I was a different person then. I've changed for the better now, right?"

Minghao shrugs, "I guess."

Jeonghan snarls, pointing a finger, "You're an awful person, y'know?" He clicks his tongue, looking Minghao up and down, "Your attitude was probably the reason I choked you."

"Wow." Minghao grins, "You're so caring."

Jeonghan just laughs.

He gives Minghao one last look, letting out a deep sigh. He finds himself eventually pulling Minghao back into another hug, arms wrapped tighter around the red haired.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Minghao folds his lips together to hide the smile, forcing his eyes to suck the threatened tears back inside, "And I'll be back soon, I promise." He hums, closing his eyes, embracing Jeonghan sweetly.

"This job is temporary."