the unwanted roommate - minsung

3.8

after a comforting journey home, jisung and minho walked into the dorm complex, their hands lightly intertwined.

as they entered the lobby, their attention was grabbed by soochan.

"good afternoon," he greeted while bowing to both of them. he asked them to remain in place before disappearing into the back.

quickly, he reappeared with a parcel in his hands.

"jisung, this arrived just after you left." he informed as the younger slowly approached the counter.

"oh, thank you, soochan." jisung smiled, taking the parcel and bidding him goodbye as the pair continued on the way back to their accommodation.

minho followed in behind as the younger had opened the door. he was about to head into his bedroom when a small gasp caught his attention.

as he looked to jisung, he noticed how tense the younger had become.

"m-minho..." jisung stuttered out as his shoulders slowly dropped. "i-it's from my mum."

minho felt his heart drop. he had witnessed first hand the last parcel to come from jisung's home and could only imagine the significance of this second parcel.

the older remained silent for a moment before walking to his side and gently smoothing back his hair.

"would you like to be alone to open it?"

"no." jisung quickly replied in a small voice.

his eyes were slow to meet minho's as he bit his lip. "...i-i want you with me."

"okay, my love." minho nodded as he moved his hand to cup the younger's cheek. "i'll join you in your room in a minute."

the younger took a deep breath before managing a weak nod and slowly walking into his room.

it hadn't taken long for minho to follow him, entering jisung's bedroom with a glass of water that he rested on the younger's desk.

minho carefully sat down next to jisung on his bed, the pair now side by side.

jisung thanked minho for the scissors he had grabbed before carefully opening the package.

inside was a note in his mother's handwriting on top of some tissue paper that was obviously concealing something of importance.

the younger lifted it up and took a deep breath before reading.

'jisung,
i had been cleaning and found these pictures. they are of no use to me anymore, but i assumed you might want them.'

as jisung carefully moved the tissue paper, his heart wrenched at the sight.

there were two pictures in a double joined frame.

on the left side was a man. a man with dark hair just like jisung's and the most joyous smile imaginable.

next to that, was a picture of the same man with a small boy.

the little boy was sat at a table while the man crouched down next to him.

both of them had paint on their faces and an apron covered with the same.

in each of their hands was a white porcelain mug.

minho brought his eyes from the picture to jisung as he had immediately recognised the significance.

"t-that's a picture i took of my dad." jisung explained, his finger outlining the left picture frame. "i was seven when i took it and i remember how my dad went on and on about how i should be a photographer...but i think he praised me purely because i didn't drop the camera."