MOON & RIVER | JEONGLIX [✓]

fifty-eight

the three boys were standing in jeongin's backyard, moonlight illuminating their figures. felix was pacing back and forth, he already set up whatever he was going to do. jeongin watched the older intently, as seungmin stared at the aquamarine embroidered sword felix had brought.

"they are so going to kill me when they see me," felix fretted, "especially changbin..."

seungmin put his hand on the younger's shoulder, "changbin's a good person, felix. he'd never hurt anyone, even you."

"that's like the nicest thing i've ever heard you say," jeongin snickered next to them.

seungmin turned to face him, "do you want to die?"

"yes." there was a sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

"i'll go," seungmin set down the sword, "don't kill each other and jeongin, make sure felix doesn't get killed by them." he walked away, opening the gate.

"you got it?..." jeongin trailed off, but his tone made it seem more like a question.

"so," felix cleared his throat, "why did you decide to help me?"

jeongin shrugged, "you seemed like you knew what you were doing even though i was still hurt by you."

"oh..." felix murmured, leaving the younger to not take his eyes off of him and to admire how pretty his freckles looked under the moon, "during that whole thing, i really wished i could tell you everything. i know i've said this before, but i really couldn't and i still can't. though if i succeed with my plan, i will be able to."

jeongin sighed, "see, that's what i don't get. you say you wish you could've tell me but you'll be able to soon? what does that even mean?"

"when i finally finish them tonight, i'll tell you," felix's eyes glazed, "if i make it, i promise i will. this probably sounds silly, but you mean a lot to me, jeongin. you always have, even before we became friends i always had an interest in you."

tears began to fall down his freckled cheeks, "i could never say anything to you because of hyunjin, he's a very conflicting person and i need to help him with something very personal. i'll do it even if it means he has a crush on me as well as seungmin, but the thing is, seungmin told him he liked you."

jeongin eyes widened, feeling sudden empathy for the crying boy in front of him, "what? seungmin told me and changbin he liked hyunjin. this doesn't add up."

"i don't know, jeongin. i'm not friends with them anymore," felix wiped his eyes with his hoodie sleeve, "i don't expect you to forgive me though, what i did was downright horrible and traumatizing. i just wanted to let you know all of this now if i never get the chance to after this."

before jeongin could respond, three boys walked through his gate, they held conflicted and worrisome gazes. jeongin awkwardly waved at them, but two of them stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they got close enough to see him and felix under the moonlight.

"you!" changbin exclaimed, pointing at felix "why are you here?!"

felix flinched, "i can't tell you." jeongin stared at the older as he noticed that his voice was now deeper than a few minutes prior.

hyunjin frowned, his gaze flittering around jeongin's backyard, "your backyard is ugly."

"shut up!" jeongin hissed, "you can barley see it, it's pitch fucking black out here!"

"i'm gonna go see if anyone else is here..." seungmin sped off, going back through the same gate they came from.

changbin crossed his arms, "how are you not as shocked as me that he's here standing in front of us like everything is normal?"

hyunjin glanced at felix, before looking back at changbin, "i don't know? probably because we've been friends for such a long time?"

"there's no use to fight," jeongin furrowed his eyebrows, "we're here for a—uh—reason."

hyunjin rolled his eyes, "you don't even know why you called us here to your house in the first place, i have better things to do."

"yeah you totally do," felix bitterly replied, which left jeongin feeling confused by his reaction.

"ugh, i totally could be sleeping right now," minho dramatically stretched, purposely hitting jisung in the face as the four boys practically strutted in through the gate.

"hey, what's happening out here?" chan was the only one who actually seemed to notice the set up done by felix.

"well, care to explain, felix?" jeongin narrowed his eyes at him, which only caused the sigh.

"wait, that's felix?" jisung's eyes widened, bringing himself to stand closer to minho, (if that was even possible).

hyunjin rolled his eyes, "felix was here standing next to jeongin when we arrived, but there hasn't been a clear explanation as to why he's here."

seungmin glared at hyunjin, "god damnit hyunjin, shut the fuck up! we don't even know why he's here ourselves and we probably won't ever know if you don't stop your bitching!"

jeongin watched as hyunjin lowered his gaze towards the ground, and then at felix who was giving the older a sympathetic look, well that's one way to shut someone up.

"was that really necessary?" chan sighed at seungmin, now shifting towards felix, "just tell us why we're here felix, even though i'm just as confused as everyone else."

felix fidgeted with his fingers, "well, you see, i have a plan i can't disclose or else i'll be immediately killed. but you must trust me and do as i say, so i can get rid of the ditto and save us once and for all."

"i'm gonna be completely honest," jisung abruptly spoke, tilting his head, "i'm so confused right now it's not even funny."

"it's 'cause you're dumb as fuck," jeongin smirked in amusement, which resulted in minho to whack him.

"shut it or else i'm blowing up your house!" minho narrowed his eyes at the younger, before linking arms with jisung.

"not dating my ass 🗣️," seungmin whispered to jeongin, who immediately threw his hand up to cover his smile and stifle his laugh.

"no! it's 'cause nobody tells me anything!" jisung exasperated and threw his hands up, before turning to glare at jeongin, "this isn't funny, i'm being serious. minho is the one who tells me what's happening because nobody else bothers to inform me, and i don't even think half the shit he says is true!"

changbin sighed, "look, i'm not trying to be rude. but jisung, you never listen so we stopped including you in things."

"what? what kind of dogshit excuse is that?" jisung looked at him, his body language giving away that was he indeed hurt.

"don't worry about it, jisung," chan soothed, "it was a mistake on our end. i'm gonna be honest though, i wasn't told most of the stuff that happened with felix and then whatever that happened recently. i completely got caught up with school and shit that i stopped checking my group chat messages," he turned to apologetically look at felix, "no offense, by the way."

felix sadly smiled at him, "none taken."

jeongin looked at felix perplexed, "so, uh, sorry for changing the topic, but why are we doing this in my backyard?"

felix stared at him dead in the eyes, "because your mom has been there in this very same backyard."