SEQUEL TO HOLD ME
"it's only human."
those are words that stick in the minds of eight boys who have found themselves closer than ever because of a year spent at the same college.
minsung, seungin, changhyunlix... and chan :')
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JUNE 2
Minho had been driving Jisung home from 2Chan's new house that night after the housewarming party (if you can call it that), his mind on the two empty bedrooms. Pulling into Jisung's neighborhood, when they reached a lull in their already slow conversation (which was more like Jisung relaxedly chatting to Minho about his encounters with animals during night drives, while Minho responded with a light chuckle here and there), Minho sighed, shoulders dropping heavy.
Glancing for a split-second at Jisung, taking his eyes off the vacant street, he asked, "Do you think I should move in?"
Caught off-guard by Minho's sudden question, Jisung clicked his tongue; tilted his head. "Yeah, I mean, you'd be a lot happier there, right?"
Minho hummed pensively. He'd do what Chan said: think about it for a while. It'd be a big decision; he should take a few days to consider.
"Why not?" was Jisung's final answer, as Minho parked at the start of the driveway, and he unbuckled with a resounding click. He turned in his seat, smiling slightly. "Thanks for the ride." Reaching over the console, he pulled Minho in until their shoulders touched and he could fit his chin over Minho's shoulder.
Minho closed his eyes and let slow hands come to rest just below Jisung's shoulderblades. And that was it; Jisung's warmth retracted.
In reality, Jisung tended to hug longer than most people. Not like Minho was counting or anything... but the average hug from the average person seemed to last two or three seconds— and Jisung almost invariably hugged for five. But it always felt like Minho had time to check his watch (and then some) when anyone else hugged him (which, fortunately, barely ever happened). Though Minho knew it hadn't really changed, as time went on— the more Jisung touched him— the shorter each hug felt. The more he wanted to reach out and pull him back in.
But he let him go, telling him, "No problem," as Jisung got out of the car, waved and shut the door.
And he sighed once more, watching him walk up the driveway, the words replaying in his mind.
Why not?
Those two words were the reason he let time slip away from him, forgotten, as he sat on the edge of his bed that night.
Even now, hanging out with them all was hard. Honestly, he enjoyed himself very much during group hang-outs (and he was learning to admit that to himself), finding himself looking forward to them, and experiencing lasting light moods after them as well, but it was still incredibly tiring to be with them when he hadn't managed to break the habit of constant comparison; when he was always looking at himself, then at the others, wondering, how much should i talk, am i being entertaining enough, why do i have to be so damn awkward.
