Youth | Gyuhao

- 31

| Chapter Thirty - One — Apologies |

Minghao didn't know what to say.

Sitting here, upright and conscious in his hospital bed with all of his friends staring at him— he didn't know what to say.

Junhui stood near the curtains, Seungkwan was sat in a chair near him, Jeonghan was leaning up against the wall with Joshua was close by, and Soonyoung was beside the hospital room door. Minghao wondered if he were there because it was the fastest way of escaping.

Minghao still hadn't said anything, silent— letting his heart pound his head into oblivion.

"Aren't you gonna say something?" Jeonghan was the first one to speak up.

Joshua sighed, "Jeonghan, come on—"

"No. We're all here for a reason," Jeonghan begins, leaning up off the wall, "We get a call that he ran into the police station angry, smacked the shit out of Soonyoung, and proceeded to faint. What do you want us to do with that? How do you want us to deal with that? I know you weren't expecting silence."

"Don't put it all in the open like that." Junhui sighed, "What he did was wrong, but Soonyoung should be the one to decide how he feels."

Minghao hated this. He hated how they were talking like he wasn't here.

But maybe— just maybe, he deserved this.

Truly.

"Minghao, what the fuck is wrong with you lately?" Jeonghan directs his gaze towards the helpless boy in the hospital bed, gaze one of a dagger Minghao couldn't even describe, "I mean, seriously."

"Don't be an asshole." Joshua looked at his fiancé, "He just woke up from fainting. Give him a bit of a break, Jeonghan."

"A break?" Jeonghan scoffed, "I don't know where all of your heads are— but he's been fucking with us over and over the past month— he doesn't deserve a break, if you ask me."

"Well hyung, we're not asking you." Seungkwan snaps, "Soonie hyung gets the go. Don't decide how he feels for him."

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, leaning back against the wall as before.

Minghao closes his eyes, keeping his head down in a type of shame he never thought he'd feel towards his group of friends.

"Guys, I'm okay." Soonyoung says from the doorway, "No offense, but the punch was weak anyways. You all are making a big deal out of nothing." He scoffs, laughing, "And we're talking as if Seungkwan didn't slap the hell out of Shua hyung last year."

"In my defense—" Seungkwan raises a hand, "It was an accident."

"How do you accidentally slam a palm to my face?" Joshua stares at him, eyes in slits.

Seungkwan shrugs, "It sounds wrong to say I had a good reason, so I'll just say it slipped." He looks away, lips pouted outwards.

Joshua shakes his head, snickering anyways.

"Myungho, don't be sad. I'm fine." Soonyoung tells him. Minghao feels his chest do a leap when he gets called, his head lifting to meet his friend's eyes since the whole incident, "I'll forgive you if you just tell us what's wrong." He frowns, "We wanna help."

Jeonghan rolls his eyes, "Some of us." His fiancé pinches him, "Ouch!"

"Yeah, we wanna help, Myungho." Joshua says, taking Jeonghan's hand, "All of us."

Minghao scans the room through his now blurry vision. He can feel the tears coming in like fire, and he hates them.

He's sick of crying.

And he hates how that's all he's ever done since Mingyu left him.

"Hyung, please." Seungkwan pleads, looking just as hurt as the boy in the bed.

"Minghao, it's okay." Junhui throws in, Mandarin filling Minghao's ears in hopeful comfort, "You can tell us what's wrong."

Seungkwan nods, "Yeah, whatever he said."

Minghao sniffles, chuckling, "I'm just sorry." Is the first thing that falls past his lips. He can taste the honesty, he can bask in just how good that feels to finally get out, "I'm so sorry. To all of you."

The room goes silent— Even Jeonghan.

Nobody knew what to say.

"I'm sorry I've been such a mess recently," Minghao cries softly, "And I'm sorry I've been so MIA, and I'm sorry I've caused each and every one of you to worry about me. You shouldn't have to." He glances towards Soonyoung, shameful, "And I'm sorry I punched you, hyung." Soonyoung simply shrugs, signaling he's fine.

"We worried even before all this happened, hyung." Seungkwan says, shrugging, "It's practically a rule to always worry about someone you love."

Minghao smiles at that, feeling a comfortable type of warmth fill his chest.

He looks Seungkwan's way, holding out a hand. Seungkwan gets the memo, standing up almost immediately to take a seat in the chair just beside the hospital bed.

With their fingers interlaced, Minghao continues, "Thank all of you for being here. Really."

"What happened to you, Myungho?" Soonyoung asks, arms crossed sheepishly.

Minghao's smile slowly fades away, the truth coming up to claw at his throat uncomfortably, hoping and wishing to spill urgently, "Everything." He answers, "None of it is Mingyu's fault." He doesn't know the difference between lies and reality anymore.

"Where is that fucker, actually?" Junhui scoffs.

Minghao chuckles, "He's gone." The room goes completely silent when he answers, Junhui's face dropping as well, "He's gone and I'm pretty sure he's never coming back. So, you don't have to worry about him anymore."

Soonyoung's jaw drops, "Wait, so—" He shudders, "Does that mean both his friends..."

Minghao nods sadly, "Sorry, hyung."

Soonyoung whines like a child, leaning back against the wall, "Man, I didn't even get his number."

"That's what you're worried about?" Junhui scoffs for a second time, rolling his eyes when Soonyoung does nothing but shrug dumbly.

"I claim the title as Myungho hyung's new best friend." Seungkwan grins, bright and cheeky. It makes Minghao laugh— something he hadn't done in quite a while.

It felt good.