𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 // Jihan

twenty-three

Saturday had arrived, and Jeonghan went to work as usual. For Joshua, it was a different story. He had pleaded with the staff to give him some free time today.

Why? Because today was the day he planned to confess his feelings to Jeonghan!

It could be the happiest day of his life, but it also carried the potential for heartbreak. So much depended on Jeonghan's feelings.

***

Seungcheol asked, "You're going to confess to him today?"

"Yes! I'm so excited! I really want him to say yes!" Joshua's face lit up with joy, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Why don't you listen to me for once? You might regret it..." Seungcheol warned.

"I won't regret it. Stop bringing my mood down! You're not helping" Joshua retorted.

"Whatever. Come to my place after the confession"Seungcheol suggested.

"I don't think I will... if he says 'yes,' I won't need to!" Joshua replied, a playful smile on his face.

"Yeah." Seungcheol said with a hint of sadness.

"Ahh, I'm so excited! I could die from the anticipation!" Joshua exclaimed, expressing his excitement with a string of random words.

***

Seungkwan showed up early, surprising Jeonghan at work.

"Oh, hi Seungkwan! What brings you here? It's only 5 pm!" Jeonghan greeted his brother.

"I wanted to visit you. How are you doing?" Seungkwan inquired.

"Good, just a regular day. What about you? Did Dad hurt you again?" Jeonghan asked, scanning his brother for any new bruises.

"Yeah, he hurt my arm. Life is hard without you...
By the way, Mom wants to find you. She mentioned something about going to Joshua's house tonight. So be cautious..." Seungkwan warned Jeonghan.

"I won't be home tonight. Joshua invited me to hang out with him somewhere. He keeps inviting me to different places... Do you think he knows about our family situation?" Jeonghan pondered.

"Maybe not. Or maybe he has a crush on you~~" Seungkwan teased playfully.

"Stop it, Seungkwan. I don't like him." Jeonghan responded, his tone serious.

"Oops, sorry. But where are you going?" Seungkwan inquired.

"I forgot the name, but it's on top of that tall hill."

"Ah, that place? I've always wanted to go there with someone and have deep conversations..." Seungkwan pouted.

"Maybe you'll go there with me someday! Who knows?" Jeonghan smiled, trying to cheer up his younger brother.

***

It was 8 pm, and Jeonghan had left work early to meet Joshua. Today was the day Joshua had been waiting for, the day he would finally confess his feelings to Jeonghan. He thought about all the moments they had shared.

However, as he waited for Jeonghan at the top of the hill, a sudden realization hit him. What if Jeonghan said no? Would their friendship end, and all their memories become bittersweet relics of the past? He tried to push these negative thoughts away and focused on his plan.

***

Meanwhile, Seungkwan found himself near the park as dusk fell. A stranger sat on a nearby bench.

"Are you Seungkwan?" the man asked.

Seungkwan was taken aback. How did this stranger know his name? Was he some kind of spy?

"Y-yes? Why?" Seungkwan replied, his voice trembling.

"Your brother is in big trouble right now." the man stated.

Seungkwan was filled with fear. "Why? How do you even know him? Who are you?"

"I'm warning you. Jeonghan is with Joshua on the hill right now. Joshua is planning to confess to him, but Jeonghan doesn't have feelings for him. He'll reject Joshua, and Joshua will kick Jeonghan out of his house. Jeonghan will come home, and your parents will beat him up because he hasn't been home for weeks. You need to run away before it's too late." the stranger advised.

Seungkwan was shocked by this revelation. Could it be true? Was his brother in danger? Could he save him from this fate?

At first, he hesitated to trust the stranger, but the thought of his brother's safety weighed on his mind. Perhaps this stranger was trying to help. Seungkwan decided to act and ran away from the stranger.

But as he ran, he couldn't shake the possibility that the stranger might be telling the truth.

***

Back at the hill, Joshua and Jeonghan were together, enjoying the view of the beautiful evening sky.

"The sky is beautiful, isn't it?" Joshua remarked.

"Yes, it is." Jeonghan agreed.

"It's beautiful, maybe because something new is going to happen in our lives?" Joshua mused.

Jeonghan laughed at the idea. "What new thing? That's an unusual way to look at it."

"I don't know..." Joshua admitted, too nervous to continue.

"Jeonghan, there's something I want to tell you."Joshua said, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Hmm?" Jeonghan looked at him, curious and a bit apprehensive.

Was this the moment they had both been waiting for? The moment that would change their lives forever? Joshua moved closer to Jeonghan, placing his hands on the older boy's neck and gazing into his eyes.

Jeonghan was taken aback by Joshua's sudden actions. He could feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach. His cheeks turned a shade of pink.

"What are you doing? S-stop!" Jeonghan stammered, blushing uncontrollably.

Joshua continued to move closer, inching toward Jeonghan's lips.

Could this be it? The moment Joshua had been waiting for?

He listened to his heart and took the leap.

***