Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

37. Promises and Arrivals

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

"Eyes are useless when the mind is blind."

Minghao's words emerged through gritted teeth, his tone dripping with darkness. "What did you just say?" he spat, his voice laced with a heavy shadow that hung in the air.

Jeonghan's eyebrows furrowed as he met Minghao's intense gaze, unflinching. "What? Am I wrong? he retorted, his eyes locking onto Minghao's. "Sometimes our instincts deceive us, but your eyes... they betray more than you realize, Minghao. There's something there, something you're trying to bury."

"You're treading in waters you don't understand. What you mistake for love is nothing but misplaced mercy, hyung," Minghao's retort sliced through the air, his words carrying a blend of frustration and restraint. He wrestled to rein in his fraying nerves, his grip on Jeonghan's collar a reminder of their charged confrontation.

Jeonghan's scoff reverberated in the charged air, a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. "You're really going to keep up this facade, Minghao? Trying to convince yourself that there's no flicker of attraction toward that girl? I've seen the battle within you, the clash between what you want to believe and what's undeniable."

Minghao's lips curled into a half-snarl, his fingers twitching against the fabric of Jeonghan's collar. "Don't play the psychologist, hyung. You know nothing of the weight I carry." The words bore a weight of their own, laden with the unspoken history that had led them to this boiling point.

Jeonghan's words sliced through the charged air, his voice low and accusatory. "Oh, I see it clear as day. You can't fool me, Minghao. You're drowning in guilt because you're attracted to the very person who took your sister from you."

Minghao's grip on Jeonghan's collar tightened, his anger flaring like a storm. "Stop saying that!" he growled, his voice quivering with anger. He yanked Jeonghan closer, their faces mere inches apart. "I feel nothing for her. If I extended any help, it was purely out of pity, because I found about her past. And more than anything, because I've come to understand she's not the one responsible for my sister's death," he snapped, his gaze transforming into a stormy abyss in an instant.

"Pathetic," Jeonghan uttered, a note of resignation in his voice. But before the word could fully settle in the charged air, Minghao's restraint snapped. With a surge of raw energy, he propelled Jeonghan back, forcefully pinning him against the wall.

"Stop abusing her, hyung," Minghao's voice was a low, dangerous hiss, like a coiled serpent ready to strike. His eyes blazed with a mix of anger and desperation, a fire that spoke of the boundaries he was no longer willing to let Jeonghan cross. "I swear, if you lay another finger on her, you'll have more than your guilt to contend with. You'll have to deal with me."

"Keep trying to convince me that you genuinely care for her with your words," Jeonghan smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Minghao released his grip on Jeonghan's collar and held his gaze for a lingering moment. Without another word, he turned towards the door, his steps purposeful as he made his way in the direction of none other than Nabi.

"Bastard," Minghao harshly spats.

Gathering his thoughts, Minghao took a moment to compose himself before rapping his knuckles softly against the door. When no response came from the other side, he chose to ease the door open, inch by inch. As it swung open slowly, his gaze fell upon Nabi's form, her body tucked into a gentle curve on the edge of the bed, much as he had left her before he took Jeonghan to his room.