look after you | hyunin

xxii

the next morning comes faster than jeongin wishes it did.

the other 6 boys stayed over per hyunjin's request, so jeongin slept in the same room as chan and seungmin. he almost regretted it when he caught them kissing at 3am, but at least that's all it was.

thank god.

jeongin wakes up earlier than his friends, meaning he has absolutely nothing to do.

usually, he never wakes up this early. inevitably, the slight hangover is making him change his ways. as it's only 7am, jeongin makes his way downstairs to relish in time alone before his chaotic friend group springs to life.

and, of course, that means time alone... to think about everything. his parents, hyunjin, his possible new life... everything.

"you're up early."

jeongin flinches in his seat on the couch. he turns his head to see hyunjin standing over by the dining room.

"what- why are you-"

"i barely slept last night," hyunjin shrugs. "i just got up so i could possibly go for a walk while this mid-november weather holds up."

"i can go with you if you wanna talk," the latter suggests. he chews his bottom lip out of nerves. he's unsure of how hyunjin will respond.

"that- uh," the boy chuckles softly, "that would be great."

"perfect! i'll just go grab a hoodie."

"cool," hyunjin nods as jeongin runs back upstairs.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

the previous night...

"they were using them to cope," hyunjin mutters from his stance beside the younger.

jeongin turns to face the boy with the same look of fire in his eyes. if he was sober, he wouldn't be acting like this and he knew it. he knew it, but he drank anyways.

"fuck you."

hyunjin almost says something before he feels a burning slap across his cheek.

in a flash, seungmin pulls jeongin away and chan rushes to bring hyunjin up to his room before anything else could happen.

"are you okay?" chan says once hyunjin is sitting on his bed.

"i'm fine, it wasn't a super hard slap-" the younger mumbles as he keeps his gaze on the rug below him.

"i'm not just talking about the slap, hyunjin."

oh.

"i'm okay, channie," hyunjin scoffs. "i know jeongin didn't mean to do that and i'm hurt, yeah, but- i'm okay."

"not really that, either."

right... that.

"oh, you meant..."

"your sister's death anniversary is tomorrow, right? isn't this gonna mess things up for that?"

"...i told you," hyunjin chuckles bitterly, "i'm okay. i'll be fine. we'll get over it. we'll talk it out like we always do. i mean- i already have things to say to him. it'll be easy to move on from."

"whatever you say, captain. as long as you'll be okay," chan frowns.

"i will be. i always am," the younger says. contrary to his words, his blank facial expression doesn't really make sense.