Don't run away from me

ch. 3

//seokmin;

Something cold kept pressing on his left cheek, interrupting his sleep, which made him a little grumpy. When he opens his eyes, he sees Joshua's angelic face in front of him, welcoming him with a sweet and warm smile that melts his heart. Thinking that he's still dreaming, Seokmin smiles foolishly, then closes his eyes again and settles in a bit more comfortably.

"Seokminie, it's almost closing time. Do you want to stay overnight here?" Seokmin feels the cold sensation on his cheek again, and when he realizes who the voice belongs to, he jumps up, his heart racing at 120 beats per second.

With wide, surprised eyes, he looks at Joshua, who was still in his place, giggling at the boy's reaction.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up because you were sleeping so adorably, but the librarian informed me that it's closing time in 15 minutes." Joshua's eyes were shining, and Seokmin couldn't help but feel super embarrassed by his reaction.

He feels the weight of a jacket sliding gently onto his shoulders, and when he grabs it, he realizes it's actually Joshua's, emanating his scent. His cheeks turn red, now feeling even more ashamed.

"How many hours did I sleep?" Seokmin says with a slightly subdued voice as he starts packing up his things, just like Joshua.

"You slept for 4 hours. At one point, you started trembling, so I put my jacket on you. I hope it didn't make you feel uncomfortable." Joshua laughs a bit awkwardly, as if embarrassed, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

"NO!" Suddenly, Seokmin shouts louder, causing Joshua to startle at the sudden change. He quickly adjusts his voice and turns to Joshua. "No, not at all. Thank you so much, hyung!" With his dorky smile, Seokmin gives a little bow, and Joshua reaches out and tousles his already messy bangs a bit.

Seokmin couldn't stop smiling even after they left the library building, said their goodbyes, and even after he got home. His cheeks were starting to hurt, but the thought that Joshua had been by his side for so many hours and took care to keep him from getting cold made him feel warm inside.

"What's so funny that you've been laughing nonstop for 10 minutes since you entered the house?" Seungwan, Seokmin's roommate, sat on the kitchen island chair and suspiciously analyzed him. "You act like you're some kind of serial killer. Stop, you're giving me chills." Seungwan pouted and then returned to his bowl of ramen.

"SEUNGWANNIEEE!!" Seokmin jumps from one foot to another, coming up behind his friend and embracing him, starting to jump up and down excitedly.

With chopsticks near his mouth, Seungwan drops his ramen, spilling a little on the table due to Seokmin's actions. He turns around and was about to playfully slap Seokmin on the head, but he is stopped and lifted up by Seokmin, who is still jumping with joy. Seungwan bursts into laughter at how pathetic he looks but still enjoys his happiness.

"Are you planning to tell me what happened or are you just going to spin me around the house until I die?" Seokmin stops and shakes Seungwan's shoulders, trying to suppress his smile so he can deliver the news, but he fails.

The two boys sit back at the table, with Seungwan making a bowl of ramen for his colleague while he tells him everything, with brief pauses where they both chuckle. Seungwan listens attentively, smiling widely at his friend's happiness.

As the story comes to an end, suddenly, Seungwan's palm smacks against the back of Seokmin's head, causing him to choke on the ramen.

"It was your chance to invite him out, silly." Seungwan looks at him disappointingly, arms crossed over his chest, sighing.

"What do you mean?" Confused, Seokmin asks with his mouth full.

"I can't believe you're so clueless. Who else would stay next to someone at the library for FOUR HOURS just because they think the person sleeping next to them is adorable, huh? Even if it was the only free spot, you still don't say 'oh, you were too adorable to wake up.' Who puts their jacket on someone who, instead of studying during exam season, sleeps at the library? Seokmin-ah, I'm sorry and I love you, but you're the dumbest friend I've ever met."

The realization hits Seokmin like a train, causing him to stand up and pace around the coffee table and sofa. He runs his stressed hand through his hair, Seungwan's words bringing him back to reality from his little fantasy. He wasn't prepared for this, it never crossed his mind.

"Call him and invite him out after you're done with your exams," Seungwan turns around and continues eating his bowl that he had been struggling to finish for a while but kept getting interrupted.

"What if he hates me? I'm sure I snored at some point and distracted him from studying," Seokmin takes a seat on the sofa, looking pale.

Seungwan was already fed up with all of Seokmin's nonsense, so he takes his bowl and goes to his bedroom. Seokmin takes out his phone and after another 15 minutes of staring at the open conversation with Joshua on the screen, he gathers the courage to send him a message.

seok ٩(๑>◡<๑)۶: "Hey hyung!! I'm really sorry for today, I was very tired and not feeling well, so I thought I'd just close my eyes for a little rest, without knowing that I would sleep for 4 hours. I'm sorry!!! Please let me make it up to you, let me treat you to a meal!!"

shua: "Who's this?"

Seokmin's heart sank into his stomach, his breath catching for a few moments. He stared blankly at the message he had just received, without blinking, feeling his eyes begin to moisten because of it. Suddenly, his phone starts vibrating, making him jump. The call was from Joshua, and that brought his heart back to a faster rhythm. Trembling, he reaches for his phone and answers, listening to the other end.

"Hello? Who am I speaking to?"

It wasn't Joshua's voice. It was another male voice that Seokmin couldn't recognize. He swallows the lump in his throat, and as he goes to respond, he hears Joshua's voice in the background.

'Junnie-ah~'

It was sweet and melodic even in the background of the call.

'What are you doing? Is that my phone? Give it to me!'
'Ah! Nooo!'
Laughter starts to be heard in the background, presumably teasing Joshua to get his phone back. Seokmin just listens, frozen in place, his mind going wild with thousands and thousands of questions.
'I told you to call me when you take a showe-' beep beep
The unidentified voice is abruptly interrupted by the beep signaling the end of the call. Although the call had ended several minutes ago, Seokmin remains with the phone to his ear, still stuck on what he had just heard. For the first time, he feels his heart shattered into thousands and thousands of pieces, like porcelain dropped from the roof of a building. Hot tears begin to flood his eyes.