Don't run away from me

ch. 13

//seokmin;

Throughout the way home, Seokmin could only think about Joshua and couldn't stop smiling. Sequences kept fleeting through his mind, causing him to smirk to himself on the street as if he were a sociopath. When he arrived at the apartment, Seokmin was greeted by Hansol, who was drinking his coffee on the couch.

"Hey man," Hansol greeted him, and Seokmin approached to shake his hand. He was already used to his visits, and Seokmin genuinely enjoyed the company of the guy.

On the other hand, Seungwan was standing by the bathroom door, still dressed in pajamas with his hair pulled back with a bunny ear headband. He had a face mask on that startled Seokmin so much that he flinched. Hansol stood up from the couch and walked behind Seokmin, gently patting him on the shoulder.

"Good luck," he whispered, then entered Seungwan's bedroom, closing the door. Seungwan crossed his arms in front of his chest and motioned for Seokmin to sit on the couch, to which he didn't object and followed his strict instructions.

"Where were you last night? And why is your phone off?" Seungwan had that typical Asian mom vibe, ready to scold, with a slipper in her hand for any eventuality.

"I slept at a friend's place. Why? Did something happen?"

"What friend?" Seungwan furrowed his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

"Just a friend." Seokmin flinched and quickly raised his hands to defend himself when Seungwan lifted the house slipper at him. "Joshua hyung! I stayed over at his place!" Seungwan stopped and dropped the slipper, putting it on her foot.

"Did you two...?" Hansol stuck his head through the partially open bedroom door, and Seungwan threw the slipper right at his head, but he closed the door and dodged it in time.

Seokmin was red and embarrassed, standing up with his hands on his hips, defensively.

"Woah, Chwe Hansol, do you really want us to fight? Is that what you think of me? Yaah!" Seokmin protested, waving his arms, but Seungwan just pressed his shoulder to sit down on the couch next to him.

"Seokmin, I need to talk to you very seriously right now." Seungwan took off her mask, folding it and placing it on the coffee table. "I want to know everything that happened, and then I want you to listen very carefully."

Seokmin swallowed hard, knowing that Seungwan only wanted what's best for him, but he couldn't help but feel anxious about the upcoming conversation. He told him about how it was just a misunderstanding, about the conversation he had with Joshua on the park swings, about that morning, and Seungwan listened, nodding gently.

"Look, Seokmin. You are one of my best friends, and I love you so much, that's why I'm having this conversation with you now. You've never been in any other relationship, especially with someone of the same gender. I want you to understand that this situation is not just a game, and you can't feel in love one day and not care the next. What you feel for Joshua hyung right now could just be curiosity, physical attraction, and later realize that it was never about true feelings. After listening to Joshua's moment at the festival, I realized that he is the purest soul, a hopeless romantic who just wants to be happy and loved. How you reacted after finding out about Jun was immature and probably deeply hurt him. "Think carefully before taking another step, don't rush things, and give Joshua time to reflect on his choices, don't pressure him. Don't cross any boundaries, don't take advantage of the fact that he's nice to you and allows certain things. I know you have a good heart and would never want to hurt him, but as someone with experience in this field, you don't even realize when words hurt more than actions, especially the unintentional ones."

Seokmin listens attentively, occasionally nodding his head, his friend's words grounding him and making him realize the deeper situation. They both spend a few minutes in silence, allowing Seungwan to let his friend fully digest the entire conversation.