look after you | hyunin

xxiv

tw // trauma induced panic attack
(A/N: i'm sorry in advance ily 😭❤️‍🩹)

five days before christmas day is when it all starts going to shit. well, maybe not starts, but it continues to go further downhill than it was before.

hyunjin has been doing his best to read jeongin's energy. the boy is far more distant than before. he's not just distant because of his home situation, either. this is entirely something different. the honey-haired boy can't put his finger on it.

well, he can, he just doesn't want to admit it.

the progress with jeongin's situation is at its peak. the trial is two weeks after christmas, so the boy's emotions are understandably at an all time high.

this doesn't make anything easier.

as the two boys are yet again hanging out with their friends, hyunjin isn't the only one who's confused and albeit a little concerned by jeongin's behavior.

he nearly wishes this isn't something he's used to. fortunately, his heart is too big to even think about letting jeongin go in any way, shape, or form.

seungmin makes his way over to hyunjin as the 8 boys hang out in the hwangs' basement.

"jeongin's being weird, isn't he?" seungmin asks as he sits beside hyunjin on the couch. "his vibe is off. it's not just because of everything he's going through, either."

hyunjin sighs dramatically.

"finally someone gets it! i'm so confused, seungmin, i just- he's distant and usually he's not as distant when it comes to his family situation. i'm really overthinking."

seungmin chuckles softly at the pout on his friend's face.

"are you sure you're not feeling confused because of what we talked about?"

hyunjin's face burns bright red.

"uh- absolutely not," he scoffs. seungmin rolls his eyes as if to say 'yeah, right'.

"i'm serious!" hyunjin whines. "i- i don't- you're wrong, seungmin! you have to be, this can't- like there is no way-"

"i'm almost always right when it comes to these things, jinnie."

"let's just- can we stop talking about this? i- i don't want him to think we're talking shit about him or anything," the honey-haired boy frowns.

"dude, he's my best friend. if i ever genuinely talked shit about him, you have every right to call me insane."

hyunjin laughs softly before seungmin speaks again.

"hyunjin, you're not talking bad. you're worried. there's a huge difference," seungmin says softly. "he's going through a difficult time and you're doing the best you can. we're also doing the best we can, all of us, including your parents.

"you could never talk shit about someone who didn't deserve it. that's not you," he continues. "we may have dated and ended on a bad note. with that in mind, we're friends now and i know you. you're not a bad person.

"you have a heart of gold. you just- you just give too much sometimes. i'm glad you're starting to prioritize yourself. i wish you would let yourself feel more emotions, like chan's probably mentioned."

"do you two have the same brain? i'm scared!" hyunjin says in a jokingly frightened manner.

"i'm serious, jinnie," the younger boy chuckles softly. "how's therapy going, anyways? y'know, now that we're talking about emotions and such..."