19 | minsung

20

it was lunchtime, and minho had sent a message to the group chat, letting them know that he would be spending his lunch with his roommate. earlier, jisung had told minho that he could find him on the rooftop of clé hall during lunch, and that's where minho was heading right now.

as he reached the last step of the stairs, minho let out an audible pant, completely exhausted from coming from the building on the other side of the campus. he swung the door open and was met with the sight of jisung, who was enjoying the breeze as he usually did.

before fully stepping onto the rooftop, minho looked around to make sure there were no other people there at the same time, in case he spotted jeongin. he remembered jeongin mentioning that he spent his lunchtime here, but when he didn't see jeongin's figure on the rooftop, he assumed that maybe jeongin's lunchtime was at a different time, trying to push aside the unsettling thought that jeongin was a ghost.

minho approached jisung with a smile on his face, his bunny teeth peeking through. "hi," he greeted as soon as he reached the younger.

"hello, hyung," jisung turned to minho and greeted him with a warm smile. however, that smile quickly faded when he noticed the bandage on minho's cheek.

he gently placed his hand on the older's cheek, being extra careful not to touch the wound. "what happened?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"a guitar string snapped and cut my cheek," minho replied, unconsciously nuzzling his cheek into jisung's hand.

jisung smiled sweetly at minho's action, finding it endearing as it reminded him of how he would interact with the older. he began rubbing soothing circles on minho's cheek, his voice gentle as he asked, "does it hurt?"

minho shook his head, still resting against jisung's hand. "it doesn't anymore," he replied, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of jisung's cold hand caressing his cheek, like a cat reveling in the affection of its owner.

suddenly, jisung's gestures stopped, and minho felt his hand leaving his skin, causing him to flutter his eyes open with a pout on his lips.

jisung noticed minho's reaction and let out a chuckle. he gently grabbed minho's hand and led him to a shaded area on the rooftop.

jisung sat down first, crossing his legs, and signaled for minho to do the same, which the older followed. once they were both seated, side by side, jisung let his gaze wander forward, taking in the fresh breeze and exhaling it. "the weather is nice," he mumbled, closing his eyes as he lost himself in the moment.

minho mimicked jisung, looking ahead with his gaze fixed on the beautiful sapphire-colored sky that stretched overhead like an endless canvas, filled with people's hopes and dreams.

jisung stole a glance at minho, noticing the sky's reflection in his glossy eyes. the gusty wind made contact with minho's soft features, causing his eyes to squint slightly while his lips formed a small pout.

he leaned towards minho, causing the older to shift his attention to the person sitting beside him. jisung gently moved a strand of minho's hair away, ensuring it wouldn't poke his eyes. this unexpected gesture caught minho off guard, and his cheeks turned a shade of crimson as his eyes wandered around the area.

as jisung gently fixed minho's slightly tousled hair, he asked in his usual gentle and caring voice, "aren't you hungry?"

the question triggered a realization in minho's mind, 'i haven't eaten today!' internally facepalming at his forgetfulness, he decided to make up a little lie. "nope, i already ate before i left," he fibbed, hoping jisung would believe him and not wanting to ruin the moment or go through the hassle of heading up and down the stairs to buy lunch.

jisung hummed in response, seemingly accepting minho's answer. minho then turned the question back to jisung. "how about you? have you eaten?" he asked, making eye contact with the younger.

after adjusting minho's hair, jisung placed his hands on his lap and answered, "mhm, i already ate. thanks for asking," forming a heart shape with his lips as he smiled.

minho couldn't help but be curious about where jisung went when he wasn't in the dorm. he asked, "i hope you don't mind me asking, but where do you usually go when you're not in the dorm?"

"i go to the library to study," jisung replied. "all the necessary materials for my program can be found there."

minho remarked, "law seems hard," with jisung nodding in agreement.

"it is. there's a lot to read and memorize," jisung explained, which made minho cringe at the thought of it.

the two roommates continued to engage in small conversation on the rooftop, savoring each other's presence. being with jisung was akin to standing under the clear sky, just like the one that stretched above them at that moment. his presence possessed the remarkable ability to gently brighten minho's day, exuding kindness and tenderness in every gesture and word.

-----

before heading back to the dorm, minho made a quick stop at the convenience store to purchase an antibacterial solution and a bandage for his cut.

as he paid for his items and left the convenience store, he encountered a beggar who unexpectedly started speaking to him, catching him off guard.

"boy, i sense a strong energy around you. let it rest before it turns evil," the old beggar said.

minho didn't pay much attention to what she said and continued on his way back to campus, choosing to push the unusual encounter to the back of his mind.

on his path to the dorm building, he spotted jisung and called out to him, "jisung!" minho exclaimed, hurrying over to the younger.

jisung stopped in his tracks and waited for minho to reach him. "are you heading to the dorm?" minho asked.

jisung hummed, his gaze falling on the plastic bag in minho's hand. "where have you been?" he asked as they began walking back to their dorm.

minho replied, "oh, i went to the convenience store to get something to clean the wound. it isn't actually deep, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

the two walked side by side, engaging in small talk as they made their way to the elevator. once inside, minho pressed the button marked with the number 4. just as the elevator doors started to close, someone joined them inside.

minho offered the stranger a friendly smile, hoping to make the elevator ride less awkward. he then turned to jisung, his face beaming with a smile as he asked, "are you busy tonight?"

jisung shook his head, replying, "i've already finished everything, so i'm free tonight," with a small smile.

minho returned the smile, about to continue the conversation when a cough drew his attention. he turned toward the stranger in the elevator with them, and the person pointed to the elevator buttons, asking, "can you drop me off at the next stop?" as minho was standing closest to the buttons.

"of course," minho responded, pressing the button for the third floor, noting that the stranger had initially selected the sixth floor before changing it to the third floor.

when the elevator reached the third floor, the person promptly exited, leaving jisung and minho alone in the elevator.

as the elevator door closed, jisung turned to minho, asking, "what were you going to say before that guy interrupted you?" there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

minho replied shyly, "i was going to suggest watching a movie..."

jisung smiled at minho's bashful demeanor and then raised his hand to gently squeeze the older's unwounded cheek. "i'd love that," he replied with a warm smile.

-----

when they returned to their dorm, minho swiftly changed into more comfortable clothing. emerging from his room, he found Jisung already seated on the couch, patiently waiting for him.

minho settled down next to jisung, grabbing a nearby pillow and placing it on his lap.

"how about a horror movie night?" he proposed to jisung with a knowing smirk.

"sure," jisung agreed with his customary smile.