19 | minsung

21

it had been a few weeks, and minho and jisung's relationship was evolving. minho's initial perception of jisung as an enigma had slowly faded away. while their different academic programs limited their time together at school, they cherished their moments in the dorm, occasionally sharing lunch.

on another school day morning, minho emerged from his room, his hair tousled, eyes still droopy, and hands rubbing his abdomen beneath his shirt. as always, jisung greeted him with a warm "good morning," bringing minho out of his morning daze.

excitedly, minho skipped over to jisung, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. without warning, he embraced jisung in a loose hug, resting his head on jisung's shoulder while his arms lazily wrapped around the younger's waist, effectively pinning him against the counter.

jisung was taken aback by minho's sudden display of affection, but a broad smile appeared on his face. he placed his hand on minho's back, gently moving it up and down.

"someone's feeling clingy this morning," he teased, as minho mumbled inaudibly in response.

they stayed in this position for a while, minho nearly drifting back to sleep on jisung's shoulder until the younger gently tapped his back.

"minho, we have class," jisung reminded softly, slowly guiding minho back on his feet. minho whined throughout the process.

"i don't want to go to class," minho grumbled with a pout, crossing his arms over his chest as if seeking jisung's permission to skip.

"you can't, min. your parents are paying your tuition, so make it worth it," jisung replied, giving minho's puffed cheeks a light squeeze.

upon this, minho suddenly remembered something. "speaking of my parents, they called and asked me to come home on friday night since they'll have a few days off. i won't be back here until sunday night," minho informed, his lips forming a frown as he realized he'd be leaving jisung alone this weekend.

jisung, who noticed minho's saddened state, gently lifted up the older's head, locking eyes with him. "i'll be fine, min. go enjoy your weekend with your parents," he said, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

"okay..." minho reluctantly agreed, even though he already knew jisung would occupy his thoughts during that time.

-----

it was minho's free time, and he found himself pacing around the corridors of clé hall. he debated whether to visit the empty classroom where jeongin usually spent his time during this period. however, he couldn't shake the unsettling thoughts that jeongin might not be there, which only fueled his fears that jeongin was a ghost.

after some internal struggle, minho decided to give it a shot. he headed towards the empty classroom with hesitant footsteps, his mind filled with dread. as he got closer, he realized he couldn't hear the familiar strumming of a guitar, intensifying his apprehension. now standing in front of the door, he hesitated over whether to knock or walk away.

summoning his courage, minho decided to give the door a gentle knock. when he didn't hear any excited footsteps or the door opening from within, he took it upon himself to push the door open.

the room was empty, and the sight sent shivers down minho's spine. nevertheless, he entered the classroom, taking a seat in his usual spot where he and jeongin would spend time together. it had been several weeks since he'd seen jeongin, with the last encounter being when the younger inexplicably disappeared.

during those weeks, minho had wanted to check up on jeongin, but his hectic schedule and workload hadn't allowed him to do so. this was the first time in a while that he had some free time, and he decided to linger in the empty classroom, finding comfort in the space. minho was supposed to meet up with felix at their usual hangout spot under the grand tree, but the hot weather discouraged him from making the trek.

the group had also been spending a lot of time together lately, often sharing lunch as they had similar schedules. minho, however, would sometimes excuse himself to have lunch on the rooftop with jisung.

while hanging out with the group, minho's curiosity about them grew. he couldn't shake the uneasiness that they were hiding something from him, especially regarding jeongin and the unidentified person in the photograph, both of whom had never been mentioned.

as minho was lost in thought, the door to the room suddenly opened, causing him to flinch. his anxiety dissipated as jeongin entered.

"hyung?" jeongin seemed puzzled as to why minho was waiting for him in the room.

minho watched as jeongin settled in, placing his guitar aside and taking a seat across from him. he wasted no time asking, "where have you been?"

jeongin was a bit surprised by the question but replied, "my class just ended. i haven't seen you for weeks, hyung," he said, offering a small smile, clearly happy to see minho again.

"i was busy the past few weeks," minho responded, contemplating if it was the right time to address jeongin's sudden disappearance beside him last time.

jeongin nodded in understanding, tuning his guitar with new strings. he then diverted his attention to minho's cheeks, asking, "did it scar?" as he pointed to minho's cheeks.

minho instinctively touched his cheeks before nodding. "it left a scar, but it isn't too deep. i can still use some products to help it heal," he replied.

although weeks had passed and minho's cheeks had healed, the cut from the thin string had left a barely noticeable scar.

as jeongin continued to tune his guitar, a palpable awkwardness filled the room. minho finally gathered the courage to voice the question that had been on his mind for the past week.

"why did you suddenly disappear beside me the past week, jeongin?" minho asked, his voice soft yet filled with curiosity.

jeongin halted his tuning, releasing a deep sigh and turning his attention to minho. "me and... felix aren't really on good terms. when i saw him from afar, i decided to walk away because i know he probably doesn't want to see me," jeongin responded with a tinge of sadness in his tone.

minho's expression shifted from confusion to a more sympathetic one. "why? if you don't mind me asking," he asked, hoping to finally unravel the group's mystery. jeongin remained silent for a few moments, gathering himself before delving into the conversation and the emotions it might resurface.

"me... felix and the others used to be great friends. we knew each other from high school, felix longer, but... something happened," jeongin trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper. minho could sense the impending tears from the younger.

"i'm not ready to tell you everything about it, hyung, but i decided to separate myself from them because all of them... they all acted like it didn't happen," he continued, his voice breaking as tears started to stream down his cheeks.

"they are selfish pricks who only think of themselves! now, they're acting like i didn't exist just because of a disagreement! i was alone. they all sided with each other, and i didn't have anyone with me. i'm all alone, hyung," jeongin cried, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

without wasting any more time, minho embraced jeongin in a warm yet tight hug. he placed a reassuring hand on the younger's back, attempting to comfort him.

"you're not alone. shh, minho hyung is here," minho whispered soothingly, his own eyes filled with tears at the emotional moment.

they remained locked in that embrace for a while, jeongin's breathing slowly returning to normal. he didn't let go of minho, his head resting on the older's shoulder. in that moment, he couldn't help but think, 'he's like... him.'