19 | minsung

46

the cold wind from the ac swept through the air, lingering inside the classroom filled with chatter and laughter. the royal red curtains gracefully swayed from side to side, revealing the pleasant weather beyond the room.

felix sat in his seat, observing as minho happily skipped out of the classroom with a wide smile on his face. "his roommate... huh," felix muttered, rising from his seat and deciding to follow minho, intrigued by his roommate.

taking deliberate steps to avoid alerting minho and his roommate, felix saw minho turn a corner in the corridor. he positioned himself by the side, maintaining a safe distance to remain unseen while still able to hear their conversation. call him nosy, but he was genuinely curious about minho's relationship with his roommate.

"i'm surprised to see you here. normally, i'd only see you in the dorm or on the rooftop, so it feels a bit unusual," he heard minho giggle, prompting felix to shift his position in the corner to catch a glimpse. however, to his confusion, minho appeared to be talking to no one.

"who is he talking to...?" felix whispered to himself, a sense of fear creeping up on him.

"you're getting clingy as the days go by," minho spoke again, his voice filled with happiness, yet he seemed to be conversing with an unseen presence.

though felix didn't have a full view of minho, he could discern a blush spreading across minho's cheeks as he said, "jisung... someone might see us."

this moment was a heart-stopper for felix. his chest tightened, his hand trembled, and his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

"j-jisung...?" he managed to force out, his voice cracking under the weight of his overwhelming emotions.

simultaneously, footsteps approached from behind him, causing him to momentarily turn, greeted by the sight of their professor heading to the classroom.

however, class attendance was the least of felix's concerns at that moment. he shifted his focus back to minho, and that's when his heart sank.

as he redirected his gaze, he witnessed minho in an intimate embrace with another figure, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

felix clutched the corner of the wall where he was concealed, feeling like he might faint at the sight before him.

he knew that figure all too well: mahogany permed hair, broad shoulders contrasting with a slender waist, an air of elegance, formality, gentleness, and maturity.

"jisung..." he mumbled, the words barely audible to anyone but himself. his lips quivered with emotions too complex to describe at that moment. his grip on the wall tightened, inadvertently causing a painting to come off. tears welled in his eyes, but amidst the torrent of feelings, guilt and fear began to mount within him.

frozen in place, felix didn't notice when the two figures pulled away from each other. he only realized it when his teary eyes locked with ones that used to hold love for him, now empty, as if every shared memory had been wiped clean.

the rush of memories haunted felix as he locked gazes with jisung, prompting him to grit his teeth and close his eyes in regret before sprinting back to the classroom, trying to regain composure so that no one would suspect anything.

as felix reentered the classroom, their professor was already there, organizing his belongings. settling into his seat, felix frantically wiped his tear-stained eyes, placing his hand atop his racing heart, attempting to calm it along with his breathing by taking deep breaths.

after a while, he found himself calming down, and as if on cue, minho entered the classroom, smiling widely.

'why... why is jisung back?' felix thought to himself, his hands shaking once again from a mixture of emotions. throughout the class, felix's mind was consumed by thoughts: