Untouched [minsung]

Chapter 66

Chan POV

It was actually really easy to pretend to flirt with Seungmin. Because he loved the attention so much, he always reciprocated it and made me feel good about myself. Sometimes, I'd flirt with him just to hear a compliment.

After Lee Know and Han left, I spent the day helping Seungmin unpack.  He'd seemed surprised by my willingness to be around him at first but eventually gave in.

We hadn't talked much except to have him explain where he wanted everything to go, but I found an opportunity to touch him a few times. When he was hanging up shirts I put my hand on his back as I slid next to him to hang up a sweater. Another time, he handed me a book to put on the shelf, and I brushed my hand against his.

I found small moments to familiarize himself with my touch. If I was to truly make this work, he had to want me both physically and emotionally.

After Seungmin was unpacked, I went upstairs to wake up Hyunjin and to let him know about the plan for me to flirt with Seungmin. He wasn't psyched but understood the necessity.

When I came back downstairs with Hyunjin a little while later, the home was spotless. Apparently, Seungmin hated messes. He'd cleaned everything and even offered to help us design the space to feel less like Lee Know's blank canvas house and more like our home.

For the last few weeks, we'd painted the walls, bought and assembled furniture, and purchased other necessities to make the home our own. We all preferred darker spaces so most of the house was black and gray, though I did add some orange pillows to make my room a little brighter.

Seungmin had bought a few picture frames to hang above his bed and I'd felt bad for him when he left them empty because he had no family photos to fill them with. He had decided he'd find cityscapes but hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Seungmin had also taken on the task of keeping the house clean regularly. He seemed to enjoy it and would turn the music up as he wiped things down or put things away.

I'd asked him why he liked cleaning so much and he'd told me that "even though his life was messy and chaotic, he could make his home neat and organized. It was one of the few things he could control 100%." It made sense to me, then, and I avoided feeling guilty from then on about his habit of cleaning up after me.

Hyunjin had never felt bad about making Seungmin clean. I watched him sprinkle chips on the ground once and step on them right after Seungmin vacuumed. He was doing well enough to avoid and ignore him but still wanted to make his life a little harder where he could.

Seungmin had cleaned the mess without complaining, though. He was trying really hard to make everything up to Hyunjin, but, as I told him, that was a mountain he could climb forever and never reach the peak of. He continued to try though, without much progress.

I also hadn't made much progress with Seungmin. I'd continued to flirt with him and we'd sometimes cuddle on the couch when we watched movies, but it still felt very platonic. I worried that when Jeongin got out, Seungmin would run back to him, and we'd miss our opportunity to save Han.

I also worried that he may have a deeper relationship with Jeongin than we'd been led to believe and that it was preventing him from attaching himself to me. Nevertheless, I gave him compliment after compliment in the hopes that he'd choose me eventually.

There were fleeting moments when he did seem interested in me. In those moments, it was like we were the only two people alive. I was a little concerned with how my heart was reacting in those times...I needed my brain to stay in charge. I was at my best when I was simply helping him. The moment it became physical my body began reacting too impulsively.

Today would be a great opportunity for him to rely on me more since we were throwing Changbin a surprise birthday party. As Hyunjin hated Seungmin and Lee Know, Han, and Changbin treated him indifferently, he'd have to depend on me for someone to talk to so he wouldn't feel left out.

"They don't hate you," I told Seungmin as he paced up and down his room while biting his nails.

"Even if they don't hate me, they don't like me. Maybe I should just stay in my room until they're gone," he offered.

"It's a sleepover. Do you really want to stay here until tomorrow? Besides, there are games with pairs of us. Are you really going to leave me without a partner?"

Seungmin sat beside me on the bed, and I could feel his nerves vibrating off of him. His leg shook anxiously making the entire bed bounce. I placed my hand on his thigh, and he exhaled deeply.

"Sorry. I just feel like I'm trying so hard to make up for what I did, but they all still look at me like I'm trash." He stood back up and walked over to his closet as he had been deciding what to wear before he got stressed out.

I followed him and placed my hand on his waist as I reached for a pair of flannel pajamas. Because we had made this a true slumber party, we were all going to be ready in our pajamas when Changbin arrived.

"Wear these," I handed them to him and his eyes met mine. "They look cute on you," I smiled and walked back to the bed.

Seungmin listened and went to his bathroom to change. He returned soon after.

"Good?" he asked as he looked down at himself and back to me.

I crossed the room and looked up at Seungmin. He looked so worried about making a good impression.

"Just one more thing," I brought my hands to his shirt and undid the top two buttons. He stopped breathing while he watched me.

I stepped back to examine the exposed skin on his chest. "Better," I smirked, and he looked away awkwardly when our eyes met. "I'm going to go change, too, but I'll see you in a little bit."

I scurried out of the room without giving him a chance to respond and nearly sprinted up the stairs. The entire time, I couldn't help but wonder why my heart was pounding so hard. If I was the one seducing Seungmin, why was I the one who felt sweaty and anxious?