19 | minsung

52

jeongin sat on his bed, the resonance of guitar strings filling the room as he tuned the familiar ebony guitar nestled on his lap.

with focused determination, his tongue stuck out slightly as he listened intently to each string's sound. his brow furrowed at any irregular note, quickly adjusting the pegs to craft a more soothing melody.

however, his concentration shattered when a jarring ringing invaded the harmonic space. with a sigh of irritation, jeongin gently rested his guitar on the bed and crawled towards his phone on the bedside table.

picking up the phone, he glimpsed at the caller id, feeling a lump rise in his throat.

"why... why is he calling?" he muttered unconsciously, his expression shifting into one of melancholy as he continued to stare at the caller ID, the phone vibrating repeatedly in his grip.

turmoil clouded jeongin's thoughts, a tug-of-war between pride and longing. uncertain whether to let pride prevail by ignoring the call or to yield to the ache of longing and answer someone so dear to his heart. someone he once admired greatly, even more than his own brother, and someone for whom he developed unexpected feelings.

"chan hyung?"

eventually, longing won out as jeongin answered the call, tears threatening to well up in his eyes. his voice was soft, almost fragile, as those words left his mouth.

'chan hyung... it feels weird after not saying it for so long,' jeongin thought, a pang of unfamiliarity tugging at his heart.

"inn– jeongin, is minho with you?" chan's voice sounded from the other end, his breaths uneven, urgency lacing his words.

"minho hyung? no, he isn't with me. why?" jeongin responded, a sour feeling creeping in.

'he called me... to ask for minho hyung?'

a gulp echoed through the phone from chan's end, a sense of preparation or fear palpable in the silence that followed.

"jeongin, listen to me carefully, this is important," chan said firmly, each word carrying weight, signifying the gravity of the situation.

jeongin remained silent, feeling his heart quicken its pace, a chill settling in his limbs, his mouth slightly ajar, and the tremble evident in his eyes.

"go to minho as soon as possible and don't leave his side. get him out of the school grounds. we'll meet you there," chan instructed firmly, his words painting a mental image of him pointing with intensity.

jeongin was momentarily stunned, but soon regained his composure as the urgency in chan's instruction sank in.

"o-okay... can i know why, though?" he asked, feeling a sense of unease with the situation's ambiguity.

"i-it's hard to explain. i'll tell you once we meet. stay safe, jeongin, please," chan's plea echoed through the phone, a desperate edge in his tone, as if he was imploring jeongin to stay safe so they could reconvene and possibly mend what they once had.

"okay... you stay safe too...channie hyung," jeongin replied, ending the call. an unsettling feeling lingered after his conversation with chan.

nonetheless, he swiftly pocketed his phone and hurried out of his dorm, footsteps hastened as he made his way towards minho's dorm. the urgency in chan's words fueled his determination to reach minho swiftly, despite the lingering unease.

-----

after briskly walking towards minho's dorm, jeongin finally reached the familiar door, mumbling "room 414" under his breath, his breath heavy from the distance covered.