So Close Yet So Far - Mingyu x Reader

Chapter 13 - There's Nothing Worse Than Being Alone

"Is he asleep?" you asked as Jihoon and Jeonghan stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. Jihoon nodded.

"Yeah. He'll be just fine."

"What happened?" Minnie asked. "He was fine all day." Jihoon and Jeonghan looked at one another.

"Heat exhaustion, probably." Jihoon immediately stated. Despite the plethora of questions that would have left someone with, the group seemed content with the answer, knowing it was something fixable and that Joshua would ultimately be okay. That seemed to be enough for them. "Let's not worry now, let's let him sleep." He motioned to Jeonghan, then to you. "Both of you. Come with me." He said. You nodded, following Jihoon out to the back porch. Hoshi watched for a second as you all disappeared down the stairs, heading to the back porch.

With the rest of the group away, Jihoon sat you both down. "Okay." He said.

"Is he really okay?" Jeonghan asked. "He dropped to the floor so fast and wasn't moving."

"I thought he died..." you choked out.

"He's fine," Jihoon assured. "He's really lucky, though." Jihoon sighed. "It seems to be more gradual with him than it was for me. The pain I felt was so intense it knocked me out right away. Since he hasn't actually done anything to screw himself over yet, his body is still being affected but at a much more manageable pace. That won't last, though, and if he keeps this up, he'll end up stuck here."

Wait... stuck here? "What do you mean?" You asked, worry in your voice.

"He won't be able to reenter heaven," Jeonghan said simply. Jihoon leaned back in his seat as Jeonghan motioned to him. "Like Jihoon."

"Wh- Oh." You blinked. "Oh!" your eyes widened in shock. "Oh..." they furrowed in sadness as Hoshi popped into your head.

"I think the next letter in the English alphabet is P," Jihoon said. "I managed to peek at Joshua's back when we got him into bed. Nothing is burned, nothing looks infected."

"What is he doing that's causing this?" You asked.

"He's actively trying to sabotage both his and Jeonghan's chances of getting into heaven," Jihoon stated. The bluntness of the comment stunned you, and when you looked at Jeonghan, he only nodded in confirmation. You noticed he looked just as frazzled and confused as you did, if not more so as he chewed on one of his fingernails. "Well, kind of. He clearly doesn't want to, but since he's been on earth so long, he's starting to experience more intense feelings of jealousy, anger, and lust. These are emotions you won't typically find in an angel."

"So he's....what? Jealous of Mingyu?" When the duo only nodded their heads, your eyes immediately widened. Cheeks flush pink, you cover your mouth. "Oh my God. I confessed to him last night thinking it was Mingyu!"

"I know." Jihoon snorted. "I saw."

"Do you think that because of me, he-."

"No, no, no." Jeonghan immediately said, putting a hand on your back. While he did not have the power to calm your anxiety, the gentle touch he had was enough. "That's not it. He would have to confess to you, or tell someone who he is not in contact with that he's an angel. He hasn't done any of that, but I guess since his feelings are so intense..."

"Then what about you?" you looked at him. Jeonghan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm more into older women." he grinned at his attempt to lighten the mood. It seemed to work when the tips of your lips curled up into a smile. "I've felt it too. The anger, at least. He and I have gotten into more arguments the longer we've been here. It's hard to control after a while. That's why we hoped this entire thing wouldn't take very long."