Sanctuary for the Lost and Broken (Skz Fanfiction)

Hyunjin (2)

"Hyunjin, what are you doing here and with Seungmin, for that matter? How do you know each other?" Yeji asked, intrigue evident in her expression.

Caught off guard, Hyunjin exchanged a quick glance with Seungmin, a silent plea for assistance. Seungmin, ever quick on his feet, concocted a story on the spot.

"We know each other through a mutual friend," Seungmin replied smoothly, attempting to mask any hint of deception.

Yeji's curiosity deepened. "Oh, do I know them?" she inquired, her interest piqued.

Hyunjin intervened before Seungmin could respond, shaking his head. "No," he said hastily, hoping to avoid further scrutiny. "It's more of a casual connection."

"Cool that you guys are friends. So what made you come here?" Yeji pressed, her perceptive gaze narrowing on Hyunjin.

"I was on campus and called Seungmin to hang out," Hyunjin began, improvising with a faint air of nonchalance. "He mentioned meeting up with Ryujin, and I thought, 'Hey, do you have room for one more?' So, here I am. It's such a coincidence that we have mutual friends we didn't even know about. Twin telepathy, right?" He attempted a light-hearted chuckle, but if one looked closely, they could see the subtle beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Yeji, with her keen awareness of Hyunjin's tendencies, didn't seem entirely convinced.

Hyunjin's nerves heightened. He knew Yeji could see through his lies, and the prospect of her skepticism added an extra layer of tension to the situation.

Before Yeji could delve into more questions, Ryujin arrived, her expression one of surprise upon seeing Hyunjin. Nevertheless, she greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hyunjin, what are you doing here?" Ryujin's voice cut through the tension, her smile genuine as she greeted him.

"Oh, Seungmin invited me," Hyunjin replied, trying to maintain his composure.

Ryujin looked puzzled. "Weird, I didn't know you guys knew each other. I recently showed him one of your art works on Insta, and he seemed clueless about you. He doesn't even follow you."

A wave of panic swept over Hyunjin, his eyes darting towards Seungmin for support.

"Oh, back then, I didn't know him," Seungmin chimed in quickly. "But after you showed me his Insta, I looked at his pictures and then DMed him, praising his art. Thus, we became friends."

"Didn't you guys meet through a common friend?" Yeji's suspicion lingered.

"Yeah, technically. I mean, we met through Ryujin, right?" Hyunjin attempted to divert attention.

"Why didn't you say that from the start then?" Yeji's interrogation continued, relentless.

Seungmin exchanged a tense glance with Hyunjin. The weight of their fabricated story hung heavy between them, threatening to unravel with each passing moment.

"Seungmin, I can't believe you DM'd Hyunjin and didn't tell me!" Ryujin interjected, a hint of reproach in her tone.

The tension in the air was palpable, suffocating in its intensity. Hyunjin's heart raced as Yeji's suspicions grew sharper with each passing second.

"Okay, I'm just going to say it. Are you guys seeing each other?" Yeji's direct question pierced the silence, leaving Seungmin and Hyunjin frozen in shock.

"What makes you think that?" Hyunjin's horror was evident in his voice.

"You guys look so on edge, and your timeline doesn't make sense. You're clearly lying about how you met, and I saw your search history, Hyunjin. You don't have to be scared to tell me. I love you no matter who you love. You're my twin, my other half, my best friend," Yeji declared earnestly, her words heavy with concern and acceptance.

"What search?" Hyunjin's voice trembled with apprehension as Yeji whispered in his ear.

"I saw your 'Am I Bisexual' quiz results," Yeji confessed, her expression guilty yet understanding.

Hyunjin's mouth formed an 'o' of realization.

"Yes, you're right. We are seeing each other, and I didn't want anyone to know, so we lied," Hyunjin admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Seungmin looked shocked, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion. Hyunjin felt a pang of guilt for dragging Seungmin into the mess, but in that moment, Yeji's revelation had offered him a way out, no matter how imperfect. He just hoped Seungmin would play along with his lie.

Seungmin, recovering from the shock, decided to follow Hyunjin's lead. "Yeah, we've been trying to keep it low-key for a while," he added, forcing a sheepish smile. "Didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Yeji's face softened as she looked at the two of them. "Why didn't you guys tell me? I'm your sister, and you know I'd support you no matter what."

Hyunjin and Seungmin exchanged a hesitant glance, the weight of their deception lingering. "We were just figuring things out ourselves, and we wanted to be sure before sharing it with anyone," Hyunjin explained, hoping the sincerity in his voice would mask the earlier lies.

Ryujin, observing the scene, chimed in with a supportive smile. "Well, I'm glad you guys found each other. No need to worry about judgment here; you have our full support."

Yeji sighed, a mix of relief and understanding on her face. "I appreciate your honesty now. Just know you can always talk to me about anything."

How ironic, Hyunjin thought, because this whole situation had unfolded precisely because he couldn't talk to her about anything. Man, he really owed Seungmin. That man was doing God's work, playing along with his lie without even knowing him.

"Thank you," Seungmin said, then turned to Ryujin. "I know I said okay to eating ice cream with you, but is it okay if Hyunjin and I go to my place? I totally forgot that I was going to model for him today; that's why he is here."

Seungmin's ease with fabricating stories astounded Hyunjin. Ryujin and Yeji exchanged knowing smirks.

"As if that is going to be the only thing you guys are gonna do," Ryujin teased, adding a playful wink.

Seungmin chuckled. " It's an art session. It's going to be very focused and professional, I assure you."

Yeji rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. "Fine, just don't forget we're meeting for ice cream tomorrow, and I want all the details about your relationship."

Hyunjin nodded in agreement, secretly relieved that the conversation was taking a lighter turn. As the group dispersed, heading in different directions, Hyunjin couldn't shake off the mix of emotions. Gratitude for Seungmin's quick thinking, guilt for involving him in the charade, and a lingering unease about the web of lies that now connected them all.