CUPID (hyunho)

TWENTY-THREE

"Hey, are you okay?" Felix's voice snapped Hyunjin back to reality after what felt like an eternity lost in thought.

Hyunjin looked at Felix before shifting his gaze back towards the flowers he had been staring at.

Hyunjin and Felix sat outside, perched upon the wooden swing that Hyunjin had claimed as his second favorite spot in the forest. The first remained the spring, a spot he enjoyed the most.

"I'm good, just kinda..." Hyunjin sighed before continuing. "I...actually don't know." he responded honestly, feeling unsure of his emotions in that moment.

The mix of emotions he felt was overwhelming. He felt sad, afraid, anxious, and happy.

"Hmm..." Felix nodded his head, seeming to understand what Hyunjin meant. "Don't worry, we can come back here whenever we can." Felix added, giving Hyunjin an assuring smile.

If it was just only about that.

Hyunjin nodded and smiled back at his friend.

As they are now leaving this place, Hyunjin felt a pang of sadness. He had grown to love this place in the short time he had spent here. The thought of leaving was disheartening, but he knew that it wasn't the sole reason for his downcast mood upon waking up this morning. His thoughts were preoccupied with Minho. He was afraid and unsure of what would happen after this moment, and that uncertainty was weighing heavily on him. He was aware that his sadness was partly due to the impending departure from the forest, but he knew that his fears about Minho were the main cause.

And taking advantage of the moments from last night was the best thing he had done, and he felt content knowing he had no regrets about it, even though he knew something contrary happening soon.

Now, he was overthinking how Minho would treat him after leaving, yet he still harbored no regrets, as he had been happy with the person he had secretly cherished last night. If only he could stop time.

Setting aside all of those unwanted thoughts that had occupied his mind the previous night, Hyunjin now found himself drown with them as it now flooding his mind. A glimmer of hope still lingered though, but he knew it was better to prepare for reality instead of clinging to delusional thoughts that would only leave him broken with unmet expectations.

The subject of his overthinking suddenly appeared, driving the truck that brought the others back to Changbin's grandparents' house. Changbin had driven it earlier, taking Minho, Chris, Jeongin, and their luggages. However, it was now Minho driving it back.

Minho stepped down from the truck and walked closer to them.

Hyunjin met Minho's eyes. Their eye contact never failed to make Hyunjin's heart race. Every time he looked into Minho's hazel brown eyes, it felt like something inside his stomach was celebrating, with the rhythm of his heartbeat as their music.

"Hey!" Minho greeted the two as he approached.

Felix nodded at Minho, while Hyunjin just offered a small smile in greeting, his eyes betraying a hint of sadness.

"Are we really leaving?" Hyunjin whispered, though still audible.

Felix look at his friend. Even him, he wanted to stay here but they couldn't, there was still a life waiting for them out there.

Rising up, Felix patted Hyunjin's shoulder then nodded. "Just gonna call the others," he said, patting his cousin's shoulder as well before leaving, also giving the two a moment before they leave.

Minho took the spot where Felix had sat earlier. Slowly swinging on the wooden swing where he and Hyunjin had held their first long conversation.

"I... I'm just not ready to face the reality waiting out there," Hyunjin's voice was barely a whisper, yet Minho still discerned the sadness within it.