𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 || 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚐

• Mixed signals •

(Minho's pov)

[3 weeks later]
It was the morning. Minho hasn't slept well in almost a week. His night terrors are back. Even if he continues listening to Jisung's song, he still can't sleep more than two hours every night. And Chan didn't miss the chance to tell Minho how horrible he looked in the past few days.

Minho lay in his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, the muted light of dawn casting long shadows across his room. It was morning the stillness of his space almost peaceful if not for the tiredness etched deeply into his features. His alarm was minutes from sounding, a harsh reminder of the day awaiting him, yet the weight of a sleepless night held him down.

Han's song played softly through his earphones — the only solace he found during nights like these. The lyrics, the melody, it all seemed to seep into him, offering a semblance of comfort, a temporary respite from his swirling thoughts. He felt each note, each word, grounding him momentarily, allowing him a breath amid the storm inside.

Exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. His eyes, betrayed his wish to remain isolated, away from the chatter and energy of university life. Yet responsibilities called. With a deep, resigned breath, Minho reached out, turning off his alarm just before it could pierce the morning tranquility.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he removed his earphones, setting them beside him on the bed. There was a moment where he just sat there, collecting himself, gathering the shards of his will. Finally, he swung his legs off the bed, his movements sluggish, the floor cold under his feet. It was time to face another day, cloaked in the guise of normalcy.

Today marks the beginning of a new week. You might wonder what's so special about that. It's the first day of October, and Minho's birthday is just around the corner. You might think this would be a cause of excitement, but for the brunette, the arrival of his birth month is met with mixed feelings. It's not that he dislikes birthdays; it's just the onslaught of attention that comes with it that he could do without. On that particular day, people he barely speaks to come out of the woodwork, all eager to celebrate him. This unwanted attention from casual acquaintances is exactly why he isn't looking forward to this special day.

Minho didn't bother to open his phone. He knew Chan and Changbin must've spammed him of messages for his special day. He slowly drags his exhausted body in the shower. Once he is done he goes to the kitchen and cooks some pancakes and lights up a candle that he puts on top of his food. He makes a wish, them blows the candle.

Minho might not want anyone to wish him a happy birthday, but he won't forget to do this little tradition where he eats pancakes for breakfast. It's something his mother used to do for his birthday when he was a kid. He won't ever admit it, but he misses her. Especially her hugs. They were so calming. He remembers how good he always felt after hugging his mother. You might think that she died. But you're wrong. She didn't. She's in perfect health actually. But "she lives too far" is the excuse Minho always gives when someone asks him about his mother even though it's just a lie.

Soon it's time for Minho to leave to school. Once he arrives at the school's gate he sees Jisung and Jeongin. The younger is clearly trying to win him over and for some reason it pisses Minho off. It's been like this for almost 3 weeks now. Jeongin follows Jisung everywhere. Almost leaving no time to Minho to be with Jisung alone...

For dance practice of course, for what else?

(Hyunjin's pov)

"Hey" Greeted Hyunjin when he sees Felix.

"Hey Hyune!" Greeted back Felix.

"Jisung is not with you?" Asked Hyunjin when he realized Jisung was missing.