Night Sky Bloom

7- Petunia

[[TW: In the scene under « « ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ « «, there are depictions of father-son abuse. Details are fairly 'light,' all things considered, but it is still a depiction of parental abuse. Please proceed with caution and do not read this section if you believe it could trigger you. A summary will be posted in the notes at the end of this chapter.]]

"I'm sorry, what?" Seungmin stopped buttering slices of bread and looked up at Hyunjin from across the table.

"I said I'm inviting Minho and his friends to join us for the Harvest Festival." Hyunjin responded, repeating himself for the third time in the past two minutes. He dug his fingernail underneath the skin of a new orange and began peeling while staring back at Seungmin.

"Fine. Jisung and I will go separately." Seungmin sighed in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he continued his previous task.

"Um, no, I said 'joining us' and-"

"You're a fake friend." Seungmin's tone was very matter-of-fact as his eyebrows raised in defiance.

"I am not. I just think this has gone on too long. I wouldn't keep someone around if he was an awful person, so that should tell you that Minho is not as awful as you think he is-"

"Yes he is."

"Yes he is."

"I mean, he's a little hard to get used to..." Felix tried to speak up while Seungmin and Jisung responded simultaneously.

"You can't force people to get along just because you want them to." Seungmin said after a few moments of silence.

"Why does everyone else have to be punished year after year just because you two can't act like fucking adults?" Hyunjin stood from the table, a quivering frown adorning his lips. "I have to literally choose who I do what with every time you both want to do something. So does Felix-"

"Dooooon't drag me into this, please." Felix said with a grimace.

"But you should be speaking up, too. You get just as frustrated as I do, having to plan your free time around people who can't stand each other like somehow it's our fault. I feel like I have divorced parents and I'm older than you." Hyunjin finished, looking at Jisung.

Jisung sighed and ran a hand through his hair, mussing the soft locks. This argument was giving him a headache.

"Can we just... not do this right now?" he pleaded, looking between his friends with tired eyes. "Let's just eat together and enjoy each other's company."

Hyunjin huffed but dropped back into his seat, picking his orange back up to continue peeling it. Felix nodded in agreement, relief evident on his face.

Seungmin, however, was not so easily placated. "So we're just going to ignore that Hyunjin is trying to invite your childhood bully to come 'hang out'?"

"Seungmin-" Jisung started, closing his eyes as he sighed.

"Fuck off, Minnie. Just because you misunderstood him as a kid doesn't mean-" Hyunjin slammed the orange on the table, pulpy juice splashing at the impact.

"Guys, please..." Felix spoke, sounding just as small and emotionally exhausted as Jisung felt.

"Misunderstood? Which part did we misunderstand? Him pouring a drink on Jisung that gave him a fucking anaphylactic shock? Starting rumors about him? Insulting him at every opportunity, even if Jisung hasn't said or done anything? That still happens, Hyunjin. There's nothing to fucking understand or misunderstand when that was- and is- how he treats people."