𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐘 - 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆

49 | I Need You

If you just take off your mask
You'd find out everything's gone wrong
✰

"Rest"

"I can go again," I tell the male who ignores me and grabs his water bottle, I roll my eyes and listen to him, sitting down on the weight bench.

I watch as he grabs a clean sweat towel, tossing it to me "Never overwork yourself" He tells me, "Everyone has their limits and your body won't be happy with you if you push them"

I wipe the sweat from my face and shake my head "And my limit so happens to be small?"

Chan laughs and shakes his head, sitting on the other weight bench beside me, "You know, for your size you can keep up pretty good"

A spark of confidence fills my chest and I hum with a small smile "I'm getting better, aren't I?"

"Yes, I never doubted Minho's training" His name makes my smile drop and my eyes leave Chan's.

I didn't leave the room for breakfast like I would usually do. Felix ended up waking me up after and bringing me up food, to say I was surprised is an understatement. When I finally left the room, Chan found me and asked if I wanted to join him in a workout and I felt like if I declined I would lose out on getting stronger. I was determined.

"Where is he?" I ask, looking at Chan. I'm not stupid, I knew they all were aware of mine and Minho's argument last night.

Chan looks at me and gives me a reassuring smile "He'll be okay" He tells me, "However, I do think you two should talk... without the screaming this time"

I let out a low sigh and shook my head, "I'm sorry about that" I apologize to him.

"Don't be" He says, "You have a lot going on"

I furrow my brows "Jeongin told you?" I question.

Chan gives me a guilty smile, "If you put him under the right amount of pressure he cracks in an instant" I chuckle and so does he, "So, what's the answer?"

I bite at the inside of my cheek before I ask "Do you think it's not a good idea to go to the wedding?"

He looks at me for a moment before saying "You already have your mind made up, both of you do"

I look away, yes we did. When Felix came up to the room after breakfast we talked more about it. I knew what we had to do.

Chan's sigh breaks me away from my thoughts as he continues "I don't know what you fear so much about them nor do I know what you've gone through growing up but I see it" I swallow harshly, "I see it now with how distance you became with the topic and how your waiting for me to tell you that it's a bad idea, deep down you feel it is. Though Minho told you it was, you shut it down and if I did now you would again shut it down but you want to hear it, why?"

I shake my head "I don't know..." I said lightly, almost mumbling the words. Chan was right. I felt sick to my stomach from all of this but it will pass.

"Minho makes you feel safe," Chan said, "Go with him to put you at ease"

"He wouldn't..."

"He would" Chan corrects, "Minho's never been the biggest fan of Carson but for you, he will play nice" I look away shyly, thinking it over. "And, it will also put him at ease"

I frown, "I didn't mean to upset him last night, or the night on the beach... I never mean to"

"I know that and I'm sure he does too" Chan stands up and gives me a reassuring smile, "I like you Jisung but sometimes being selfless isn't always the answer to the problem" My brows push together as he walks away, and leaves me alone in the gym room.

Selfless ain't always the solution. Then what was?

✰

The sound of a door closing wakes me up, sitting up and squinting "You're back" My voice laced with tiredness.

The restroom light was always left on—pouring into the room through the crack of the door, it became a habit of ours since we both didn't really like sleeping in the dark. Helping me now make out his silhouette as he silently walked closer.

I didn't question him as he climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around me, head on my stomach "You're back" He repeated my words to me.

I look down and run my fingers through his hair as he holds me close, "I never left"

He pulls away and looks at me. The small amount of lighting danced around us as we adjusted to the lack of it. His hand was still on me like he needed to be sure I was still here—back in his room and in his bed, waiting for him like I did every night.

"Next time I'll leave," He says lowly, "Tell me to leave next time and I will, you can have the room and I'll sleep somewhere else"

I smile sadly at him and shake my head "No" I tell him, "Let there not be a next time"

I hear him let out a soft sigh, silence takes him as he grabs my face. Gently his thumbs grab my cheeks like he was learning my face in this darkness. Wanting to remember the feel of it without any light. His movements were small and delicate.

"I can't watch you ruin yourself" He tells me the same thing he told me last night, making me let out a shaky breath, "So I'll make sure you don't"

I felt my throat tighten at his words, pushing his hands off my face and taking them in mine, "Minho" I call out to him softly, "I need you"

"I know Ji and I'm here" He squeezed my hands, "I'm right here"

I let go of his hands and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him. My face is in the nose of his neck.

"I—I want to ask you something" I pull away but just enough to look at him, "Can you go with me?"

His brows furrow for a second before it hits him "To the wedding?"

I swallow harshly and nod "Yeah but if you don't want to then it's okay"

Minho shakes his head, "I want to" He reassures me, "If you never asked me, I would've just invited myself"

I chuckle and push him lightly but this only makes him pull me closer as we both hit the mattress. I pull away, turn to face him and he does the same. My hand goes to his cheek as I softly graze his skin, making his eyes fall closed.

"I was telling the truth when I told you I couldn't sleep without you" He admits to me, eyes opening to meet mine, "You always tell me how I make you feel safe, I realized you do the same for me"

My hand leaves his cheek and goes to his neck, sliding to the back to caress the back of his head "How so?" I ask.

Minho hums lowly at my actions, continuing "I never got the best sleep, the dark and loneliness reminded me too much of when I was little. I dreaded when it became night and I hated sleeping because it makes you vulnerable..." He stops, "I guess what I'm trying to say is you make me feel safe enough to finally get a full night's rest, I never had that" His words were slow and I knew he was growing tired.

I smile softly "How about we get some sleep then?" He nods and pulls me closer.

*Song rec - Robbers by The 1975*