Always is a Promise {Minsung}

Chapter 17

He felt like hell.

That's the only way he could describe it.

Jisung felt like hell.

He made his way into the familiar classroom, the usual chatter filling the air as his peers gathered in small groups, discussing everything from the upcoming school quarter to the latest drama unfolding on campus. From what he understood, some poor kid was being stalked by a jealous ex.

His eyes landed on Seungmin. Somehow, despite Jisung leaving before him, Seungmin still ended up here first, nose buried in some book. He went to take a step closer when 2 people walked past him, immediately drawing his attention.

"-and this is where I sit in history," Changbin said, smiling up at Felix as he sat down.

Felix smiled back at him, a hint of playfulness in his eyes that Jisung couldn't quite place. "Well, thank you for showing me around," He said as he sat next to him.

Jisung stared at the empty chair at the end of the row, feeling tension in the air. Without much thought, he raised his head and looked towards the front of the class. Quick on his feet, he walked past his friends and next to a single lone student.

"Hey, Jeongin," Jisung said, watching the boy flinch at his words.

"Oh, hey, Jisung," Jeongin replied, being quick to look away from him. "I didn't see you."

Jisung chuckled dryly. "I don't think our friends saw me either.'"

The younger boy hesitated, glancing across the room before looking back at Jisung. "I'm, um, sorry about that," Jeongin said, seemingly shrinking into his chair. "Why aren't you sitting with Seungmin and the others?"

Jisung shrugged at him. "Do I really want to sit next to Felix and Changbin? They're probably gonna spend the entire time flirting."

Jeongin winced at that. "Oh... Yeah, I can see why you'd want to avoid that." he stopped, looking over at their friends. "How do you do it?" Jeongin's tone dropped, looking back at him.

"Huh? Do what?"

"Deal with your crush on Minho," Jeongin asked, his voice barely above a whisper as his eyes darted around the room, ensuring no one else had overheard their conversation.

He felt his heart pang. "Um, what do you mean? I don't have a crush-"

Jeongin stared at him with dead eyes, slowly raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't take a genius to see the way you look at him.

Jisung felt his mouth open before closing pathetically. There was no point in trying to hide it, everyone but Minho seemed to know. "I don't know," Jisung said quietly, shrugging.

"Well, you're handling it better than me. Every time I see him, I feel like I'm gonna throw up or pass out or kiss him or something."

Jisung eyed his friends. "I can't imagine crushing on him, let alone go through... whatever the hell you're going through."

"Trust me, it's not fun at all," Jeongin muttered, leaning back into his chair. "Do I actually like him though? Or am I just confused?"

Jisung turned his attention back to Jeongin, tilting his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"I mean, I think I like him. He understands me in a way others don't, but maybe I'm just stupid. Maybe I'm just so used to shit that someone giving me bare minimum attention, I start to think it's something more."

"Well, shit- I don't really know, Jeongin."

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I just want someone who doesn't pressure me to do things I'm not ready for and genuinely cares," he chuckled softly. "My ex was fine with no one knowing about us, but god forbid I want to move slow and do sexual shit when I'm ready."