𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 || 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐖𝐨𝐧

Fourteen

Mingyu comes to class a week after the accident, and all he wants to do is come back. He can't believe he would say this, but he misses the hospital, not because of the illness that comes with it and it dull walls that confines you, but because his lover is laying there, vulnerable and broken.

Seungcheol says that Wonwoo is strong for being able to survive it, Jeonghan says that Wonwoo is lucky to have been rescued before it was too late, but all Mingyu could think of is the what ifs and could haves. Mingyu could have drove him home, or accompany him to the mall, then his lover wouldn't be in that kind of situation. Mingyu already misses Wonwoo; maybe he's present physically, but Mingyu misses holding his hand with the latter reciprocating, or the way Mingyu's name ring when Wonwoo whispers it through the dark night. He misses the smile that shone like the sun and the eyes that shone like the moon.

Mingyu is back sitting on his usual seat, sulking. And his classmates obviously notice by how the room goes silent when he starts to look out the window to think of Wonwoo and what his lover could be dreaming about.

He feels a tap on his back and he turns towards the person. "Hey, Gyu."  Namjoon was giving him a sad smile. "I heard what happened to Wonwoo."

"News travel fast." Mingyu didn't want to sound rude, but he can't help but have a bitter taste in his tongue.

"If it involves the top student of the university, then it's expected." Namjoon hesitates when Mingyu turns back to looking out the window, the back of his head facing Namjoon. "How are you holding up?"

"Managing."

Mingyu says that but he knows he's barely that. He manages to eat, but not as much as before; he manages to do homework, but he would rather stay beside Wonwoo and watch his lover's sleeping face. He pities himself for being such a miserable fuck, but he can't help but overthink. It's his second nature, and it's the trauma his father left him. It was always the fear of being left behind, of being left broken, of being sad but not wanting to be. Being sad was such a bother, it hurt him immensely throughout his life, and he decided that being sad is not part of his vocabulary. Maybe, that's how he manages to never realize he's been in the hands of depression for so long – because he didn't know what sadness was.

The door of the classroom flies open and Sir Jin charges in to the teacher's table, anger written on his face. "Okay! Sit the fuck down! I'm in a bad mood because my star student's boyfriend is hurt, therefore I am hurt. Also..." Sir Jin looks at Mingyu but Mingyu doesn't look back, merely looking up the window. "Sir Kim, I want to talk to you after class." And Mingyu hums, class going through the usual wave of the day.

He doesn't bother listening.

__

"How is he?"

Sir Jin is fixing up his logbooks and his case of chalks while giving Mingyu sad eyes, standing at the opposite side of him.

"Breathing."

"What happened?"

"Hit and run."

Sir Jin's face suddenly contorted to anger. "Who's the fucking asshole?"

"We don't know. The area didn't have any cameras."

Sir Jin shoves the rest of his things inside his bag in anger. "That asshole better pay!" His voice was louder than usual and for some reason it humbles Mingyu to see his own professor care so much for his lover when he never really had a proper greeting, not including Mingyu's stay in the hospital.

"I better get going. I need to eat lunch before I go to the hospital." Mingyu starts to leave the lecture hall when Sir Jin stops him, grabbing for Mingyu's sleeve.