falling into you || woosan

~56~

YUNHO'S POV

After a few hours, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. The nap had done wonders for my mood, and I felt a bit more like myself. I got up and got ready for practice, the familiar routine helping to ground me.

When I met the others in the lobby, I noticed Mingi was already there, chatting with San and Wooyoung. I took a deep breath and joined the group, determined to keep things professional for the sake of our practice.

We headed to the stadium together, the excitement of being back on stage giving everyone a boost. But as we started to practice, it became clear that the tension between Mingi and me hadn't gone unnoticed.

We worked through our choreography, the space between Mingi and me a glaring reminder of our unresolved issues. The others gave us worried looks, but no one said anything, focusing instead on getting the routine right.

When it was time to practice our unit song, the tension was suffocating. Mingi and I were supposed to work seamlessly together, but the lingering resentment made every move feel forced.

At one point, Mingi stumbled, and I couldn't hold back my frustration. "Watch it, Mingi," I snapped, the words coming out harsher than I intended.

He shot me a glare. "Maybe if you were paying attention, we wouldn't be having this problem."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my cool. "I'm doing my part. Maybe you should focus on yours."

The others exchanged uneasy glances, and Hongjoong stepped in. "Guys, let's keep it together. We need to get this right."

We both muttered apologies and continued, but the tension only grew. Every small mistake felt magnified, and we couldn't seem to find our rhythm.

During monitoring, Mingi and I had another minor spat over a choreography detail. "You need to be quicker on the turn," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Mingi rolled his eyes. "I'm doing it as fast as I can. Maybe you need to slow down."

The rest of the group tried to ignore our bickering, but it was clear the tension was affecting everyone. We were both exhausted and frustrated, the unresolved issues between us casting a shadow over the entire session. I knew we couldn't keep going like this. We needed to talk, but finding the right moment was proving to be harder than I thought.

As I sat on the stage, sipping my water, I couldn't help but replay the events of the past day in my mind. The tension between Mingi and me gnawed at me. The argument at the airport, his bold invitation to dinner, and my curt rejection all swirled together, making it hard to focus on anything else.

I watched the others as they moved around the venue, San was joking with Jongho, Wooyoung was playing some equipment since he wasn't cleared to preform yet, and Hongjoong was deep in conversation with our manager. Everyone seemed to be in their own worlds, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

I took another sip of water, feeling the cool liquid soothe my parched throat. My mind wandered back to the previous night, to that kiss. It was a moment of vulnerability, a glimpse of what could be, only to be shattered by Mingi's sudden coldness. His words telling me to leave still echoed in my ears, a painful reminder of the barrier between us.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Mingi standing there, his expression a mix of uncertainty and determination. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice low and careful.

"Yunho, can we talk?"

I nodded, setting my water bottle aside. "Yeah, let's talk."

We moved to a quieter corner of the stage, away from the others. The silence between us was heavy, each of us waiting for the other to start. Finally, Mingi took a deep breath and spoke.

"I'm sorry about everything. Last night, today... I just didn't know how to handle it all."

I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the regret etched on his face. It softened the edges of my anger, but I wasn't ready to let go completely.

"Why did you push me away, Mingi? After what happened... I thought maybe things were finally changing between us. You pulled me in just to push me backwards."

Mingi ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his movements. "I was scared, Yunho. Scared of what it all meant, scared of messing things up even more. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I pushed you away. It was a mistake."

His words struck a chord within me. I understood fear; it was something we all faced in different forms. But knowing that didn't erase the hurt I felt.

"I need to know that you're not going to keep running, Mingi. I need to know that we can face this together, whatever it is."

Mingi stepped closer, my eyes locking onto him. "I don't want to run anymore, Yunho. I want to face this with you, no matter how scary it gets."

He stood there, looking down at the floor, his usual confidence nowhere to be found. He hesitated before speaking again, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yunho, there's something I need to tell you. Something I've been struggling with for a long time."

I watched him, my heart pounding in my chest. "What is it, Mingi?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and vulnerability. "I'm scared because... I don't know if I'm gay. I never thought about it before, never questioned it. But with you, everything feels different. And that terrifies me."

I felt a lump form in my throat, my own emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "Mingi..."

He shook his head, his voice breaking. "I've never felt this way about a man before. I've never loved a man the way I love you. And I don't know how to deal with it. I don't know what a gay relationship is supposed to be like. All I know is that I don't want to lose you, but I also don't know how to handle these feelings."

His words hit me like a tidal wave, the weight of his confession sinking in. I reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mingi, it's okay to be scared. It's okay to not have all the answers right now. What matters is that we're honest with each other and that we try to figure this out together."

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked at me with a mixture of hope and desperation. "But what if I can't figure it out, Yunho? What if I end up hurting you more? I don't want to mess this up. I don't want to mess us up."

I pulled him into a hug, feeling his body tremble against mine. "We'll take it one step at a time, Mingi. We'll face this together, no matter how uncertain it feels. You're not alone in this. I'm here with you."

He clung to me, his tears soaking into my shirt. "I'm so scared, Yunho. Scared of what this means, scared of how others will see us, scared of everything. I saw what happened to Wooyoung and San when their relationship got exposed. The media tore them apart, twisted everything they had into something ugly. I don't want that to happen to us."

His words added a new layer of fear to my own heart, the memory of Wooyoung and San's ordeal fresh in my mind. "I know, Mingi. What they went through was awful. But we can't let that stop us from being true to ourselves. We have to find a way to protect what we have, to stand strong together."

He nodded against my shoulder, his grip on me tightening. "I don't want to lose you, Yunho. I don't want the world to destroy what we could have. But I'm so scared."

I held him tighter, my own eyes filling with tears. "I'm scared too, Mingi. But I believe in us. I believe we can make it through this, as long as we're honest with each other and don't give up."

We stood there, holding each other in the quiet corner of the stage, the noise of the venue fading into the background. In that moment, we weren't just two members of a band. We were two people, struggling with our fears and uncertainties, but determined to find a way forward together.

It wasn't a perfect resolution, but it was a start. And for now, that was enough.

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AN:

♡ Youth live was so beautiful my little yungi heart was screaming.