MONEY ⇝ minsung ⇜

☘︎︎ | 7 |

Being in a quiet room with a person Jisung didn't get along with was definitely not on his list of preferred activities. The silence hung heavy in the air, amplifying the awkwardness. Jisung knew Christopher had meant well, believing this was for the best, and while Jisung respected his intentions, he couldn't shake his discomfort.

He sat on the bed, attempting to appear at ease and confident, but his face betrayed his true emotions. He glanced over at Minho, who was leaning against the wall, engrossed in his phone and seemingly oblivious to everything else. "You know—" Jisung began, but Minho cut him off immediately. "Save it," Minho said sternly, his eyes never leaving the screen. Jisung sighed and tried again, "Why—"

"I said, save it," Minho interrupted, his tone unwavering. Jisung's frustration grew. Determined to break the silence and force a conversation, he stood up and crossed the room. Before Minho could react, Jisung snatched the phone out of his hand. "Hey!" Minho snapped, his eyes finally meeting Jisung's.

"Listen to me for a second, will you?" Jisung said, holding the phone out of reach. "This isn't helping either of us." Minho's expression hardened, but he didn't make a move to retrieve his phone. "What do you want, Jisung?" he asked, his voice edged with annoyance.

Jisung let out a small sigh, his gaze shifting away from Minho momentarily before he looked back. Minho's eyes were still glued to the phone Jisung held. "Eyes up here," Jisung said firmly. Minho scoffed lightly but obliged, meeting Jisung's eyes.

"What? Are you desperate for my attention, hm? Desperate to get fucked?" Minho taunted, stepping closer. Jisung instinctively stepped back, taken aback by the harsh words, but he maintained his composure.

"No," Jisung replied calmly. "But I am desperate to make things better between us. We need to get along if we want to get out of here." Minho rolled his eyes, shaking his head in exasperation. "I don't feel like getting along with someone like you.. someone that works in that place."

Jisung frowned slightly. "Do you even know why I'm working in that place?" Minho shrugged dismissively. "Probably because you want more money and attention from other men." Jisung shook his head. "I have financial problems—"

"Yeah, yeah," Minho cut him off. "And I bet those problems are because you can't manage your money. Probably spending it all on drugs or something and your parents.. are they not disappointed?"

Jisung's expression shifted at the mention of his parents. He lowered his head slightly before speaking again. "My parents are dead. That's why I have financial difficulties," he admitted quietly. Minho paused, the harshness in his expression faltering for a moment, though he tried to mask his reaction. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as the weight of Jisung's words hung in the air.

Minho gulped, taking a step back from Jisung and running his fingers through his hair, at a loss for words. "I... I'm sorry—"

"Just save it, Minho," Jisung interrupted, his voice weary. "I've had enough. I'm just glad the truth is out now, and I hope you can respect why I do that job." He handed Minho's phone back. Minho took it slowly, his gaze fixed on Jisung, who then returned to the bed and sat down again.

Minho scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward about how he had judged Jisung. Learning that Jisung's parents had died and couldn't support him financially left Minho with a heavy weight in his chest. "I—" he started, but was interrupted by the door flying open, revealing Felix with a bright smile.

"It's gotten quiet in here, so I'm guessing you guys are getting along?" Felix asked, hoping his assumption was correct. "Uh, yeah, sure," Jisung replied, deciding to walk out of the room without looking at Minho.

"Not to be rude, but isn't it late? Shouldn't you guys be leaving soon?" Jisung asked, turning his head to Felix. "Yeah, I was just coming to get Minho hyung so we could head out since it's getting late," Felix said. Jisung hummed in acknowledgment and headed to the living room where Christopher was sitting, leaving Minho and Felix behind.

Jisung felt overwhelmed by the uncomfortable conversation with Minho and knew he needed some peace. Christopher was the peace Jisung needed, so he sat beside him and leaned his head against Christopher's shoulder. "I'm tired... and overwhelmed," Jisung sighed, prompting Christopher to put down his phone and give Jisung his full attention.

"Do you want to talk about it? We can once Felix and Minho leave," Christopher  offered. Jisung hummed lazily in response, then glanced over as Felix and Minho entered the living room. "We're heading out now. It was really nice being here!" Felix said, flashing a smile at both Christopher and Jisung.

Minho, however, just nodded curtly and walked away without a word. Christopher returned Felix's smile. "Thanks for coming, Felix. Have a good night," he said warmly as Felix made his way to the door and left, leaving Jisung and Christopher alone.

"I accidentally told Minho about my parents," Jisung began, fiddling with his fingers. Christopher hummed gently in response. "At least now he knows. I don't think he'll be as rude," Christopher said, placing his head on top of Jisung's, enjoying the calming atmosphere.

"But I just met him... And you didn't even tell me you knew each other," Jisung said, slapping Christopher's thigh playfully. Christopher flinched and laughed, moving away slightly. "Oh, trust me, I had no idea who Minho was the night he came to the club. He ended up here because I'm friends with Felix," Christopher explained. "Wasn't it awkward?" Jisung asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was, but at least he didn't seem to judge me much. He also didn't try to start any conversations with me. He's quite closed off," Christopher replied, making Jisung nod thoughtfully. "And about what you told him, don't overthink it. I'm sure he'll stop treating you the way he did. Everything will be fine." Jisung felt slightly more relaxed as he got up from the couch. "I guess," he whispered, gathering his things.

"Anyway, I'll leave now. It's late, and I have school tomorrow." Christopher nodded. "It's kind of weird that you're not in school anymore.. You're so old, Christopher," Jisung joked, causing Christopher to roll his eyes. "Alright, that's enough. Out you go. I'm getting tired of those jokes," Christopher said, gently pushing Jisung towards the door.

Jisung laughed but hummed in agreement. "Okay, okay, I'm going." Jisung said as he opened the door and waved at Christopher before he turned his back and started walking, hearing the door close behind him.

~