Best Enemies Forever || HYUNLIX

Chapter 10: The new student?

The night had settled in, and the once lively house was now quiet. The laughter and chatter from the birthday party had faded, leaving only the sound of the night outside. Most of the guests had already left, leaving behind just a few close friends to help clean up the remaining mess. Ni-ki, Sunoo, and Han were still hanging around, chatting and reminiscing about the day as they helped tidy up.
Felix and Hyunjin were the last to finish, stacking plates and collecting empty cups. The awkwardness from earlier still lingered, but it was less intense now, more like a quiet understanding between them. They worked in comfortable silence, occasionally glancing at each other, but neither spoke up.

As Felix placed the last plate in the sink, he sighed and leaned against the counter, looking at Hyunjin, who was drying his hands with a towel. There was something in the air, something unsaid that hung between them.
"You did good today,"
Felix finally said, his voice soft and sincere.
Hyunjin looked at him, surprised by the compliment,
"Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself,"
Felix chuckled, shaking his head,
"I'm serious. You really surprised me. I didn't expect you to step up like that with the bullies..."
He trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence without making things more awkward.
Hyunjin sighed, leaning against the counter next to Felix,
"Yeah, I didn't expect that either. I just... I don't know. I'm trying to be better. I've been thinking a lot about how I used to be, and I realized I don't want to be that person anymore,"
Felix nodded, understanding the weight behind Hyunjin's words,
"It's not easy, but I can see you're trying. I'm glad you're here,"
They stood there for a moment, the silence between them not uncomfortable, but rather filled with an unspoken connection. Hyunjin glanced at Felix, his eyes lingering on him a little longer than necessary. Felix felt his heart skip a beat, the closeness between them making him suddenly aware of every little movement, every breath.
Before either of them could say anything more, Ni-ki and Sunoo came into the kitchen, talking and laughing about something that had happened earlier in the night.
"Thanks for helping out, hyungs,"
Ni-ki said, giving them both a warm smile,
"It means a lot to me."
Felix smiled back, patting Ni-ki on the back,
"Anything for you, birthday boy. You deserve it,"
Hyunjin nodded, his usual confident smirk returning to his face,
"Yeah, it was a good party. Glad I could be a part of it."

As they all finished up and started to head out, Han lingered by the door, his eyes meeting Hyunjin's for a brief moment. There was something unspoken in that look, a question that neither of them was ready to answer. Han turned away, saying goodbye to the others as he left with Sunoo.
Felix watched them go, then turned back to Hyunjin, who was looking a little lost in thought. He wanted to say something, to break the tension that had built up again, but he wasn't sure how. Instead, he just gave Hyunjin a small smile which he returns back.

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"See you around, Hyunjin,"
Felix said as he waved goodbye,
"And thanks for everything tonight,"
Hyunjin nodded, returning the gesture,
"No problem. See you,"
As Hyunjin and the others walked away, Ni-ki joined Felix on the porch, looking up at him with a tired but happy smile,
"Thanks for helping out, hyung. I really had a great time,"
Felix ruffled Ni-ki's hair affectionately,
"Anytime, little bro. I'm glad you enjoyed your birthday,"
With the party finally over, Ni-ki and Felix headed back inside their house. The quiet of their home was a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere from earlier, but it was a comforting end to a memorable day.
"Let's get some rest. It's been a long day,"
"Yeah, I'm pretty tired. But today was awesome,"
Felix watched as Ni-ki headed to his room, a smile on his face. He was grateful for the good times and for the way the day had brought everyone closer together. With one last look around the now quiet house, Felix turned off the lights and headed to bed, with Ni-ki.

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Felix woke up to start his day at college. Ni-ki, always the early bird surprisingly, had already made breakfast and was bouncing around the kitchen, excitedly preparing for the day. Felix reluctantly dragged himself out of bed, joined Ni-ki for a quick breakfast, and then they headed out to college together.

The day proceeded as usual until it was time for a new period. As the teacher began to speak, the door to the classroom opened, and a new student stepped in.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Lee Minho," the teacher announced.
Han's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the name instantly, Minho. Han's mind raced back to the arcade, where Minho had made him feel all sorts of confusing emotions. He had been caught off guard by Minho's friendly demeanor and the revelation that Hyunjin had made about Han's feelings.
Minho glanced around the room, his eyes briefly meeting Han's. Han's face flushed, and he quickly looked away, his heart pounding in his chest. The shock of seeing Minho again, this time as a new student, stirred up feelings Han wasn't prepared to deal with.
Minho seemed unaware of the internal struggle he was causing and took his seat casually. Han, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves. He fidgeted with his pen and tried to focus on the lesson, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the Minho.

As Minho moved around the classroom, Han kept glancing at him. He couldn't ignore the fact that Minho was now a part of his present, and it made him uneasy.

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Minho noticed Han's anxious glances and approached him during a break,
"Hey, Han... It's been a while, isn't it,"
Han looked up, trying to mask his discomfort but he was worried if Minho had remembered what Hyunjin had revealed back then,
"Yeah, it's been a while,"
Minho leaned against a nearby desk, a friendly smile on his face,
"I hope you're doing okay,"
Han nodded, relieved that Minho wasn't pressing the issue Hyunjin had brought up,
"I'm doing alright. Thank you..."
Minho's smile softened,
"I wanted to say, I'm really sorry for how things were back in middle school. I was... not the best person, and I regret how I treated you and others."
Han blinked, surprised by Minho's sincerity,
"It's... it's okay. I mean, it was a long time ago,"
Minho shrugged slightly,
"Still, it's important to me to make things right. I know I can't change the past, but I hope we can start fresh,"
Han felt a weight lift off his shoulders,
"I appreciate that. It means a lot,"
Minho looked around, then back at Han,
"I just want to get to know everyone better and hopefully make up for my past mistakes. If you're up for it, maybe we can hang out sometime and catch up?"
Han felt a mix of relief and hesitation,
"Sure, that sounds good."

As Minho walked away to join a group of other students, Han let out a quiet sigh of relief. He was glad Minho had chosen not to bring up the awkward conversation Hyunjin had started. The apology felt like a step towards closure, and Han felt a bit more at ease about Minho's presence in his life.

Felix and Taehyun joined Han shortly after, sensing his relief. Felix grinned,
"Everything alright, Han?"
Han nodded, still processing the conversation,
"Yeah, just... had a nice chat with Minho. He apologized for the past, so that's good,"
Felix was surprised but then it turns into a chuckle. Taehyun, on the other hand, gave him a confused look, he was not part of all this drama,
"What do you mean...?"
He asks, raising an eyebrow and there was an awkward moment of silence between the three before Felix clears his throat,
"Oh! Han here~ is trying to say that he used to know Minho, that's all!"
Felix said with an awkward smile, Taehyun just stares at them both for a moment and then chuckles. They follow after Taehyun, glad that they diffused the tension,
"Oh I see! Well that's good then,"
Han appreciated the support from his friends and took a deep breath. The day continued, and with Minho's apology, he felt a bit more hopeful about navigating the changes and moving forward.

Thank you guys~~ there are just a few more chapters left for this story to end, like just two or three more chapters are left and I hope you all like it till now~ Thank you again guys and see you soon 💗💗