𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅𝑆 • 𝑀𝐼𝑁𝑆𝑈𝑁𝐺

𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅𝑆 24 ☆

☆ Song recommendation:
"Falling" by Harry Styles

True to his past habits, Minho had isolated himself because of everything that happened at New Year's Eve, retreating into his room with the door locked and the key hidden away. He felt trapped in the same cycle-whenever something went wrong, he shut everyone out. After all, when he tried to reach out, disaster struck. His brain told him it was irrational, but his heart, still bleeding from old wounds, refused to listen. But still, the guilt gnawed at him, relentless and cruel. He longed to explain, to find the right words for Jisung, but they remained stubbornly out of reach.

Minho felt the sting of tears, ever since he lied to his father everything had started to go downhill with Jisung. And Minho...Minho was afraid. Afraid that in the end he was going to end up losing what he wanted to protect the most. He wanted to scream, to throw something, but instead, he just sat there. Still. Empty. Hollow.

The knock on the door pulled him out of his haze. It was soft, hesitant.

"Hyung?" Felix's voice was quiet, but there was a firmness to it, as if he wasn't going to walk away this time.

Minho swallowed, his throat dry. "Go away, Felix," he said, voice hoarse.

But Felix didn't leave. "I know you want to be alone, but... I'm not leaving you. Not this time."

Minho clenched his fists. "Please, just... I can't deal with this right now."

There was a long pause, the silence heavy with unsaid things. Then Felix spoke again, softer this time. "Hyung... I know. I know you're hurting. I know you think you have to go through this alone because that's what you've always done. But I'm not letting you disappear on us-not on me. We need you too."

Minho bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes. He wanted to push Felix away like he had pushed everyone else.

"Felix. Go away. Please." he said.

"Okay, but just so you know. I'm here for you, always." Felix said.

Felix's voice faded into the quiet, leaving Minho alone with his turmoil. The seconds stretched into an eternity, with only the ticking of the clock and Minho's shallow breaths filling the void.

Minho took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the emotional weight felt unbearable. He wanted to give in to the emptiness, to let the sorrow consume him completely. But Felix's insistence tugged at something inside him.

After a moment, Minho stood up, his movements slow. He approached the door, each step heavy. He hesitated before opening it, revealing Felix, who stood just outside and hadn't really left.

Minho looked at his younger brother, his own face a mask of anguish. "Felix, I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you away."

Felix's eyes softened, and he took a step closer. "Hyung, it's okay. I know it's hard. But you don't have to go through this alone. Not anymore."

Minho's resolve broke, and he felt the tears spill over, cascading down his cheeks. Felix stepped forward and enveloped him in a tight embrace, offering the comfort Minho had long resisted. Minho clung to Felix, the barriers he had built around himself starting to crumble under the weight of his grief and exhaustion.

"I miss Jisung so much," Minho said between sobs. "I feel so lost and I feel like crap because I promised to myself when we started to get to know each other better that I was going to make things right with him, but I haven't." he admitted.

Felix pulled back slightly, just enough to look at Minho. His voice was soft but deliberate, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Hyung," Felix began gently, "maybe... maybe it's because Jisung isn't just a friend to you."