The Shadows (Underworld 4) JH

51: To Us, To Art, To Love

The next morning, the air was filled with a sense of anticipation as everyone gathered around the breakfast table. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes filled the room, mingling with the sound of laughter and chatter. Seungcheol was already seated, his usual stoic expression softened by the warm atmosphere. Jeonghan was beside him, pouring himself a cup of tea, while Joshua and Seokmin were deep in conversation about a new club that had just opened in town. Jihoon, as usual, was quietly eating his breakfast, occasionally smirking at the banter around him.

Junhui walked in with a wide smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Minghao followed closely behind, looking a little flustered but clearly happy. The moment they entered the room, all eyes turned to them.

"Good morning, everyone!" Junhui greeted, his voice a bit too cheerful for the early hour.

Seokmin looked up from his plate, immediately noticing the odd vibe between Junhui and Minghao. "What's with the glow, Jun? Did you win the lottery or something?"

Joshua smirked, catching on to the atmosphere. "Or maybe Minghao finally let him win an argument?"

Minghao rolled his eyes, playfully nudging Junhui. "As if that would ever happen."

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow, sensing something was up. "Alright, Junhui, spill. You look like you're about to burst."

Junhui couldn't hold back any longer. He grinned widely and announced, "I proposed to Minghao last night... and he said yes!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by an eruption of reactions.

Joshua's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, what? You actually did it? You really proposed?"

Seokmin let out a loud whoop, nearly knocking over his glass of orange juice. "Yes! I knew it! Finally, Jun's gonna be a married man! Congrats, you two!"

Jihoon, usually the quietest, couldn't help but chuckle. "So, who's going to be the poor soul planning the wedding? Because I'm not doing it."

Minghao blushed, but he was smiling from ear to ear. "We haven't even thought about that yet..."

Seungcheol, who had been suspiciously quiet watching the whole exchange with an amused smile, finally spoke up. "Well, well, well, looks like someone finally took my advice and decided to lock it down. But I have to say, I'm impressed. You actually managed to surprise us all, Jun."

Junhui shrugged, still grinning. "What can I say? When you know, you know."

Seokmin leaned over to Joshua and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "You think Jun had to practice his proposal in the mirror? I bet he did."

Joshua laughed. "Knowing Jun, he probably rehearsed it a hundred times."

Junhui pretended to look offended. "Hey! I'm a natural at this romantic stuff. Right, Minghao?"

Minghao smirked, playing along. "Sure, if by natural you mean stumbling over your words and almost dropping the ring."

The table erupted in laughter, and Junhui couldn't help but join in, his face turning red. "Okay, okay, I might've been a little nervous. But hey, it worked!"

Jeonghan reached over and patted Junhui on the back. "Well, I'm proud of you, Jun. Minghao's a lucky guy. And I guess you're not too bad yourself."

Seungcheol leaned back in his chair, his expression softening as he looked at Junhui. "You've come a long way, Junhui. I'm really happy for you both."

Junhui smiled, his heart full as he looked around the table at the people who had become his family. "Thanks, everyone. It means a lot to us."

Minghao leaned in closer to Junhui, resting his head on his shoulder. "I couldn't have asked for a better family to share this with."