Minchan: Fighting The Storms With You

41

"What? You saw Minho?" Seungmin's voice shot up, filling the room with disbelief. "I canceled all my meetings because you thought you saw Minho? Are you for real?"

Before Seungmin could say anything more, Han smacked him on the back of his head. "Yah! Will you ever grow up?"

Seungmin glared at Han, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. "Well, tell him to grow up! We're flying across the world for some delusion?"

Chan remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, the weight of their words pressing down on him. His hands were trembling slightly, and he clenched them into fists, trying to steady himself.

"I just needed you guys to check," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Seungmin rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Ummm... we have cameras, you know? Welcome to the new age!" He looked at Chan like he was missing the most obvious solution in the world, earning himself another smack from Han.

"Yah, Seungmin," Han said, sighing deeply, "We can do anything for you... you know that, right? And Seungmin is still not mature enough... we know that."

"Yaaaaah!" Seungmin shouted in protest, but there was no real anger in his voice.

Han turned back to Chan, his expression softening. "So, go on. What happened?"

Chan nodded slowly, trying to find the words. "I heard his giggle," he began, his voice catching in his throat as memories hit him like a bus, each one more painful than the last. He closed his eyes, trying to steady himself before continuing. "He was with this other guy. The guy introduced him as his boyfriend. His name... his name was Lino. I don't get it. He didn't seem to recognize me. He said he was my fan, took a selfie with me... but he... he..."

Chan couldn't go on. The words stuck in his throat, and he lowered his face into his palms, trying to hide the tears that were starting to form.

Seungmin, despite his earlier skepticism, looked at Chan with a mix of concern and confusion. "Am I the only one who thinks you need help?"

Chan looked up, his eyes red and filled with a mixture of desperation and frustration. "I live on therapy, Seungmin," he replied, his voice barely holding steady. "But I know when I'm imagining something. He was right in front of me. So real."

Seungmin sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, unsure of what to say next.

Han broke the silence, his voice soft and probing. "With another guy?"

Seungmin, always quick with a quip, muttered, "Glad this guy is gay... maybe the only thing he has in common with Minho."

Han couldn't help but chuckle a little, but the humor quickly faded as he shot Seungmin a warning look. "What should I do to keep your mouth shut?"

Seungmin just shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips, though he remained quiet.

Chan took a deep breath, trying to regain control of his emotions. "I have this guy's number. He invited me to their place if I wanted to hang out. He said he was Korean."

Han perked up, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Well... what are we waiting for? Let's call him! Your concert is tonight, right? Let's invite them to the VIP area. Seungmin and I will be there. We can check if it was really Minho."

Chan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He pulled out his phone, the same one he had been staring at in disbelief just hours ago, and dialed the number. His heart raced as he listened to the ringing on the other end.

"Hello... hey... this is Bang Chan... I called to..."

The voice on the other end interrupted him, sounding genuinely pleased. "Yeah, I remember you."

Chan cleared his throat, trying to steady his nerves. "I called to invite you to tonight's concert..."

There was a pause, and then the voice replied, "Oh! We already got the tickets..."

Chan blinked in surprise. "What about the VIP suite?"

Another pause, and then, "Really? You're already going to the VIP suite?"

Chan exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Well... then, see you, I guess."

As he ended the call, he turned to Han and Seungmin, still trying to process what had just happened. "They already bought the tickets to the VIP area."

Seungmin's eyes widened in mock disbelief. "Great! If you're wrong about this, you're going to introduce me to your fans on stage. I could use some fame!"

Han rolled his eyes, chuckling at Seungmin's antics. "Here he goes again..."

Chan couldn't help but smile a little, though his heart was still heavy with uncertainty. Whatever happened next, he knew he wouldn't be facing it alone. Han and Seungmin had his back, no matter what. And as the evening approached, a mix of anticipation and dread settled over him. Tonight, he would find out if his mind was playing tricks on him—or if, by some miracle, Minho was truly alive.