Minchan: Fighting The Storms With You

49

Jungkook stood by the door, pulling on his coat as Lino trailed after him, pouting. "Do you really have to go?" Lino asked, his eyes wide with feigned disappointment.

Jungkook chuckled, ruffling Lino's hair. "I won't be gone long, just a few hours. Han, Seungmin, and Chan are here, so you won't be alone."

Lino sighed dramatically. "Fine, but don't blame me if I have too much fun without you."

Jungkook grinned, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on Lino's forehead. "I'm counting on it." With one last look, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Lino standing in the entryway with a small smile.

As soon as Jungkook was gone, Han, Seungmin, and Chan appeared from the living room. "So, what's the plan, Lino?" Seungmin asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Lino's face lit up. "Let's watch a movie! Something fun."

"Sounds good to me," Han agreed, and they all made their way to the living room. Lino picked a light-hearted comedy, and soon they were all settled on the couch, laughing at the antics on the screen.

As the movie played, the room filled with laughter. Lino was relaxed, comfortable in their company. He leaned against Seungmin, who had become his pillow, and tossed popcorn at Han, who retaliated with a grin.

"I haven't had this much fun in a while," Lino said during a lull in the movie. "You guys are great."

"We aim to please," Han said with a mock bow from his seat.

"Seriously though," Seungmin added, "it's nice to see you like this, Lino. You're... different from what we imagined."

Lino tilted his head, curiosity in his eyes. "Different how?"

"Well," Chan began, choosing his words carefully, "you're a lot more playful, more... open. We were worried that maybe you wouldn't want to be around us."

Lino smiled softly, shaking his head. "Oh I am kind of shy..."

They continued watching the movie, the atmosphere light and filled with warmth. But as the credits rolled, Han and Seungmin exchanged a glance and stood up.

"We're going to check out the backyard," Han announced, stretching his arms. "We heard it's really nice."

"Yeah, we'll be back later," Seungmin added, flashing Chan a knowing look before following Han out the door.

Lino watched them leave, then turned to Chan with a curious expression. "So, it's just the two of us now."

"Looks like it," Chan replied, trying to keep his tone casual despite the sudden flutter in his chest.

There was a brief silence before Lino broke it. "I've been meaning to tell you, Chan... I really love your music."

Chan blinked, taken aback by the compliment. "You do?"

"Yeah," Lino said earnestly. "It's... it's helped me a lot. When things were tough, I used to listen to your songs. They made me feel less alone."

Chan's heart swelled with emotion. "That means a lot to me, Lino. Thank you."

Lino's gaze softened as he looked at Chan. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Chan replied.

"Minho... what happened to him?" Lino's voice was gentle, his eyes searching Chan's for answers.

Chan hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "He's somewhere... he's happy. That's all I ever wanted, to make him happy."

Lino nodded, sensing the deep emotion behind Chan's words. "I'm glad. You did a good thing, Chan."

There was a pause, then Lino stood up, grabbing Chan's hand. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Chan asked, letting Lino pull him along.

"You'll see," Lino said with a mischievous grin. He led Chan to the music room, a cozy space filled with instruments. In the corner was a guitar, one that Jungkook used to play.

Lino walked over to the guitar, picking it up and handing it to Chan. "Play something for me."

Chan hesitated, but the eager look on Lino's face made him smile. He took the guitar and strummed a few chords, the familiar feeling of the strings beneath his fingers calming him. He began to play a soft melody, one that matched the quiet intimacy of the moment.

Lino listened, his eyes closing as he let the music wash over him. Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he stood up and began to sway to the rhythm. "Dance with me," he said, extending his hand to Chan.

Chan chuckled, but set the guitar aside and took Lino's hand. They started to dance, moving in sync with the gentle tune that lingered in the room. Lino's laughter filled the space, light and carefree, and Chan couldn't help but laugh along with him.

But as they twirled, Chan's foot caught on the edge of the rug, and he stumbled, losing his balance. He fell forward, landing on top of Lino, who let out a small gasp as they both tumbled to the floor.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Their faces were inches apart, breaths mingling in the small space between them. Lino's hand unconsciously reached up, his fingers brushing against Chan's cheek as he held his face gently.

Chan's heart pounded in his chest, the world narrowing down to just the two of them. The look in Lino's eyes, the softness of his touch—it was too much. Before he could think, he leaned in, closing the distance between them and capturing Lino's lips in a kiss.

To his surprise, Lino kissed him back, the gentle pressure of his lips sending a jolt of electricity through Chan's body. The kiss was soft, tentative at first, but then it deepened, a mixture of longing and emotion that neither of them could deny.

They were so lost in the moment that they didn't hear the quiet footsteps approaching. Jungkook stood in the doorway, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him. The sight of Lino and Chan kissing, the closeness between them, was like a punch to the gut. He felt his heart twist with a mixture of shock and hurt, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

But before he could say anything, before he could even think, the door creaked under his weight, and Lino and Chan pulled away from each other, their eyes widening in surprise and guilt as they turned to see Jungkook standing there, his expression unreadable.