𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 & 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁 [ꜱᴇᴏᴋꜱᴏᴏ]

17: 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺

⸻ ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁 ⸻

Joshua paced back and forth in his room, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of everything. It had been weeks since Seokmin had started avoiding him, and the silence was driving him insane. At first, Joshua tried to rationalize it, telling himself that Seokmin was just stressed out from studying, too caught up in the whirlwind of exams and assignments to hang out. But as the days turned into weeks, it became painfully clear that something was wrong-something much deeper than just school stress.

Joshua clenched his fists, his jaw tight as he recalled all the times he'd seen Seokmin laughing and joking with Chenle. It seemed like everywhere he looked, Seokmin was there with Chenle, their heads close together, sharing inside jokes, walking side by side as if they were the only two people in the world. The sight of them together made Joshua's stomach churn with jealousy, a hot, bitter feeling that he couldn't shake.

❝Are they... are they together?❞ Joshua muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper as he sank down onto his bed. The thought of Seokmin and Chenle as a couple sent a wave of nausea crashing over him, making his heart race and his mind spiral out of control. ❝Is that why he's been ignoring me? Is that why he doesn't want to be around me anymore?❞

He buried his face in his hands, trying to calm the storm of thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him. It didn't make sense-none of it did. Joshua and Seokmin had always been close, their bond something he'd always cherished. They shared everything with each other, from their hopes and dreams to their fears and insecurities. But now... now it felt like Seokmin was slipping away, and Joshua couldn't figure out why.

❝What did I do wrong?❞ Joshua whispered, the question echoing in the empty room. He racked his brain, replaying their last conversations, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when things had started to change. But nothing stood out. There was no argument, no misunderstanding-just a gradual, painful withdrawal that Joshua couldn't explain.

The worst part was the not knowing. If Seokmin was angry with him, or if something had happened to cause this distance between them, Joshua could at least try to fix it. But Seokmin's silence left him in the dark, forced to fill in the blanks with his own fears and insecurities. And the more he thought about it, the more his mind spiralled into darker, more irrational places.

Joshua's thoughts kept circling back to Chenle. What if they were dating? The idea gnawed at him, feeding into his growing sense of paranoia. Chenle was funny, kind, and always seemed to know how to make Seokmin smile. Maybe that's what Seokmin wanted-someone who could make him happy, someone who wasn't Joshua.

The thought was like a knife to his chest, sharp and cruel. Joshua tried to push it away, but it kept coming back, stronger each time. It didn't help that every time he saw them together, they seemed closer than ever. Seokmin's laughter, once so easily shared with Joshua, now seemed reserved for Chenle alone.