𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠 - 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ✓

22 ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ

"Please go on a date with me."

••••

This time it was Yunho who looked at Mingi as if he had seen a ghost. Mingi still held the rose out to him, his words echoing in his mind. He hoped that Yunho wouldn't embarrass him completely. A few students walked past them and looked at them with irritation, but Mingi was undeterred and looked at his counterpart expectantly.

Suddenly, Yunho took the rose and then he smiled. "I would love to," he said and Mingi needed a few seconds to assess whether Yunho had really just said that. All of a sudden, he felt warm and looked away, embarrassed. From the corner of his eye, however, he recognized how Yunho smelled the rose and also smiled.

Hongjoong, who had been watching the whole thing, gave Yunho a meaningful look. Yunho nodded at him. "I'll leave you two alone," he mumbled quickly. He walked away with the rose and Mingi looked after him.

Then his gaze wandered back to Hongjoong, who scrutinized him through his dark eyes. "Do you like him?" he asked, a melancholy note in his voice. Mingi shrugged his shoulders slightly. He didn't know, but he wanted to find out. His thoughts wandered from Yunho to Hongjoong and he remembered what Yunho had told him last time.

"Why didn't you ever talk to me about it?" he asked referencing the fact that Hongjoong liked him. His heart still ached a little at the thought that they might have been happy together if they had talked to each other sooner. Hongjoong knew what Mingi was talking about because he avoided him and looked at the tiles on the floor. He seemed to think about his answer before he looked up again. He shook his head slightly and closed his eyes briefly as if he was finally speaking his complicated thoughts.

"I didn't have the courage," he sighed. "Even now, I wouldn't have the courage to stand my feelings for you. You deserve better." The corners of Hongjoong's mouth twitched as if he was trying to smile. "We were always better just as friends, don't you think?"

Mingi saw that Hongjoong actually felt the opposite, but he agreed with him. Suddenly everything felt a little better and the burden Mingi felt every time he talked to Hongjoong disappeared. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you find someone for whom you can be brave enough to stand up for yourself."

Finally, Hongjoong smiled genuinely and a feeling of relief bubbled through Mingi. "And I hope you'll be happy with Yunho. He really liked you for a long time and held back for me." Mingi withdrew his hand and looked back to where Yunho had been standing a few seconds ago, smelling his rose. His heart leapt at the thought. "I hope so," he said dreamily.

Hongjoong brushed a white strand of hair behind his ear and straightened his backpack. "I'm sorry, by the way." Mingi looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "That we've annoyed you. I don't know why I thought I could win you back like this," he finished his thought.

Mingi couldn't help but giggle. "I forgive you even if it really wasn't funny." Hongjoong nodded and looked at him seriously, as if he had understood that what he had done was wrong. "Please don't do that to anyone else in the future," Mingi said, hoping that Hongjoong would take his words to heart. Hongjoong nodded again. "Thank you," he mumbled and Mingi smiled slightly.

He didn't know if they would ever be friends again, but that didn't matter. Finally, they had put aside all the baggage that lay between them and Mingi could look forward to his date with all his heart. He knew that Wooyoung had been right. If he and Hongjoong were meant for each other, they would have gotten together a long time ago. Mingi walked back to his building and was relieved that Yunho had accepted his invitation.

~

Totally exhausted from the day, Jongho entered the house. They had started new singing techniques today and even though it was only the beginning, he was totally exhausted. His throat was dry and his neck was burning from sitting.