Betting on Love [JEONGCHEOL] ✓

Chapter Twelve: Between Us

As they work on the project, the doorbell rings, breaking the quiet concentration in the room. Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, glancing at Seungcheol in confusion. "Who’s that? It’s pretty late."

Seungcheol doesn’t seem surprised, standing up with the kind of calm that suggests this is nothing new. "I’ll get it," he says, walking toward the door.

When he opens it, a muscular young man stands outside, smiling brightly. His energy is infectious, even at this hour.

"Hyung!" the guy says cheerfully, holding up a box. "Mom made kimchi! I’m the delivery man tonight." He hands it over to Seungcheol, practically bouncing on his feet.

Seungcheol’s expression softens with a rare smile. "Thanks, Mingyu."

Mingyu grins even wider and waves before heading back down the steps, skipping as he goes, disappearing into the night as quickly as he arrived.

Seungcheol walks into the kitchen, putting the kimchi away, then returns to his seat beside Jeonghan, who’s watching the whole interaction with interest.

"Who was that?" Jeonghan asks, leaning back in his chair, intrigued.

"That’s Mingyu," Seungcheol replies, settling in. "He lives across the street. His family looks after us, makes sure we’ve got enough food." He chuckles softly, his tone affectionate but distant. "They’ve kind of adopted us."

Jeonghan hums, a smile tugging at his lips. "He’s got a lot of energy for a late-night kimchi run."

Seungcheol smirks, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, that’s Mingyu for you. He’s younger than us, but sometimes it feels like he’s the one holding things together."

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, studying Seungcheol. "You’ve got a whole support system going on here, huh? Must be nice."

Seungcheol shrugs, his gaze dropping back to the project in front of them. "It helps," he says quietly, though something unspoken lingers in the air, like there’s more he’s not saying.

Jeonghan doesn’t push, but the exchange with Mingyu sticks in his mind. The warmth in Seungcheol’s smile, the easy way he interacts with the people in his life—it feels different. Less guarded, more... human.

They keep working, but Jeonghan can’t shake the feeling that this dare is getting more complicated. The lines between the game and reality blur, and as much as he wants to win, Seungcheol’s life—his struggles, his responsibilities—starts to get under his skin.

It’s almost frustrating.

"So, Mingyu's family... they help you out a lot?" Jeonghan asks casually, trying to sound nonchalant.

Seungcheol nods, his focus back on their work. "Yeah, they’ve been doing it for a while. Especially when Seojun’s busy. Mingyu's mom is kind of like our own mom."

Jeonghan chuckles lightly. "That’s pretty sweet."

Seungcheol looks up, their eyes meeting for a moment. "It is. I owe them a lot."

There it is again—that flicker of something beneath Seungcheol’s usual calm. His life is more than just the dare now. He’s got people who care for him, who look out for him. And Jeonghan is starting to see him differently, whether he wants to or not.

Jeonghan, on the other hand, can’t help but feel a small pang of something—maybe jealousy, maybe loneliness—as he listens to Seungcheol talk about Mingyu and his family. The warmth in their interactions, the sense of community... it’s foreign to him.

His own family? Practically nonexistent.

His parents are never home, always busy with work or traveling, leaving Jeonghan to fend for himself most of the time. And his brother? He’s off somewhere, partying, living his own carefree life, never sticking around long enough to even check in on him.