❝Sometimes being the right person is not enough; because sometimes the right time is as important as the right person. So can time solve everything? Is meeting the right person at the wrong time a twist of fate or the beginning of a story that hasn'...
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At the end of the long journey, Minho pulled his car over to the right and stopped. He turned off the song playing on the radio, checked the back seat in the mirror, and then leaned his head back, taking a deep breath. He stepped out of the car to get some fresh air. Leaning against the hood, he pulled out his phone.
He was almost in Seoul. He had thought for a long time about where he would stay when he got there. He had planned to stay in a hotel, but knowing it would be too expensive, he decided to message Chan, one of his closest friends from the past. He knew Chan would always help him.
He hesitated to send the message since they hadn’t spoken in a long time, but he had no other choice, so he began typing.
Minho:
Hey Chan, I’m moving back to Seoul. Can I stay with you for a few days until I find a place? It seems like I only message you when I need something, but I’ll definitely catch up with you, don’t worry.
Bangchan:
Are you seriously asking? You can stay as long as you want. We’re still in the same place, as you know. Message me when you arrive in Seoul, I’ll pick you up.
Minho:
Thanks! No need though, I’m driving there.
Bangchan:
Alright But don’t forget to let me know when you enter Seoul.
Minho:
Will do.
Minho smiled, put his phone in his pocket, got up from where he was leaning, and got back into the car. He started the engine, turned the radio back on, and continued driving toward Seoul.
Chan had said in his message, "we're still in the same place." This meant they were all still living together. He smiled; he had missed them all so much. He hadn’t had time to visit and hadn’t seen anyone in person for a long time.
Seoul:
After putting his phone away, Chan walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Guys, I have news for you. Minho is moving back here and asked to stay for a while. I told him he could come." Everyone was initially surprised, and then they all turned to look at Seungmin to see his reaction.
Feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, Seungmin turned his attention to his phone. "Don’t look at me like that; it’s been years. I don’t still feel the way I did before. There’s no need for you to act weird."
Jeongin asked, "Are you sure, Seungmin?" to which Seungmin nodded. As he got up from the couch and walked toward his room, he said, "I’m a bit tired, I’ll nap for about half an hour," and headed to his room, closing the door behind him.
Hyunjin said, "We all know he won’t sleep. I think we should stop bringing it up. Whether or not he still has feelings, it’s normal for him to feel bad about the past." Chan added, "Hyunjin’s right. Come on, let’s go. We need to clear out the stuff we stored in Minho’s room. It’s turned into a storage space," getting everyone to take action.
While everyone got up to clean the room, Felix went to the kitchen to start cooking.
About four hours later, the doorbell rang. Everyone got up and moved toward the door. Seungmin stepped forward, grabbed the handle, and opened it. Seeing their long-lost friend filled everyone with joy.
Minho felt the same. He immediately hugged Seungmin, who was standing closest to him, tightly. "I’ve missed you all so much." Seungmin felt his heart warm in Minho’s embrace. "We’ve missed you too, Minho." Minho let go of Seungmin, smiling, and hugged the others as well.
Seungmin noticed a small child standing next to the red suitcase by the door, and he was confused. After greeting everyone, Seungmin turned to Minho and asked, "Minho, is this your child?" At his words, everyone turned to Minho and the child.
Minho took a deep breath. "Let’s go inside, I’ll explain," he said, walking over to the door, helping the child take off his shoes, and then picking him up as they all went inside.
Seungmin closed the door, and everyone, still in shock, followed Minho to the living room. Once everyone was seated, the child on Minho’s lap climbed down and started exploring the room. Chan, looking at Minho, said, "We’re waiting for an explanation, Minho."
Minho took another deep breath and started fidgeting with his hands. "Honestly, I don’t know where to start. What are you curious about?"
Chan pointed to the child walking around and asked, "Is this child yours?" It was the question everyone was most curious about. Minho nodded in confirmation. Changbin asked, "Why are we only learning this now?" Minho replied, "A lot has happened..."
Seungmin placed his hand on Minho’s knee and comforted him, "We’re not in a hurry. We’re here for you." Minho took another deep breath and, after making sure his son wouldn’t hear, started speaking softly. "A lot has happened. I don’t know where to start. But first... Yongneul committed suicide."
Everyone looked at him in shock, unable to say a word. Minho continued, "She already had psychological issues, but after Jihoon was born, things got worse. She didn’t even want to marry me in the first place. It was all because of her family’s pressure..."
Hyunjin said, "But you both seemed happy at the wedding," to which Minho replied, "It was all an act... After the first year, she became very distant from me. She couldn’t take care of Jihoon. She didn’t even want him... I tried to help her in every way I could. Her doctor even said she would get better... But one day, when I wasn’t home, she sent me a message saying she was tired, and then she took her own life. Her family blamed me for her death..."
Minho paused. "I thought I could handle everything on my own, but I couldn’t. That’s why I decided to come back here. I’m sorry for not telling you guys anything. I failed at everything, even being a good friend..."
Everyone in the room regretted not knowing about Minho’s struggles. As they silently looked at each other, Seungmin pulled Minho close and hugged him tightly. Stroking his hair, he whispered, "Minho, why didn’t you come sooner?" His voice was trembling. He was upset that Minho had dealt with everything alone for so long.
Minho rested his head on Seungmin’s shoulder. "I’m sorry... I didn’t want to be a burden... I thought I could handle it."
After a while, the others couldn’t hold back and joined in for a big group hug with Minho. Minho said, "I’m so lucky to have friends like you... thank you."
