flutedrum | woosan ✓

37

Yunho paced back and forth in the hallway outside Mingi's room, his stomach in knots. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say a hundred times, but the words seemed to evaporate every time he tried to string them together. How could he apologize for something so monumental? For everything that had happened?

Mingi, meanwhile, sat on the edge of his bed, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He had seen the devastation play out before his eyes, felt the world they had built crumble around them. And now, Yunho, the person he had trusted the most, was at the center of it all. It was hard to reconcile the friend and partner he had known with the decisions that had been made.

A soft knock on the door broke the silence.

"Mingi, can I come in?"

Mingi hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah."

The door creaked open, and Yunho stepped inside, looking every bit as conflicted as Mingi felt. His usually bright, confident expression was replaced with one of uncertainty. He didn't know how to start, but he knew he had to try.

Yunho's eyes flickered with sadness as he stepped closer. "I... I don't know where to start. But I'm sorry, Mingi. I'm really, really sorry."

Mingi didn't respond at first. He just sat there, staring at the floor, his mind racing with a mix of anger, confusion, and exhaustion. After a long, heavy silence, he finally looked up.

"Sorry for what, exactly?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "Sorry for keeping things from me? For dragging us into this mess without even telling me?"

Yunho flinched at the words, feeling the weight of each one. He knew Mingi had every right to be angry. "I thought... I thought we were doing the right thing. I didn't want you to be involved because I didn't want you to get hurt if things went south. But now... now I realize I should've trusted you. I should've told you everything from the start."

Mingi scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "Right thing, huh? Yunho, look at where we are now. We're out of a company, out of a home soon, and we might not even be a group anymore. You thought that was the right thing?"

Yunho's heart sank. "I know it doesn't look like it now, but I swear I was trying to protect you. I never wanted it to turn out like this. I didn't want you to lose everything."

"Well, we did," Mingi said, his voice breaking slightly. "And now I don't know what's left."

Yunho's breath caught in his throat. He hated seeing Mingi like this—so defeated, so heartbroken. They had always been each other's strength, the ones who joked around and lightened the mood, but now... now the weight of everything felt unbearable.

"I hate myself for what happened," Yunho whispered, sitting down next to Mingi on the bed. "But the one thing I never doubted was you. I thought I could handle everything, but I should've known better than to shut you out. I should've trusted you, trusted us."

Mingi's anger slowly simmered into something softer. He looked over at Yunho, searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty, but all he saw was regret. Pure, unfiltered regret.

"You should've," Mingi said quietly. "We're supposed to be a team, Yunho. A team doesn't work if one person's making decisions for everyone."

Yunho nodded, his eyes misting. "You're right. And I'm sorry. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right...if there's still a chance to."

Mingi's expression softened slightly, the walls he had built up cracking just a little. He knew Yunho meant well, even if the outcome had been disastrous. He sighed deeply, letting some of the tension in his chest loosen.

"I don't know what's gonna happen next," Mingi admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't want to lose you in all this."

Yunho's heart swelled at the words, and he reached out hesitantly, placing a hand on Mingi's shoulder. "You won't. I promise, no matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere."

For the first time in what felt like ages, Mingi allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of his lips. It wasn't much, but it was enough to give Yunho a glimmer of hope.

"We'll figure it out, together this time," Mingi said, leaning into Yunho slightly, letting his presence ground him. "No more secrets. No more going off and doing shit on your own."

Yunho chuckled softly, relieved to hear Mingi's teasing tone, even if it was faint. "No more. I swear."

The two of them sat there in the quiet for a moment, the weight of their conversation lingering in the air. But there was something healing in that silence, a promise of better days ahead, even if the path there was uncertain.

"Yunho?" Mingi said suddenly, glancing at him.
"Yeah?"

Mingi immediately climbed onto Yunho's lap before grabbing his chin with his free hand and kissing him harshly. Yunho immediately responded and grabbed Mingi's waist. Mingi dropped his hands to Yunho's shoulders and gripped onto them. God, this felt like forever. And it felt so right. He loved Yunho, and Yunho loved him. He needed this. And he knew Yunho did, too.

Yunho let out a genuine laugh, his chest feeling lighter for the first time in days. "God, I love you." His lips brushed against Mingi's.

Mingi smiled fully now, a real smile, and for the first time in a while, things didn't feel so hopeless. "Mmm. Same."

The couple only stared into each other for a while before Yunho finally kissed Mingi once again, but this time more furiously. Mingi desperately kissed back and they continued their now makeout session right then and there.