just pretend.

8

“He came here and visited you?”, Minho asked, his voice strained as he felt his throat close up, the words barely escaping. His mind raced, trying to process the implications of what Nari had just told him. She nodded, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks, her expression one of fear and desperation. The sight of her like this only made the knot in his stomach tighten further, a sense of dread creeping in. “What did he say?”, Minho choked out the question, his voice trembling with barely contained fear and anger. He wrapped his hands around the armrest of his chair, digging his fingers into the fabric as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. The room seemed to spin around him, and he felt like he was about to collapse under the weight of it all. “I think he threatened me”, Nari cried out quietly, her voice quivering as she shook her head repeatedly, her tears falling faster now. The way she said it, so broken, so afraid, made Minho’s blood boil. “He said that it’s bad to tell lies and that bad things can happen to people who lie about things they don’t know anything about.” Minho’s anger surged, a blinding, overwhelming force that made his vision blur. He wanted to throw the chair through the window next to him, to shatter the glass and let the cold air cut through the haze of fury that consumed him. His teeth dug into his tongue as he bit down hard, trying to rein in the storm of emotions threatening to explode. He couldn’t afford to lose control, not now. “What should I do, Minho? I’m so scared”, Nari’s voice broke through the red haze of his anger, and he felt her hand on his knee, a touch so light and fragile that it took him by surprise. He looked down, bewildered by the sudden touch, his anger momentarily giving way to confusion. When he locked eyes with her, he saw the fear and helplessness in her gaze, mirroring his own emotions. Blinking, he watched as she pulled back her hand, the touch gone as quickly as it had come. The fear in her eyes was like a mirror to his own panic, and he realized with a sinking feeling just how serious the situation was. “Don’t do anything. Let it die”, he answered, the words coming out more forcefully than he intended as he got up, unable to stay still any longer. He began pacing back and forth in front of her, the movement an attempt to burn off the nervous energy coursing through him. “You don’t want to mess with them, Nari. It’s best to just pretend like nothing happened and move on”, Minho stressed, his own panic growing with every word. He could feel the weight of the threat looming over them, and the last thing he wanted was for Nari to get caught in the crossfire. “If anyone brings the topic up again, just say that you don’t remember anything anymore, and no matter what, don’t bring the topic up yourself. Just let it die, do you hear me?” His voice was urgent, almost pleading, as he tried to impress upon her the importance of staying silent. Nari nodded, her tears slowing as she softly dried her cheeks, her expression resigned but calmer. “Thank you, Minho”, she whispered, her voice still shaky as she got up. She walked past him, but not before squeezing his shoulder gently, a silent gesture of gratitude and understanding. As she left the room, Minho stood there, staring at the spot where she had been. The panic still simmered beneath the surface, but he knew he had done what he could. The fear of what might happen next lingered, but for now, all he could do was hope that Nari would follow his advice and that she somehow escape the consequences of the tangled mess she was caught in because of him.

Minho let out an exhausted exhale, his body sinking into the chair as he buried his face in his hands. He stayed like that for a moment, letting the chaos of the day settle, trying to steady his breathing. The weight of everything felt crushing, and for a brief moment, he just needed to escape the whirlwind in his mind. “Min?”, Felix's soft voice caught his attention and Minho raised his head to find Felix’s concerned eyes fixed on him. The sight of Felix was like a silver lining, and without thinking, Minho whined softly, getting up to pull Felix into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Felix wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly. “What happened?”, Felix asked gently, but Minho could only shake his head in response. “Too much”, he mumbled, feeling the exhaustion in his bones. He was so tired of this constant cycle of stress and fear, the never-ending spiral of emotions that left him drained. Felix pulled back just enough to look at him, his expression softening with understanding. “Let’s go and have some ice cream”, he suggested, and before Minho could protest, Felix intertwined their fingers and began dragging him down the hallway. The sudden lightness in Felix’s tone was a strong contrast to the heaviness of the moment, but Minho couldn’t help but be pulled along by it. After getting permission to leave the hospital for an hour, they rushed to a small restaurant just down the street. The familiar sight of the cozy place helped Minho breathe a little easier. “Pick what you want, it’s on me”, Felix said with a smile, and when Minho began to shake his head, starting his usual complaints, Felix glared at him with mock sternness. Minho quickly dropped his gaze, flustered by the intensity of Felix’s look, and nodded in defeat. “Okay, so, what happened?”, Felix asked again after they ordered a big portion of ice cream and waffles, settling into the small booth. Minho took a deep breath, trying to organize the mess of thoughts in his head. “Where do I start?”, Minho started, taking a deep breath to collect himself. “After Jisung’s father visited and threatened me the other day, Jisung visited me and I told him I’d give up on getting justice for my parents, so we said goodbye. Oh, and he kissed me. Then his father visited Nari after she saw us in the library while he was threatening me, and she was naive enough to tell our therapist. So, of course, that backfired and got her in trouble”, he explained in a hurry, thanking the waitress who brought their desserts. Felix blinked at him, and Minho let out a small, embarrassed laugh, the absurdity of it all almost too much to handle.