Hidden Melodies (Minsung)

12. The Unraveling

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Weeks passed, and the tension continued to build. Jisung and Minho’s secret relationship had reached a breaking point. Every glance felt too long, every touch too risky.

Hyunjin wasn’t the only one noticing the strange distance between them, and the fear of being exposed gnawed at both of them, driving them further apart. The weight of their love, once so freeing, now felt like an unbearable burden.

It all came to a head one rainy evening after a particularly grueling practice. Jisung had been on edge all day, his nerves frayed by the constant anxiety of keeping their secret.

He couldn’t focus during rehearsal, and Chan had scolded him more than once for making mistakes. Minho had been distant too, his expression guarded, as if trying to keep everyone at arm’s length.

When they returned to the dorm, the tension finally exploded.

Jisung was sitting on his bed, staring at his phone, when Minho walked in, closing the door softly behind him. He didn’t say anything, just stood there, his eyes scanning Jisung’s face.

"We need to talk," Minho said quietly.

Jisung’s heart dropped. Those words—he knew where this was going. "About what?" he asked, trying to sound indifferent, though his voice betrayed the tremble of fear.

Minho took a deep breath, his eyes filled with pain. "About us. About what we’re doing."

Jisung stood up quickly, his chest tightening. "Don’t do this," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Don’t say it."

Minho’s face crumpled, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to cry. "I don’t want to, Jisung. But this… it’s killing us. We can’t keep doing this—hiding, lying, pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not."

Jisung felt his world collapsing around him. Tears stung his eyes, but he blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. "You promised, Minho. You promised we’d figure it out together."

Minho’s own tears welled up, but he shook his head, taking a step closer. "I thought we could. I really did. But it’s tearing us apart. You’re scared all the time. I’m scared all the time. This isn’t love anymore—it’s just fear."

Jisung let out a broken sob, his hands shaking as he tried to hold on to whatever they had left. "I love you. Isn’t that enough?"

Minho’s voice cracked as he replied, "I love you too, but love shouldn’t hurt like this. It shouldn’t feel like we’re constantly running from something."

Jisung broke then. The dam holding back his tears shattered, and they spilled down his face uncontrollably. He reached out, grabbing Minho’s hands, desperate to hold on. "Please, don’t leave me. We’ll figure it out. We can make this work."

Minho’s own tears fell as he gently cupped Jisung’s face, brushing his thumb over Jisung’s cheek. "I’m not leaving because I don’t love you. I’m leaving because I do. I can’t watch us destroy ourselves like this."

Jisung collapsed into Minho’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably as he clung to him. Minho held him tightly, his own tears falling silently as he stroked Jisung’s hair.

"I’m sorry," Minho whispered. "I’m so sorry."

For what felt like hours, they stayed there, wrapped in each other’s arms, both of them crying, both of them breaking. The pain was too much, the weight of their love too heavy to carry any longer.

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