Inked Hearts | SeungIn

IH 7

With a muttered curse that was equal parts frustration and determination, Jeongin threw open his car door. The moment he stepped out, the rain hit him like a physical force, cold and shocking. It soaked through his clothes in seconds, plastering his shirt to his skin and turning his usually carefully styled hair into a dripping mess.

But Jeongin barely noticed. His eyes were fixed on Seungmin's retreating figure, still visible through the curtain of rain.

"Seungmin!" he called out, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm. "Seungmin, wait!"

He began to run, his boots splashing through rapidly forming puddles. The rain blurred his vision, stinging his eyes, but he didn't slow down. His heart pounded in his chest, a rhythm that seemed to echo Seungmin's name with every beat.

For once in his life, Yang Jeongin wasn't running away from his feelings. He was running towards them, towards the boy who had somehow broken through every defense he'd ever built.

As he ran, chasing after the only person who had ever made him want to be more than his carefully crafted image, Jeongin made a silent promise to himself and to Seungmin. No more running. No more hiding. No more pretending.

It was time to be honest, to be vulnerable, to be real. It was time to take a chance on love.

The rain lashed down in heavy sheets, turning the world into a blur of grey and silver. Jeongin's feet pounded against the wet pavement, sending up sprays of water with each desperate step. His lungs burned, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but he didn't slow down. He couldn't. Not when Seungmin was getting further away with each passing second.

"Seungmin!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the storm. "For fuck's sake, stop!"

Ahead of him, Seungmin's figure was a pale smudge in the rain, his usually perfectly styled hair plastered to his head, his floral dress clinging to his slim frame. He showed no sign of slowing, his shoulders set in a determined line as he trudged through the downpour.

Gritting his teeth, Jeongin put on a final burst of speed. His hand shot out, fingers closing around Seungmin's arm in a grip just shy of bruising. He yanked hard, forcing the smaller boy to a stop.

"Let go of me!" Seungmin snarled, whirling around to face Jeongin. His eyes, usually so warm and gentle, blazed with a fury Jeongin had never seen before. It was breathtaking in its intensity.

"No," Jeongin growled back, tightening his grip. "Not until you hear me out."

Seungmin let out a harsh laugh, the sound nothing like his usual melodic giggle. "Hear you out? Are you fucking kidding me right now, Jeongin?" He tried to wrench his arm free, but Jeongin held fast. "I'm done listening to your bullshit excuses. I'm done with this... this game you're playing!"

"It's not a game!" Jeongin shouted, frustration coloring his voice. "Fuck, Seungmin, do you think this is easy for me?"

"Easy for you?" Seungmin's voice rose, matching the intensity of the storm. "You want to talk about easy? Try being jerked around for months, never knowing where I stand with you. One minute you're looking at me like I'm everything, the next you're pushing me away like I'm nothing. How's that for easy, Jeongin?"

Jeongin's grip on Seungmin's arm loosened slightly, but he didn't let go. "That's not what I'm trying to do," he said, his voice strained.

"No?" Seungmin challenged, taking a step closer. Despite being shorter than Jeongin, in that moment he seemed to tower over him, righteous anger making him seem larger than life. "Then what exactly are you doing? Because from where I'm standing, it looks an awful lot like you're too much of a coward to admit how you really feel."