Save me.. ||MINSUNG HIGH SCHOOL AU

Confessions and Frustrations

Jisung stormed off the field, his chest still heaving from the fight. His hands trembled, blood pumping through his veins as the echo of his words to Minho rang in his ears. "You make me feel things I don't want to feel." The second he'd said it, he'd regretted it. But it was too late.

He hated Minho. Or at least, that's what he kept telling himself. But why did his heart feel so conflicted? Why did seeing Minho infuriate him so much—*and* leave him confused at the same time?

Jisung walked aimlessly for a while before realizing he was heading toward the one person he always turned to when things went sideways: Bang Chan.

---

Bang Chan was in the music room, strumming his guitar when Jisung barged in, slamming the door behind him. Startled, Chan looked up, his brows furrowing with concern at the sight of his best friend.

"Whoa, whoa—what happened?" Chan asked, setting his guitar down quickly.

Jisung didn't answer immediately. He paced the room, running a hand through his hair, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Chan watched him silently, knowing better than to push him when he was like this.

Finally, Jisung stopped and let out a frustrated growl. "It's Minho!" he spat, turning to face Chan. "I swear, I'm gonna lose my mind because of him."

Chan raised an eyebrow, clearly not surprised. "What's he done now?"

Jisung started pacing again, the words spilling out of him before he could stop them. "We got into another fight. A physical fight. On the soccer field. In front of everyone."

Chan's eyes widened. "You what? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jisung snapped, though the bruise forming on his jaw and the dirt smeared on his clothes said otherwise. "That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" Chan asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the piano.

Jisung stopped again, taking a deep breath. His hands were shaking now, his emotions swirling out of control. "It's him, Chan. Minho. He drives me insane! Everything he does—everything he says—it gets under my skin, and I can't stand it. And today, it just... exploded."

Chan frowned, clearly trying to piece things together. "Okay... so you guys fought. That's not exactly new. But why are you this upset?"

Jisung hesitated, his fists clenching at his sides as the weight of what he'd said to Minho hit him again. He let out a sharp breath, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Because I told him. I told him that he makes me feel things I don't want to feel."

Chan's eyes softened, but he didn't interrupt. He knew there was more.

Jisung started pacing again, his voice rising with frustration. "And now he knows, Chan. He knows I don't just hate him. He knows that every time I see him, I feel... something else. And I can't take it! He's my competition, the person I'm supposed to hate! But I don't know if that's even true anymore. I don't know what I feel anymore."

Chan stayed quiet for a moment, processing what Jisung had just unloaded. Then, with a calmness that only he could manage in moments like this, he said, "So, what exactly do you feel about him?"

Jisung froze. That was the question he didn't want to answer. Or maybe it was the answer he didn't want to admit.

"I don't know," Jisung muttered, though it sounded more like a lie to his own ears. "I hate him, but I don't. He gets on my nerves, and when he's not around, it feels like something's missing. But when he's close, it makes me want to scream."

Chan chuckled softly. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Jisung shot him a glare. "This isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing at you, Ji. I just think you're finally realizing what's been obvious to the rest of us for a while."

Jisung blinked, his frustration momentarily replaced by confusion. "What do you mean?"

Chan gave him a knowing smile, crossing his arms. "You and Minho have always had this... thing between you. It's not just rivalry. It's way more complicated than that, and everyone can see it. Honestly, we've all been waiting for you two to figure it out."

Jisung's jaw dropped. "Wait, what? What do you mean, 'everyone'? How long has this been going on?"

"Pretty much since you met him," Chan replied casually. "The way you guys look at each other, the way you can't go a day without trying to outdo each other—it's not just about grades, Jisung. There's something else underneath all of that."

Jisung felt like the ground was shifting beneath him. Had everyone really seen this before he had? His heart pounded in his chest as Chan's words sunk in. Was it possible that this whole time, he hadn't just been angry at Minho because of their rivalry? Could it be that all the anger, the frustration, the constant competition was a cover for something else?

"But..." Jisung started, his voice shaky. "I don't... I don't like him like that. I can't."

Chan raised an eyebrow, his expression softening with understanding. "No one's saying you have to admit anything right now, Jisung. But maybe it's time to stop fighting whatever it is you feel. It's clearly tearing you up inside."

Jisung collapsed onto one of the chairs, burying his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do," he whispered, his voice muffled. "I hate him, but... I don't. And now he knows, and everything's messed up."

Chan sighed and walked over, placing a comforting hand on Jisung's shoulder. "Hey, look, I get it. You're confused. But maybe you don't have to figure everything out right away. You and Minho clearly have some unresolved stuff between you. Give it time. Maybe this fight was what you both needed to stop hiding behind the rivalry."

Jisung peeked up at him, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "You really think this could turn into something else?"

Chan shrugged with a gentle smile. "I don't know. But I do know that fighting it isn't helping anyone. Least of all you."

Jisung sat there for a while, trying to sort through the mess of emotions swirling inside him. He didn't have all the answers, and he wasn't sure what he'd do next. But talking to Chan had made one thing clear: whatever was happening between him and Minho was more than just rivalry.

It was personal. And it wasn't going away.

---

To be continued..