Winter Falls || Lee Know ✓

🎓:Another F-*Mute* Day

~🎬~

The hangout at Hyunjin's house continued, but Minho's patience was wearing thin. Despite Jisung's efforts to pull him into conversations or games, Minho remained on the sidelines, eyes occasionally flicking toward Suhyun and Hyunjin. The two were still chatting away, their banter easy and light, like they were lifelong friends.

It wasn't like Hyunjin was doing anything wrong—he was just being himself. Laughing, joking, leaning a bit too close to Suhyun every now and then, probably without realizing it. But each time it happened, it sent an uncomfortable ripple through Minho. Why did it bother him so much? Suhyun wasn't even his friend, let alone someone he cared about.

So why did it feel like there was a knot tightening in his chest every time they laughed together?

Jisung noticed, of course. He always did.

As Suhyun and Hyunjin started up another round of their inside jokes, Minho could feel Jisung's eyes on him. Without even looking, he knew his best friend had that knowing smirk on his face. Sure enough, Jisung leaned over, whispering so only Minho could hear.

"You're gonna burn a hole through Hyunjin's head with all that glaring."

Minho tensed, immediately shifting his gaze. "I'm not glaring."

"Right, sure. You're just... intensely observing." Jisung's smirk widened. "Wanna talk about it?"

Minho shot him a sharp look. "No."

Jisung sighed dramatically, leaning back in his chair. "Man, you're so predictable. It's funny."

Before Minho could snap back, Felix, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension, called out, "Hey! How about we order pizza or something? I'm starving!"

Hyunjin grinned. "I'm always down for pizza."

Soyeon clapped her hands. "Yes, please! Let's get something cheesy."

Felix pulled out his phone, already browsing the pizza menu. "Minho, any preferences?"

Minho shrugged, uninterested. "Whatever. I don't care."

Suhyun, who had been sitting across from him, raised an eyebrow at his indifference. "You never care about anything, do you?"

Minho's eyes flicked to her. "And you care about everything too much."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Suhyun shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is that a problem?"

"Maybe," Minho said coolly, leaning back in his chair with a smug expression.

Suhyun scoffed, crossing her arms. "And you wonder why people don't like hanging out with you."

"I never said I wanted to hang out with people," Minho replied, not missing a beat.

The others exchanged glances, some amused, others slightly nervous as the familiar bickering started to bubble up. This was typical of Minho and Suhyun—every interaction felt like a match waiting to ignite.

"Guys," Hyunjin interrupted, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Let's not kill each other before the pizza gets here, okay?"

Jisung grinned, adding fuel to the fire. "Yeah, save some of that energy for the next round of trivia. You know, the game Suhyun lost horribly at last time?"

Suhyun gasped dramatically. "I did not lose horribly!"

"You totally did," Felix chimed in with a laugh, making everyone else snicker.

Suhyun huffed, but the playful atmosphere diffused some of the tension. For a moment, Minho's annoyance faded as he watched her pout in mock offense, her cheeks puffing out slightly in frustration. And for some reason, that made him bite back a small smile.

The pizza arrived, and soon enough, the group was gathered around the living room table, tearing into slices. The conversation flowed easily—mostly thanks to Hyunjin, Felix, and Soyeon keeping things lively. Suhyun seemed back to her usual self, laughing along and cracking jokes.

Minho, who usually didn't care about social gatherings, couldn't help but stay quiet. His mind was still on Suhyun and Hyunjin, even as he half-listened to Jisung and Felix argue over who got the last slice.

At one point, Hyunjin leaned closer to Suhyun, whispering something that made her burst into laughter. Minho's jaw tightened involuntarily. He didn't like the way Hyunjin's arm brushed against her shoulder. It wasn't a big deal, but it gnawed at him.

"What's up with you?" Jisung asked, noticing Minho's clenched fists resting on his knees.

"Nothing," Minho muttered, forcing his body to relax.

Jisung followed Minho's gaze and snorted. "Dude, you've got it bad."

Minho glared at him, annoyed. "Shut up."

Jisung laughed, not taking him seriously. "You're so obvious. Just admit it—you're jealous."

Minho bristled at the word. Jealous? Of Hyunjin? No way. There was nothing to be jealous of.

"I don't get jealous," Minho said, deadpan.

Jisung raised his eyebrows, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Right, of course. And I'm the president of South Korea."

"Honestly, Jisung, if you don't shut up, I'll make sure you're not president of anything."

Jisung's laughter only grew. "Whatever you say, man. But I know that look."

While Jisung continued to tease him, Hyerin suddenly burst into the living room, looking frazzled but laughing. "Guys! I was helping Hyunjin in the kitchen, and guess what? I dropped an entire tray of glasses!"

Felix gasped dramatically. "Our precious hydration! How will we survive?"

"Not the hydration!" Soyeon chimed in, matching Felix's tone.

Suhyun leaned back in her seat, grinning. "You've officially ruined Hyunjin's party, Hyerin."

Hyerin gave an exaggerated pout. "Hyunjin said it's fine, but I know deep down he's judging me."

At that moment, Hyunjin walked in with a grin. "Oh, trust me, I'm judging very hard."

Everyone laughed, except Minho, who was too busy sulking on the side. Hyerin noticed, walking over to sit beside him. "You okay there, Mr. Ice King?"

Minho shot her a look. "I'm fine."

Hyerin smirked. "Sure. You're totally fine sitting here, staring daggers at everyone."

Jisung, overhearing, added, "Yeah, he's just mad he's not the center of attention."

Minho's scowl deepened, but before he could retort, Suhyun called out from across the room, "Minho? You're being awfully quiet over there. What's wrong? Did we run out of things to complain about?"

Minho looked up, meeting Suhyun's smug grin. "You're making enough noise for the both of us."

Suhyun rolled her eyes, but Hyerin clapped her hands together. "Okay, Minho, let's get you out of this funk. How about you join the next round of trivia?"

Minho groaned. "I'd rather not."

But before he could escape, Hyerin grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the group. "Too late! You're playing."

Minho shot Jisung a look of pure betrayal, but Jisung just winked at him. "Good luck, buddy. You're gonna need it."

~🎬~

I'M HAPPY CAUSE MY EXAMS ARE OVER TODAY
NOBODY KNOWS HOW HAPPY I AM!!

Last Chapter's Answer:
Rubber Band

Today's riddle:
What has A thumb, Four fingers, But is not
a hand?