just pretend.

11.

Minho felt drained after spending over an hour at the town hall to update his address. He had finally given them his ID card and Felix’s address. His stomach growled, prompting him to stop at a small restaurant where he bought sandwiches and vanilla milkshakes for himself and Felix. As he stepped out of the restaurant, he heard someone call his name. “Minho?” He turned around to see Jeongin standing there, his face marred by bruises. Minho’s eyes widened in concern and he blinked. “Jeongin? What the hell happened to your face?” He moved closer, fighting the impulse to touch Jeongin’s injuries, to make sure if he was alright. Jeongin shook his head, trying to brush off Minho’s concern. “What are you doing here?”, he asked, changing the subject as he noticed Jeongin wouldn’t answer his first question. “I moved in with Jisung for a while”, Jeongin replied, causing Minho’s heart to skip a beat at the mention of Jisung’s name. He blinked again, waiting for more information. “Jisung lives here?”, Minho asked, unable to hide his surprise. “Yeah, around the corner”, Jeongin said with a grin. His phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. “I’ve got to take this call. I’ll see you around. And if you’re ever looking for Jisung-”, Jeongin trailed off, answering the call while nodding toward the restaurant. Minho’s gaze fell on the logo printed on the sandwich wrapper, and he mumbled a frustrated, “Fuck.” He crossed the street, not looking back at the restaurant, feeling a mix of confusion and disbelief. How had he ended up moving to the same city as his ex-boyfriend?

“Felix”, Minho called as soon as he opened the door, kicking off his shoes and hurrying through the apartment. His cats meowed eagerly, and he set the food on the kitchen counter. “What’s wrong?”, Felix’s voice came from the office at the end of the hallway. Minho’s heart was still racing, and he needed a moment to collect himself. Felix leaned back in his chair, glancing up from his paperwork. “Am I interrupting you?”, Minho asked, peering at the screen of Felix’s computer. Felix chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up. “What happened? Did they reject your request at the town hall?”, Felix inquired, his concern mixing with the freckles on his skin. Minho shook his head and grabbed Felix’s wrist, pulling him into the kitchen. He handed Felix a sandwich and nudged a cup of milkshake toward him. “Thank you”, Felix said, accepting the food with a warm smile, but concern still lingered in his expression. Minho picked up his cats’ empty food bowls from the floor and filled them with fresh wet food, his pets rubbing against his legs. He set the bowls back down and watched as his cats began to eat. “Jisung lives here”, Minho said, his voice trembling. Felix’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What?” Minho shook his head, tearing off the paper wrapping from his sandwich and taking a bite. “Jisung works and lives here”, he said with his mouth full, pointing at the sticker on Felix’s untouched sandwich. “He works at that restaurant and lives just around the corner.” He swallowed and dropped his sandwich, the reality sinking in. “He works and lives ten minutes from here, Felix.” Minho’s chest tightened with anxiety, and he began to pace the room. “Minho”, Felix said softly, placing a hand on Minho’s wrist to stop him. “Did you see him?” Minho shook his head. “I met his best friend, Jeongin. He said he moved in with Jisung for a while and mentioned that Jisung worked at the restaurant. I recognized the logo on the sticker”, he explained, his voice quivering with emotion. “So your ex lives and works ten minutes from here, so what? You don’t have to see him, there’s no guarantee you will bump into him, alright? Especially now that you know where he lives and works, you can avoid that area”, Felix reassured him and he nodded. “But the sandwich is so good”, he whined, making the other one laugh.

Minho spent the rest of the day snacking and applying for jobs, feeling drained and exhausted by the time he crawled into bed. His cats immediately snuggled up to him as he slipped under the covers, bringing a rare sense of comfort and calm. He unlocked his phone and dialed Seungmin’s number, waiting for him to pick up. “Now you miss me?”, Seungmin’s amused voice came through the speaker. Minho couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ve missed you since I left”, Minho admitted, a hint of embarrassment coloring his voice. “Is that so?”, Seungmin’s tone softened, and Minho hummed in response. “You can always come back. I won’t get a new roommate before next week”, Seungmin offered jokingly, and Minho shook his head, laughing softly into his blanket. “Does that mean you’re all alone in that big empty room?”, Minho teased with a pout and Seungmin chuckled. “I am, and it’s your fault for leaving me so early.” Minho’s heart ached with longing as he thought about falling asleep on Seungmin’s chest. He heard Seungmin’s breathing through the speaker and groaned, missing the intimacy they had shared over the past weeks. “What’s wrong, pretty boy?”, Seungmin asked, noticing the change in Minho’s tone. “I just miss you”, Minho whined, staring up at the ceiling. “What do you miss? The cuddling or the fucking?”, Seungmin’s teasing voice made Minho blush. He whined into his blanket, his body responding to the thought of getting railed by Seungmin. “Both”, Minho confessed, feeling himself grow aroused. “Me too. I miss your pretty moans”, Seungmin said, turning Minho on even more. Minho slid his hand down his pants, feeling the growing bulge beneath the fabric of his boxers. “Are you touching yourself, baby?”, Seungmin’s voice was low and suggestive. Minho giggled, embarrassed but excited. “Did you really miss me that much?”