The Familiar Devil || Minsung

Part 6: The Abyss - part 2

As the minutes stretched into what felt like hours, Jisung found himself wandering around Minho's room. It was surprisingly cozy, filled with eclectic decor that hinted at the prince's personality—dark velvet curtains, an array of intriguing artifacts from both the human world and the Abyss, and a collection of books lined up on the shelves.

His eyes landed on a particularly ornate book on a low table, its cover embossed with intricate designs. Curiosity piqued, he picked it up and flipped through the pages, revealing stunning illustrations of mythical creatures and landscapes from the Abyss.

"Those are beautiful, aren't they?" a voice said, breaking Jisung's concentration.

He turned to see Hyunjin leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You can learn a lot about our world from those. Minho has a pretty extensive collection."

"They're amazing," Jisung admitted, feeling a surge of excitement as he examined the images. "I can't believe how vibrant everything is here."

"Yeah, it's easy to forget how magical it can be when you're surrounded by it every day," Hyunjin said, stepping further into the room. "So, how are things between you and Minho?"

Jisung's heart raced at the question, the memory of their earlier kiss flooding his mind. "We're... figuring things out, I guess," he replied, trying to sound casual despite the heat creeping into his cheeks.

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Figuring things out? Is that what they call it when you're practically glued to each other?"

Jisung laughed, shrugging off the teasing. "Okay, no, there's nothing more than friendship."

"If you say so," Hyunjin said, his expression softening. "Minho cares about you a lot, even if he tries to play it cool, he's down bad for you. Just give him time to figure out his feelings."

Jisung hummed, glancing down at the book again, lost in thought. "What am I supposed to do? I wanna try and get his mind of this Abyss stuff, but I'm really not sure how.."

"You're already doing better than you think," Hyunjin reassured him. "Just keep being yourself. Minho is drawn to your boldness."

"Boldness, huh?" Jisung mused, a grin creeping onto his face. "Well, I guess I can keep that up."

"Just don't push him too hard," Hyunjin warned, though the glint in his eye suggested he wasn't entirely serious. "Minho has a tendency to run from his emotions, and the last thing we need is for him to freak out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jisung replied, a playful spark igniting within him. "But what's the fun in that?"

Just then, the door swung open again, and Minho walked in, his expression shifting from concern to relief as his gaze landed on Jisung. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just getting to know your best friend," Jisung replied, shooting Hyunjin a quick look before turning back to Minho.

Hyunjin took that as his cue to slip out. "I'll leave you two alone," he said, a knowing smile on his lips.

Once Hyunjin left, Jisung felt the tension in the room shift. He turned his full attention to Minho, whose expression was a mix of warmth and intensity.

"Everything alright?" Jisung asked, stepping closer.

Minho nodded, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. "Yeah, just some things to work out with the others. But I couldn't stop thinking about you while I was gone."

"Really?" Jisung teased, leaning against the wall casually. "I thought you were too busy being a prince."

"I can't help it," Minho admitted, a smirk tugging at his lips as he closed the distance between them. "You make it hard to focus on anything else."