The Familiar Devil || Minsung

Part 9: Beneath the Surface

Minho entered the room quietly, his usual confident stride a bit more hesitant as he approached the bed where Jisung lay on his stomach, scrolling through his phone. The soft glow of the screen cast shadows on Jisung's face, but the light didn't mask the tiredness in his eyes.

Minho crawled onto the bed, settling next to Jisung. His movements were cautious, unlike his usual teasing demeanor. "Hey," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jisung glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly as he noticed the shift in Minho's tone. "What's up?" he asked, pushing himself up on his elbows, phone momentarily forgotten.

Minho bit his lip, clearly searching for the right words. "We need to talk... about something important."

Jisung's expression immediately shifted from casual curiosity to concern. He sat up fully, the sheets rustling beneath him. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Minho looked at him for a long moment, his eyes dark, holding a weight that Jisung wasn't used to seeing. "It's about your parents."

Jisung's breath caught in his throat. He had spent years trying to forget them, to bury the pain of their abandonment deep inside. But hearing Minho mention them brought all that buried emotion rushing to the surface.

"My parents?" Jisung repeated, his voice softer now, unsure. "What do you mean?"

Minho took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving Jisung's. "They're here. In the Abyss."

Jisung blinked, his mind struggling to process what Minho just said. "What...?" His voice came out shaky, disbelief clear in his tone. "That's impossible. They left when I was a kid. Why would they be here?"

Minho's face was unreadable for a moment before he continued. "They left you, yes, but they didn't leave to live some normal life. They came here, to the Abyss, begging for a place to stay."

Jisung stared at him, his chest tightening. "Why would they come here? And why didn't they tell me anything? Mainly how the fuck did they got here?" His voice was tinged with bitterness, old wounds resurfacing.

Minho sighed, his fingers brushing through his own hair in frustration. "I don't know all the details. I don't know what happened in the human world that drove them here, but... they've been here ever since."

Jisung felt a cold wave of anger building inside him. "So they abandoned me and ran away to some otherworldly place? And you've known this the whole time?"

Minho winced at the accusation in his voice. "I wanted to tell you, but things kept getting in the way. I was afraid... afraid you'd be pissed. And I didn't know how you'd handle finding out the truth."

Jisung's hands curled into fists. "I've been living my entire life thinking they were gone, that I wasn't good enough for them to stay. And now I find out they're here, in the Abyss, living their happy life without their only son?"

Minho reached out, his hand brushing lightly against Jisung's arm, but Jisung flinched at the contact, pulling away slightly. Minho's heart sank.

Jisung scoffed, standing up from the bed, pacing the room. "This is insane. I don't even know them, and now they just want to show up in my life? Why? What do they want from me?"

Minho watched him, feeling the tension radiating off of him. "They don't want anything from you. They just want to meet you, to explain things. I get that it's overwhelming, but this is part of who you are."

Jisung stopped pacing, turning back to face Minho. "And you've known this the whole time? While you were... messing with me, you knew?"

Minho flinched at the accusation in Jisung's voice. "It wasn't like that. I never wanted to hurt you, Jisung. I just didn't know how to bring it up without you—"