The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

20: Jeju Days

Seungkwan stepped out of Jinyoung's car with a quiet "Thanks," offering a small, polite smile as Jinyoung waved goodbye. He stood on the curb for a moment, watching as Jinyoung's car disappeared down the road, the taillights fading into the night. The cool evening breeze brushed against his skin, but it did little to ease the restlessness churning inside him.

The entire dinner had felt off, like he was physically present but mentally miles away. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was unresolved, gnawing at him. As much as he tried to focus on Jinyoung, his thoughts always circled back to Hansol—Hansol's angry gaze, the way he pinned him to the wall, the heat between them. And then how he'd walked away, leaving Seungkwan in a whirlwind of confusion and frustration.

With a sigh, Seungkwan turned and headed toward the entrance of his dorm. The campus was quiet at this hour, with most students either inside or out for the night. As he walked, his mind kept replaying the moment in the locker room, his heart racing at the memory of Hansol's intense expression.

Why couldn't he just forget it?

Reaching his dorm room, Seungkwan fumbled with his keys, the metal clinking in his shaky hands. When he finally pushed the door open, the familiar space greeted him, but instead of relief, all he felt was more confusion. The room was dimly lit by his bedside lamp, and as he tossed his bag onto the floor, Seungkwan collapsed onto his bed with a groan.

He stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. Why did Hansol get so mad? Was it just about the game? Or... was Moonbin right? Could Hansol really like him? No, that didn't make any sense. Hansol was the most popular guy on campus. He could have anyone—so why would he be interested in Seungkwan, of all people?

Seungkwan groaned again, covering his face with his hands. "This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself. "I'm overthinking this. There's no way."

But no matter how much he tried to dismiss it, the memory of Hansol's lips inches away from his own lingered in his mind, sending an unexpected thrill through his chest.

"Ugh," Seungkwan sat up, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Why is this happening now? Why does he have to be so—"

His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced at the screen, half-expecting it to be a message from Jinyoung, but instead, it was Moonbin.

Moonbin: "So... how was the date? Did you forget about a certain someone?"

Seungkwan rolled his eyes, typing back quickly.

Seungkwan: "There's nothing to forget. And stop stirring things up."

Moonbin's reply came almost immediately.

Moonbin: "LOL. You're lying to yourself, babe. I'm telling you, Hansol's totally into you. He looked like he was going to murder someone when he saw you cheering for Jinyoung."

Seungkwan threw his phone down onto the bed, staring at it as if it held the answers to all his problems. Moonbin's teasing was only adding to his confusion. Hansol couldn't like him—right? They barely tolerated each other half the time, always bickering and getting on each other's nerves. But then why had Hansol acted that way earlier? Why had he been so angry?

Seungkwan buried his face in his pillow, his heart pounding as everything swirled together in a chaotic mess. He didn't know what to think anymore. All he knew was that things were getting complicated, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Hansol.

Even now, lying in his bed, all Seungkwan could picture was Hansol's face—sweaty, intense, and impossibly close. And the way it made his heart race, despite everything.