just pretend.

36.

Minho woke up in an empty bed, the sudden loneliness seeping into his bones as he reached out to the cold sheets beside him. His heart clenched, the emptiness a stark contrast to Jisung's usual warmth. “Hannie?”, he called out, his voice thick and raspy from sleep, but the silence that greeted him only made the growing sense of unease worse. He pushed the blanket aside, his body stiff and aching, and fumbled for the crutches leaning against the bed frame. Pulling himself up, he willed the dizziness away, his grip tightening on the crutches as he hobbled out of the room. The emptiness of the hallway echoed in his mind, the quiet unnerving. “Lix?”, Minho called, his voice stronger this time, laced with worry. Felix’s door swung open almost instantly, and he appeared with wide, concerned eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”, Felix asked, his brows furrowing as he rushed toward Minho. Minho shook his head, his gaze darting around Felix’s room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jisung, even though deep down, he knew he wasn’t there. “He’s running errands”, Felix said, reading the question in Minho’s eyes. But Felix’s response only made Minho’s stomach churn with guilt. He bit his lip hard, hating how obvious his anxiety must have been. Felix had noticed, of course he had. “Where?”, Minho asked, trying to mask the growing knot in his chest. He knew he was failing, though – his voice sounded strained, tight with fear. “He didn’t tell me”, Felix answered, glancing at his watch with a slight frown. “But.. he should have been back by now. It’s been over five hours already.” That hit Minho like a punch to the gut. Five hours? Anxiety settled heavily in his stomach, crawling up his chest until it threatened to choke him. He swallowed, but it didn’t ease the tightness in his throat. His head began to spin, and he suddenly regretted forcing himself out of bed. Felix saw the change in his expression and closed the distance, gently taking Minho’s arm. “Come on, sit down”, Felix urged, guiding Minho toward the edge of the bed. “You should eat something.” Felix brushed a strand of brown hair out of Minho’s face, his touch soothing, but it did little to calm the storm inside him. “Can you call him?”, Minho asked, his voice a shaky whisper. The uneasy feeling in his gut only deepened, nagging at him relentlessly. He told himself Jisung was fine, that he was just running errands, but it didn’t matter. Ever since he’d woken up, a dark, suffocating sense of dread had hung over him, and it refused to let go. “Of course”, Felix said softly, moving to retrieve his phone from the desk. “I’ll call him, and then I’ll make you something to eat, okay?” Minho let Felix guide him to the kitchen, his legs feeling weak and unsteady. Once he was settled into a kitchen chair, Felix dialed Jisung’s number, his face creased with concentration. The moments stretched on painfully, the tension in the room thickening with each second that passed without a response. Minho’s heart hammered in his chest, the silence of the phone call only adding to his growing fear. Felix frowned as he looked at his phone, his confusion mirrored in Minho’s wide eyes. “What?”, Minho whined, his voice filled with concern and fear. The tension and anxiety had coiled tightly around his heart, squeezing it until it ached. “His phone is off”, Felix mumbled, his own voice betraying the concern he was trying to hide. He stared at the screen, as if willing it to show some other explanation, but nothing changed. “Maybe he didn’t charge it?” Minho nodded slowly, but he didn’t believe it. He knew Jisung – he was careful about things like that. Jisung wouldn’t just forget to charge his phone, especially if he knew Minho might need to reach him. Fear slithered through Minho like poison, making his breath come in short, shallow bursts. The thought that something might have happened to Jisung gnawed at him relentlessly, and the fact that he had no way to confirm if he was safe made his heart race painfully in his chest. The boy he loved more than anything was out there, unreachable, and the bad feeling that had haunted him since he’d woken up now tightened its grip around his throat, suffocating him.

Felix had managed to calm Minho down enough to eat, but the sense of dread still lingered, settling deep in his bones. Now, he sat on the couch, covered in blankets, while all their friends were gathered around, doing their best to distract him. The room was filled with laughter, the sound of video games and light-hearted banter, but Minho could barely focus on anything other than Jisung. “Hyunjin and Chan canceled for today”, Changbin mentioned, pulling Felix onto his lap with ease, making the freckled boy giggle in response. “Hyunjin said Chan isn’t feeling well.” Minho nodded absentmindedly, barely processing the words. He wasn’t in the mood for casual conversation or gaming. Every fiber of his being was fixated on where Jisung could be, if he was safe, and why his phone was still off. The creeping fear had taken root in his chest, and no amount of noise or distraction could pull him away from it. Seungmin, ever observant, noticed Minho’s far-off gaze and mood. Without a word, he crossed the room and quietly settled next to him on the couch. Minho raised the edge of the blanket, letting Seungmin slip underneath. The warmth of him was a comforting contrast to the cold worry gnawing at him since he’d woken up. Seungmin wrapped an arm gently around Minho’s waist, careful not to press against his still-healing ribs, pulling him closer. “Do you want to talk about it?”, Seungmin’s voice was soft, his breath warm against Minho’s cheek. His touch was light, reassuring, and steady – a much-needed anchor in the storm of thoughts swirling through Minho’s mind. Minho leaned his head against Seungmin’s shoulder, exhaling a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Jisung left the apartment earlier, and now his phone is off”, he admitted quietly. Seungmin’s hand on his waist was steady, the gentle caresses grounding him, and for a moment, Minho felt a tiny fraction of the weight in his chest lift. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon”, Seungmin whispered. His words, though simple, carried a sense of reassurance that Minho clung to. Even though Seungmin couldn’t promise it, the confidence in his voice made it easier to breathe. “Thank you”, Minho mumbled, his hand instinctively finding Seungmin’s under the blanket. Slowly, their fingers intertwined, a small gesture of comfort and solidarity. They sat like that for what felt like an eternity, the noise around them fading into the background as Minho focused on Seungmin’s breathing, the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and the warmth of his skin against his own. For the first time that day, Minho felt a small sense of calm wash over him. “Can I tell you a secret?”, Seungmin’s voice broke the silence, soft and teasing in his ear. Minho lifted his head, meeting his friend’s gaze, curious. He nodded, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly in interest. Seungmin flashed him a cheeky smile, one that Minho had grown to know and adore over the past few weeks – a smile that never failed to make the world feel a little lighter. “I’m seeing someone”, Seungmin confessed, his tone a mix of excitement and nervousness. His eyes were wide, searching Minho’s face for a reaction, a silent plea for approval. Minho’s lips curved into a small smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. He knew exactly what Seungmin was looking for, and he was more than happy to give it to him, wasn’t he? “Is it Jeongin?”, he asked, glancing briefly at the youngest member of their group, who was sitting nearby, arguing animatedly with Felix and Changbin over a comic book. Seungmin’s face drained of color, and he swallowed, his usual cocky confidence suddenly vanishing. “How do you know?”, he whispered, his voice small and filled with a vulnerability Minho rarely saw. Minho couldn’t help but giggle at Seungmin’s reaction, a rush of satisfaction bubbling inside him for catching the younger one off guard. “A wild guess”, he teased, before playfully poking Seungmin’s ribs, causing him to flinch and let out a yelp. Seungmin shot him a mock glare, but the tension between them melted away as Seungmin poked his thigh and laughter filled the space. “It’s only one date though.. and we’ll see how it ends”, Seungmin muttered, his voice laced with something Minho couldn’t quite place.