just pretend.

43.

Jisung stared at Felix’s phone, his hands clenched tightly around it, the screen barely registering as his mind raced. The warm food on the plate in front of him was all but forgotten, the scent of ramen and falafel doing nothing to stir his appetite. His stomach twisted painfully, but not from hunger – it was the anxiety eating at him. His brother reached over and swiftly snatched the phone from his grip before he could react. “Eat”, Minju said quietly, his voice carrying a stern but caring edge. Jisung glanced at him, already knowing that arguing would get him nowhere. The sharp glare Minju gave him confirmed it. With a resigned sigh, Jisung nodded and picked up his chopsticks, forcing a bite of food into his mouth. The noodles were warm and savory, but they tasted like nothing as he struggled to swallow. His stomach rumbled painfully, the food settling heavily in his gut. “It’s been two hours already, what’s taking so long?”, Jisung muttered, his mouth full of ramen as he slowly chewed. His words were muffled, the anxious edge in his voice barely concealed. His leg bounced under the table, a nervous habit he couldn’t shake. “I’m sure he’s okay”, Minju replied, his tone calm, reassuring even. “Maybe they just had to wait a little longer in the emergency room.” He took some falafel from a nearby plate and dropped a few onto Jisung’s, the small gesture of care making Jisung grimace internally. The idea of eating anything more made his stomach churn, but he didn’t complain. He knew his brother was trying to help, trying to take care of him in the way only Minju knew how – practical and no-nonsense, even if it felt like too much. Jisung stabbed the falafel with his chopsticks, forcing it down despite the lump in his throat. He knew he should be grateful, and in many ways, he was. But the weight of his worry for Minho was suffocating, making every bite feel like an ordeal. He was exhausted from the constant fear, the emotional toll of the past few days wearing him down to the bone. Suddenly, Felix’s phone vibrated on the table next to Minju’s plate, the sharp buzz breaking through Jisung’s anxious haze. His heart leapt into his throat as his gaze shot up, eyes locked on the screen as if it held the answer to everything. “What did he say?”, Jisung blurted, his voice tight, barely containing the flood of fear rising in his chest. His fingers twitched, wanting to grab the phone, but he held back, watching Minju instead. His brother opened the text and paused for a brief moment, his eyes scanning the screen before he met Jisung’s gaze. “He’ll be fine”, Minju said softly, a genuine smile breaking through his usually stern expression. “Felix said they’re going to keep him there for the night to monitor him, but it looks like he ignored his pain for too long. His body finally gave him a signal by making him collapse.” He paused, glancing back at the phone. “He has a slight fever, but they’re treating it. You can see him-” Jisung didn’t wait for Minju to finish. He was already pushing his chair back, the legs scraping loudly against the floor as he stood up. His heart raced, the overwhelming urge to rush to Minho’s side overtaking every other thought in his mind. “You can see him after you finish your meal”, Minju cut in, his voice sharp once again as he glared at Jisung. He gestured toward the half-eaten food on the table, a clear signal for Jisung to sit back down. Jisung groaned, but he obeyed, dropping back into his seat with a heavy sigh. “You were funnier when you were dead”, he muttered under his breath, sulkingly shoving another bite of food into his mouth. The words slipped out before he could stop them, a bitter attempt at humor that he instantly regretted. To his surprise, Minju laughed – a quiet, genuine sound that Jisung hadn’t heard in over a year. It wasn’t the same loud, carefree laugh from their past, but it was something. Minju smiled at him, a weak but warm expression that softened his features in a way that was almost unfamiliar. Jisung stared at him for a moment, the realization hitting him all at once. He had missed his brother – missed him more than he could put into words. It was like a piece of him had been missing, like trying to finish a puzzle with half the pieces gone. He had spent so long feeling incomplete, hollow without the person who had always been there, even in the worst of times. And now, despite everything, despite the mess they were both in, Minju was here, taking care of him like he used to. Jisung swallowed another mouthful of food, feeling something tighten in his chest. It wasn’t just fear or anxiety – it was relief, too. Relief that Minho was going to be okay and relief that Minju was beside him again.