A Game Of Love & Flames (Minsung)

Chapter 26

SEUNGMIN

So, today is the day I finally pluck up the courage to speak to Changbin. I had just found out from Chan that he was working out in the at home gym and was alone. Chan and I had become good friends after our short discussion regarding Jeongin and Changbin. We had both agreed to help each other, if you will. I was grateful to have someone who was easy to talk to about all of this. What with Jisung having his hands full with Minho... or was it the other way round? The last thing i had seen was Jisung running up from the basement with a massive grin on his face, shortly followed by an amused looking Minho.. Clearly, his plan went well.

I hadn't seen Felix in a short while either.. not after he went upstairs with Hyunjin. Last I saw of Jeongin, he was out in the garage working on a car he had found interest in. All in all, we've all been doing our own things. I thought it was about time I did what I wanted.. I don't know how long this arrangement will last, honestly. It was supposed to be the mission.. then we go. But Minho promised Ji he would help him find answers about his family. I hope he gets the answers he needs.

I made my way down the dark, dimly lit corridor towards the gym. When I reached it, I stood frozen in the doorway, gripping the edge of the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping me upright. Changbin was right there. His back turned to me as he went through his workout, totally oblivious to the fact that I was watching him. I knew I looked ridiculous just standing here, but I couldn’t make myself move. Just seeing him like this.. focused, intense, and totally in his element, had me feeling like my heart was trying to leap right out of my chest.

Just go say hi, I told myself, taking a shaky breath. It wasn’t like we hadn’t talked before and it’s not like he was scary or anything. He was actually one of the nicest. But somehow, just the thought of him looking over and seeing me standing here made my face go red. I’d been hoping to bump into him alone for ages, but now that I had my chance, my brain had decided to completely shut down.

My gaze lingered on him, watching the way he wiped the sweat from his brow and took a sip from his water bottle, every little movement so natural. Get it together, I scolded myself, desperately trying to summon some courage. But before I could decide on my next move, he glanced up and spotted me. Our eyes met, and he broke into a surprised, amused smile.

“Oh.. hey, Seungmin” he said. Even though he was a bit out of breath, his voice had that playful, warm tone I loved. “Didn’t see you there. Have you been watching me this whole time?”

My cheeks went hot instantly. “N-No, I wasn’t—” I stammered, forcing out an awkward laugh. “I just… came in.”

“Uh-huh.” He chuckled, his grin widening as he set his weights down and took a step closer. “You don’t have to be shy about it. I don’t mind a little audience, you know.”

His voice had this teasing edge that made my heart flip, and I nearly forgot how to breathe. I tried to think of something to say, anything, to keep myself from looking like a complete idiot. “I… uh, just thought maybe I’d come say hi. See if you.. needed any help” I mumbled, immediately regretting it.

Changbin just laughed, slinging his towel over his shoulder. “Help, huh? So you’re offering to be my spotter now?” He took a step toward me, crossing his arms as he looked me over, his gaze warm but a little too intense. “Or were you hoping I’d show you a few moves?”

“Yeah… yeah, maybe that” I managed, trying not to sound too flustered, but his smirk told me I wasn’t doing a great job of hiding it. He looked so amused, like he could see right through me, and that only made me blush harder.

“Good.” His voice dropped, and the way he looked at me made my skin prickle. “Because I’d be more than happy to give you a personal lesson… just the two of us. Sound good?”

“Yeah” I blurted out, barely able to get the word out. “That… sounds good.” I couldn’t stop staring at him, my mind already racing at the thought of being here with him, his full attention on me.

“Perfect.” He picked up a pair of lighter weights and held them out, giving me a playful smile. “Let’s start with something simple so I don’t wear you out too fast, yeah?”

I could feel my cheeks burning as I took the weights from him, my hands barely steady. Every little glance, every word seemed to have this double meaning, and it was all I could do to keep myself from melting under his gaze.

“Just like that.” He stepped around behind me, guiding my arms into position with a gentle but firm touch. His hands were warm, his voice low in my ear. “Steady, Seungmin. You’re a natural.”

A shiver ran down my spine, and I could barely focus, let alone breathe. “Thank you” I managed to say, feeling both thrilled and embarrassed. He was so close I could feel his breath on my neck, and for a second, I forgot about everything else.

“Good” he murmured, his voice softer now. “We should definitely make this a regular thing. How about tomorrow?”

My heart skipped, but I nodded, glancing up to meet his gaze. “Yeah, I’d… I’d like that.”

Changbin’s smile softened, and for a second, there was something warm, something genuine in his expression that made me feel like I’d been holding my breath this whole time. “Then it’s a date” he said. My heart leapt at his words. How on earth had I just managed to not only get his attention.. but time for us to be alone. The butterflies in my stomach would not stop fluttering as I continued to watch him finish his work out.