Echoes of the Alley

4 - Cracks in the Armor

The clock on Jisung's desk blinked 12:42 AM, its quiet hum the only sound in his otherwise still room. His notebook sat open, but it might as well have been blank for all the progress he was making. Scribbles of discarded lines and half-written verses cluttered the page, mocking his inability to find the right words.

He sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. The melody he and Minho had worked on was still looping in his head, but the lyrics refused to come.

It didn't help that Minho's words lingered too:
"You're not writing for me. You're writing for the dance."

Jisung frowned at the memory, running his fingers through his hair. As frustrating as it had been to hear in the moment, there was something about Minho's bluntness that stuck with him. It wasn't just criticism—it was insight, stripped bare of pleasantries. Minho had a way of seeing through the noise, straight to the core of things.

But what was Jisung's core?

His eyes drifted back to the notebook, the scribbled lines now looking more like an incomplete map than a failure.

"You're not writing for him," Jisung murmured to himself. "You're writing for the dance."

He glanced at his phone, a text from Felix lighting up the screen.

Felix: "Don't overthink it. You're good at this."

Jisung smiled faintly, tapping a quick reply before picking up his guitar. He strummed the melody softly, letting the notes fill the silence. Somewhere in the music, he felt the smallest flicker of hope.

An Unexpected Encounter

The next afternoon, Jisung arrived at the studio, his guitar case slung over his shoulder. The space was eerily quiet, save for the faint creak of the floorboards under his feet. Minho wasn't there.

He set his things down and waited, glancing at the clock every few minutes. Twenty minutes passed, then thirty. Finally, Jisung sighed, packing up and deciding to head home.

As he turned the corner onto a quieter street, he spotted someone sitting on the steps of a run-down building. The figure was hunched over, their head in their hands. Even from a distance, Jisung recognized him.

"Minho?"

Minho's head shot up, his expression quickly shifting from surprise to annoyance. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at the studio," Jisung said, his voice unsure. "Then I saw you, and—uh, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Minho stood abruptly, brushing past him without another word.

Jisung hesitated before following, his steps cautious. "You don't look fine."

Minho stopped, his shoulders stiff. For a long moment, he didn't turn around. When he finally spoke, his voice was sharp but quiet. "I don't need you analyzing me. Just... go home."

The words stung, but Jisung didn't back down. "I'm not trying to analyze you. I just—" He faltered. "I just want to help."

Minho turned, his gaze unreadable. "You can't help. No one can."

With that, he walked away, leaving Jisung standing alone on the empty street.

The Gang's Encouragement

That evening, Jisung found himself in Felix's room, sprawled across the bed while Felix sat cross-legged on the floor, eating chips.

"He's so frustrating!" Jisung exclaimed, tossing a pillow over his face. "One minute, he's all helpful and insightful, and the next, he's shutting me out completely."

Felix snorted. "Sounds like a classic case of 'I don't know how to deal with emotions.'"

Jisung peeked out from under the pillow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Felix shrugged. "Some people push others away because it's easier than letting them in. Minho strikes me as that kind of person."

Jisung sat up, frowning. "But I'm not trying to, like, get close to him or anything. I just..." His voice trailed off.

Felix raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Sure you're not."

Jisung groaned, flopping back down. "Why do I even bother talking to you?"

"Because I'm always right," Felix said cheerfully, tossing a chip at him.

Jeongin, who had been quietly scrolling through his phone in the corner, finally chimed in. "Maybe you just need to approach him differently. You're good at reading people, Ji. Figure out what makes him tick."

Jisung mulled over the suggestion, a small flicker of determination forming.

Meanwhile

The studio was empty now, the lights dimmed except for a single bulb casting a faint glow over the mirrors. Minho stood in the center of the room, his breath heavy as he replayed the choreography again and again.

The music had stopped hours ago, but he didn't need it anymore. The steps were ingrained in his muscle memory—precise, practiced, and yet... wrong.

He faltered mid-spin, his foot slipping on the polished floor. Minho cursed under his breath, gripping his knees as he tried to steady himself. His reflection stared back at him, a reminder of everything he wasn't.

The door creaked open behind him, and Minho whipped around, startled.

It was Chan.

"Figured you'd still be here," Chan said, stepping inside.

Minho straightened, his expression carefully blank. "What do you want?"

"Just checking in," Chan replied, leaning against the wall. "You've been pushing yourself too hard lately."

Minho scoffed. "What else is new?"

Chan didn't respond right away. Instead, he watched Minho carefully, his eyes soft with concern. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."

"I'm fine."

"Minho—"

"I said I'm fine!" Minho snapped, his voice echoing in the empty room.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Chan sighed, pushing off the wall. "You don't have to tell me what's going on, but at least let someone in. Even if it's not me."

Minho turned away, his jaw tight. "Just go."

Chan hesitated but eventually left, the sound of the door closing behind him leaving Minho alone once more.

Minho stared at his reflection, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Let someone in," he muttered bitterly, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.

But for a brief moment, an image of Jisung flashed through his mind—a persistent, frustrating presence he hadn't been able to shake.

———————

— A/N: Heyy uh I hope this chapter is long enough, I try to make then at least 1k+ words

— Recommended song for this chapter: "See You Soon" by Beabadoobee