SECRET EMBRACE | Jeonghan X Joshua | JiHan

EIGHT

Joshua walked toward the basketball yard's edge, his bag slung over one shoulder, his thoughts still tangled from the incident at the court. He, himself couldn't believe he threw a ball for Yoon Jeonghan. That all happened in snap of time. Also, what happened both in the classroom and restroom, made joshua even more angry with Jeonghan's words towards joshua.

He spotted Vernon waiting for him under a tree, casually scrolling through his phone. The crisp autumn air didn't seem to bother him as he leaned against the bark, his hoodie pulled up slightly to shield him from the breeze. He looked....cool.

"There you are..finally" Vernon said as Joshua approached. "What took you so long? And why didn't you come to grab lunch? You told in the morning we'd have it together"

OF course, the idea was Joshua's. He asked Vernon to grab the lunch since he had no one to ask. But now, Joshua shrugged, keeping his eyes forward. "Wasn't hungry."

Vernon raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced but choosing not to press the issue. He wouldn't dig into the deep.

Instead, he fell into step beside Joshua as they started their walk back to their apartments. Since joshua and Vernon were friends since years, they decided to choose their apartments close to them. Vernon lived in a apartment a block beside Joshua's.

The campus was alive with chatter and activity, students moving between classes and clubs. Joshua, however, remained unusually quiet. His gaze fixed ahead as if lost in thought. His mind was busy. He was tired. Both physically and mentally.

It wasn't until they passed the small park near the dorms that Vernon noticed something. "Hey, wait." He stopped in his tracks and grabbed Joshua's arm gently. Vernon had seen the bruise on Joshua's cheeks.

Joshua turned to him, confused. "What?"

Vernon's sharp eyes zeroed in on the faint bruising near Joshua's wrist and a slight redness on his shoulder, visible where his shirt shifted. "What the hell happened to you?" of course Vernon was concerned.

Joshua froze for a moment, then quickly pulled his arm away. "It's nothing. I just... bumped into something."

Vernon's expression darkened with disbelief. "Bumped into something? Really?"

"Yeah," Joshua said, his tone clipped. He adjusted the strap of his bag and started walking again. "Just drop it, Vernon. It's not a big deal."

Vernon followed, his gaze lingering on Joshua's back. He could tell it wasn't the truth. Joshua wasn't the type to get bruised from clumsiness. Joshua was always so careful. But something about the way his friend avoided his eyes told Vernon that pushing for answers wouldn't get him anywhere right now. He believed that joshua would tell him if he wanted.

The walk continued in silence, the sound of their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves filling the void. Vernon occasionally glanced at Joshua, who seemed distant, his jaw clenched and his hands gripping his bag straps tightly. 'something is definitely off' Vernon thought.

As they neared their apartment block, Vernon suddenly veered off course, heading toward a small convenience store.

"Where are you going?" Joshua called after him, frowning.

"Just wait. Will be quick" Vernon replied over his shoulder, disappearing through the sliding doors.

Joshua stood awkwardly outside, shuffling his feet and glancing around at the passing students. A few minutes later, Vernon emerged, a small bag in his hand. He tossed it to Joshua.

"Here" Vernon said.

Joshua caught it and peered inside, finding a tube of ointment. He frowned, looking up at Vernon. "What's this for?"