SECRET EMBRACE | Jeonghan X Joshua | JiHan

NINE

The next day, the morning sun streamed through the large windows of Joshua's apartment, lighting up the minimalistic decor. He stood in front of the mirror in his room, carefully dabbing ointment on the faint bruise on his cheek. The cream had worked wonders overnight, leaving only a light redness that he hoped would fade soon. Satisfied, he capped the ointment and set it aside. The ointment was really fast.

Joshua glanced at his reflection one last time, brushing down the simple yet stylish outfit he'd chosen: a fitted white t-shirt tucked into beige chinos, paired with a lightweight dark green bomber jacket. His black sneakers were spotless, and his usual leather strap watch added a subtle touch of elegance. Even with minimal effort, Joshua always seemed to turn heads without trying. Of course, he was handsome.

He unplugged his phone from the charger and tossed it into his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. The device buzzed briefly, but he ignored it. Joshua wasn't much of a social media person these days. Sure, he'd had a big following back when he was modeling: thousands of fans eagerly awaiting his posts about shoots, trips, and daily life. But after leaving the industry and deactivating most of his accounts, he rarely used platforms like Instagram anymore.

With a quick check in the mirror, he made sure everything was in place before heading out. The lobby was quieter than usual, the faint hum of the morning rush outside filtering in through the glass doors. He glanced at his watch and frowned slightly. Vernon was late.

Leaning against the wall, Joshua tapped his fingers on his bag, waiting patiently. He'd grown used to Vernon's occasional tardiness, though he often teased his friend about it. Just as he was about to pull out his phone to send a quick message, a figure came barreling through the lobby doors, nearly colliding with the concierge desk.

"Joshua!" Vernon called out, panting heavily as he bent over to catch his breath. The man was almost running.

Joshua raised an eyebrow, amused. "You look like you ran a marathon."

Vernon straightened, brushing back his slightly messy hair. "I've been calling you! Why didn't you pick up?"

Joshua furrowed his brow and pulled out his phone. Sure enough, there were several missed calls from Vernon. He looked up, confused. "I didn't hear it. What's the big deal?"

Vernon glanced around the lobby, clearly agitated, before stepping closer to Joshua and lowering his voice. "Have you checked your phone this morning? Or, like... gone on the campus page?"

"No" Joshua replied, tilting his head. "You know that I don't bother with that stuff. Why?"

Vernon sighed, pulling out his own phone and unlocking it. "Okay, don't freak out, but..." He scrolled quickly and handed the phone to Joshua.

On the screen was a post from the campus's social media page: a photo of Joshua and Jeonghan from the basketball court yesterday. It was mid-argument, with Joshua's glare and Jeonghan's smug expression perfectly captured. The caption read:

"Campus crush showdown? Joshua and Jeonghan face off during practice. What do you think happened? 👀🔥"

Joshua's eyes widened as he scrolled through the comments.

>"Joshua really threw the ball at him? Savage."

>"I didn't think anyone would dare to mess with Jeonghan. Respect."

>"OMG, is this the start of a rivalry? I'm living for this drama."

>"Joshua's expression, though. Iconic."

>"is this the new guy from physics?"