Echoes of the Alley

55 - The Breaking Point

The following day started quietly. Too quietly. The usual energy in the studio was replaced by an undercurrent of tension that no one dared to address outright. The group worked through their warm-ups in near silence, the air heavy with unresolved emotions.

Jisung caught Felix's gaze as they stretched, and Felix raised his eyebrows, as if to say, What's going on? Jisung shrugged in response, but he could feel the unease in the room creeping into his own chest.

Seungmin, seated by the mirrored wall, kept his eyes on his notebook, his pencil tapping a rapid rhythm against the page. Across the room, Hyunjin paced near the soundboard, fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. The space between them felt like a canyon, vast and unbridgeable.

Chan clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "All right, let's pick up where we left off yesterday. Full run-through, no stopping. Ready?"

The group murmured their agreement and moved into position. The music started, its driving beat filling the studio, but even the rhythm couldn't mask the cracks in their cohesion.

Halfway through the routine, Hyunjin missed a cue, stumbling slightly and throwing off the timing for the others.

"Hyunjin!" Seungmin snapped, his voice cutting through the music like a whip.

Hyunjin froze, his frustration bubbling over. "What? I slipped. It happens!"

"It keeps happening," Seungmin retorted, stepping forward. "Maybe if you actually paid attention—"

"I am paying attention," Hyunjin interrupted, his tone defensive. "But it's kind of hard when you're breathing down my neck all the time."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you could get it right," Seungmin shot back, his eyes narrowing.

"Guys, stop," Chan said, his voice firm as he stepped between them.

But neither Hyunjin nor Seungmin was listening.

"You know what your problem is?" Hyunjin said, his voice rising. "You act like everything has to be perfect all the time. Newsflash, Seungmin, we're not robots!"

"And you act like nothing matters," Seungmin fired back. "Maybe if you took this seriously for once—"

"I do take it seriously!" Hyunjin yelled, his hands clenching into fists. "I care about this just as much as you do, but you don't see me tearing everyone down when things don't go perfectly!"

The room fell silent, the weight of Hyunjin's words hanging in the air. Seungmin's expression hardened, but there was a flicker of hurt in his eyes that he couldn't quite hide.

"I'm done," Seungmin said coldly, turning on his heel and walking out of the studio.

Hyunjin stood frozen for a moment before storming off in the opposite direction.

The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to say.

"Well," Felix said after a beat, his voice hesitant. "That went well."

Jisung sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Should we... go after them?"

"Give them space," Chan said, though his expression was tight with worry. "They need to cool off first."

—
Hyunjin ended up on the roof of the studio, the cold air biting at his cheeks as he paced back and forth. He replayed the argument in his head, the sharpness of Seungmin's words cutting deeper with each pass.

"What's wrong with him?" Hyunjin muttered to himself, kicking at an empty soda can. "Why does he have to be like this?"

But as the initial anger began to fade, guilt crept in to take its place. He couldn't shake the look in Seungmin's eyes before he left—the hurt he had tried so hard to hide.

Hyunjin sighed, leaning against the railing. "Why can't we just talk like normal people?"

—
Seungmin, meanwhile, had retreated to a nearby café, seeking solace in the quiet hum of conversation and the warmth of a cup of coffee. He sat in a corner booth, his notebook open in front of him, but his pencil remained still.

His argument with Hyunjin replayed in his mind, each word twisting like a knife. He hated the way his emotions had gotten the better of him, but more than that, he hated the truth behind Hyunjin's words.

"I'm such an idiot," Seungmin muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He had spent so much time trying to suppress his feelings for Hyunjin that he hadn't realized how much they were affecting him. And now, he had let those feelings spill out in the worst possible way.

—
It was Chan who finally stepped in, texting both Seungmin and Hyunjin to come back to the studio.

When they arrived, the rest of the group had gone home, leaving the two of them alone in the empty space. Chan stood by the door, his arms crossed.

"Talk," he said simply before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Seungmin and Hyunjin stood in awkward silence, neither willing to make the first move. Finally, Hyunjin sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look," Hyunjin said, his voice quieter than before. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Seungmin looked at him, surprised by the apology. "I... I'm sorry too. For snapping at you."

Hyunjin hesitated, then stepped closer. "But seriously, Seungmin, what's going on? You've been acting so... different lately. Did I do something to upset you?"

Seungmin opened his mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he blurted, "It's not you. It's me."

Hyunjin tilted his head, confused. "What does that mean?"

Seungmin took a deep breath, his hands clenching at his sides. "It means... I've been trying to push you away because... I like you, okay? More than I should."

Hyunjin's eyes widened, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Seungmin, mistaking his silence for rejection, quickly added, "I know it's stupid. You don't have to say anything. Just... forget I said anything."

"Hey," Hyunjin said softly, stepping closer. "It's not stupid. And... I like you too."

Seungmin looked at him, startled. "You do?"

Hyunjin smiled, a little shyly. "Yeah. I have for a while. I just didn't know how to say it."

Seungmin let out a shaky laugh, the tension in his chest easing for the first time in weeks. "Well, I guess we're both idiots then."

Hyunjin grinned. "Yeah, but at least we're idiots together."

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Hyunjin held out his hand. "Truce?"

Seungmin took it, his smile soft. "Truce."

—
By the time they left the studio, the weight of their earlier argument had lifted, replaced by a tentative sense of hope.

As they walked side by side down the quiet street, Hyunjin bumped Seungmin's shoulder lightly. "So... what now?"

Seungmin glanced at him, a small smile playing on his lips. "I guess we take it one step at a time."

Hyunjin nodded, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. "Sounds good to me."

———————

— A/N: Why is it so hard finding songs that would fit these chapters vibe like I'm struggling😭

— Recommended song for this chapter: "We Move Lightly" by Dustin O'Halloran