Echoes of the Alley

67 - Confessions in the Quiet Moments

The festival had marked a turning point for the group, but the aftershocks of change rippled in ways none of them had anticipated. Time had allowed their connections to deepen, and now, moments of uncertainty turned into clarity.

For Minho and Jisung, the cracks in their walls were finally starting to show.

—
It was a lazy Sunday morning. Jisung stirred awake in his room, sunlight spilling through the cracks in the curtains. The apartment was unusually quiet—Jeongin and Felix had gone out early, and Seungmin was still asleep. The silence should've been comforting, but for some reason, it made Jisung restless.

He wandered into the kitchen and found Minho leaning against the counter, a steaming mug in his hand.

"Morning," Jisung said, his voice groggy.

Minho glanced up, his expression softening. "Morning. Coffee?"

"Please," Jisung said, collapsing onto a chair at the table.

Minho set a mug in front of him before taking the seat across from him. The two sat in comfortable silence, the aroma of coffee filling the air.

"You're quiet," Minho finally said, studying Jisung.

"Just tired," Jisung replied, though his eyes darted toward Minho before looking down at his mug.

Minho raised an eyebrow. "Tired or overthinking?"

Jisung let out a small laugh. "Can't it be both?"

Minho smirked, but there was a softness in his gaze. "What's on your mind?"

Jisung hesitated, his fingers tracing the rim of his mug. "You ever feel like... you're on the edge of something, but you're too scared to take the next step?"

Minho tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah. A lot, actually."

Jisung glanced up, surprised by the honesty in Minho's voice. "Really?"

Minho nodded, his gaze steady. "I think everyone does at some point. But sometimes, you just have to take the risk. Otherwise, you'll never know what could've happened."

Jisung swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "What if you're not sure it's worth the risk?"

Minho's lips curved into a small smile. "If it's been on your mind this much, it probably is."

The conversation lingered in Jisung's mind long after Minho left the kitchen.

—
Later that afternoon, Jisung found himself in the living room with Felix. Jeongin was sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone, while Seungmin was tucked in a corner, reading a book.

Felix nudged Jisung, who was unusually quiet. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing," Jisung said quickly, though the way his knee bounced betrayed his nerves.

Felix raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "This doesn't look like 'nothing.' Spill."

Jisung sighed, glancing around to make sure the others weren't paying attention. "It's Minho."

Felix's face lit up, but he kept his voice low. "Go on."

"I think... I think I might like him. Like, really like him," Jisung admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Felix grinned. "And this is news how? Everyone can see it, Ji."

"Thanks for the subtlety," Jisung muttered, his cheeks flushing.

Felix's grin softened into a reassuring smile. "Look, I've seen the way he looks at you. You're not imagining things. But you're never going to know for sure unless you talk to him."