ＴＨＥ ＯＴＨＥＲ ＯＮＥ

23

jisung was sitting on his bed, his hands caressing the guitar's strings. he just came back from his school activities, and this was the only thing he could think about.
right now, he was trying to figure out the perfect rhythm to go along to the song he wrote during math class.

suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"come in!"
jisung yelled, not really giving it much thought.
it definitely wasn't junho, because he never knocked, so it would either be his parents or maybe a maid.

but nothing could prepare him for the sight.
the door opened, and in the doorframe stood junho, and right behind him...minho.

jisung's eyes widened, his entire body tense.
what...what was happening?

he tried to come up with a sentence, lie, or do something, but junho stopped every single thought of his.

"he knows jisung."
he sighed.

jisung's eyes met with minho's.
his eyes were empty, emotionless.

jisung looked away, unable to look minho in the eyes for a second longer.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone so you could talk."
junho said, before walking past minho, closing the door behind him.

for a few moments, minho and jisung were surrounded by silence.
I mean...what could you say in this situation?

then, minho slowly started walking towards jisung's bed.
"may I?"
he asked quietly, pointing to the empty spot on the bed.

jisung blinked, before nodding.

minho sat down, his every move cautious.
only twenty minutes ago, he found out that the person who he thought had an amazing connection with wasn't who he thought he was.
but now, the only thing that was on his mind was to not make the younger uncomfortable.

"so...you were the one I met on the blind date, huh? han jisung."
minho asked, slowly looking at the said boy.

jisung looked down, as he stared playing with his fingers. minho calling him by his real name was something so...unusual.
and yet, it felt so good.
"mhm."

"can you...I don't know, prove it?"
minho asked.
"that it's really you?"

looking up, jisung finally could see emotions behind those eyes.
hurt, confusion.
all minho wanted was answers.
and jisung was going to give him just that.

he moved slightly putting a strain of his hair behind his ear, showing minho a familiar scar.

minho closed his eyes for a split second, letting out a quiet relieved sigh.
"so it is you."

"yeah....me."
jisung said, the guilt eating him up.
"I-I'm sorry, for everything."

"how did this even happen in the first place?"
minho asked.

jisung looked down.
"my...brother, is reckless. he's wild party animal, but since he's the older twin and favorite one, he's going to inherit the group. my parents wanted him to calm down. they couldn't name someone that spend his entire day smoking weed and partying as the new head of the group, so they figured out that finding him a boyfriend would be the best thing to do."
he started.
"junho didn't like that. he asked me to step in for the date. I told him he was crazy, but he kept convincing me. at the end he paid me money and gave me four chocolates, so I agreed. it was supposed to be a one time thing. my only job was to make you uncomfortable and act so you wouldn't like me, and that would throw our mom and dad off junho's back for a while. but I didn't do it properly, and you asked to meet the second time. junho told me that it was my responsibility to go on the dates now, since I fucked up the plan."
jisung closed his eyes, his head hanging low.
"I'm so, so sorry. if I knew what it would cause, I would have never agreed to it in the first place."

minho didn't say anything.
he was just staring on the floor.

few moments went by, and jisung's anxiety skyrocketed.
"please say something."
he whispered.

"so you sold me out for money and four fucking chocolates?"
minho said, looking up.

jisung immediately shook his head.
"n-no! it wasn't like that-"

"how long have we been going out on dates? on how many dates we have been? how many nights did we spend calling and texting? and you're telling me that all this time, you were lying about who you are, and used me to keep your parents out of your brother's back about dating?"
minho got up, clearly angry.
"this is fucking messed up jun- jisung!"

jisung hugged his knees.
"I know. I felt so guilty. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't bring myself to. I had no idea what would happen if mom and dad find out."
he said.

"this doesn't change a thing!"
minho said, grabbing his hair in frustration.
"what am I to you? A fucking pawn in your twisted game how to get the group?"

"n-no, of course not-"

"and what would happen when your brother gets the group? would you toss me to the side and pretend I didn't exist? that all this time we spend together was nothing?"

"no!"
jisung got up.
"I didn't want to use you minho."

"oh you didn't? but you fucking did!"
minho said his eyes burning.
"I loved spending time with you. I liked you as a person, and cared about you. but you know what? I don't think I ever want to see you again."

that hurt jisung more then he would like to admit.
"minho please. can you just listen to me? I-"

"I think I have listened enough, and found out where I stand."
minho said, suddenly all calm.
"you don't care about me, so why should I? everything was fake. everything was yours and your brother's twisted game. and im not gonna be used."

jisung wanted to say something, but his throat was dry. he wasn't able to say anything, and his heart was about to burst.
"m-minho..."

"I'm gonna tell my parents that it didn't work out between us, so they won't send us on another date. I'm not gonna tell them about what you two have been doing all along."
minho said, his eyes emotionless.
"have a nice life, jisung."

"minho, wait!"
jisung wanted to stop him, but minho was already out of his room, the door closed behind him.