𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡.. 𝐻𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑖𝑛 𝑥 𝑀𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑜

십오•

Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

The faint glow filtering through the curtains casts a soft, muted light in the room, illuminating particles of dust that dance in the air like tiny, suspended flakes of static electricity. The atmosphere is thick with an unsettling stillness; it's a silence that weighs heavily on the chest, stirring unease rather than tranquility.

Minho is seated on the opposite side from me, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, a clear indicator of the tension that hangs heavy in the air. His intense gaze pins me in place, unblinking and unwavering, as we linger in a thick silence that stretches between us, thickening the atmosphere with unspoken words.

"You shouldn't be here," I say, my voice steady yet quivering just beneath the surface. The words hang in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. "You already left, what's the point?" I watch as his jaw tightens, a rigid line of determination etched on his face. His throat constricts, each breath a struggle as he grits his teeth, caught between the past and the present, unable to articulate the turmoil brewing inside him.

"I didn't mean to leave like that," he says, his voice laced with regret. "I just... something came up." He mumbled the last words, his gaze fixed on me, the weight of his disappointment hanging in the air between us. The raw honesty in his eyes told a deeper story, one of urgency and unspoken emotions, as the tension of the moment wrapped around us like a thick fog.

I let out a brief, humorless laugh that hung in the air like a fleeting shadow. "That's what everyone says—'Something came up,'" I replied, my voice laced with a chilling detachment. The weight of disappointment settled in my chest as I continued, "You could've at least sent a text, Minho. I was holding onto hope, though deep down, I feared you might..." My words faltered, trailing off into the silence, leaving the unspoken fears hanging between us.

He inhaled deeply, his gaze locked onto mine as if trying to shield himself from the world around us. "It wasn't you," he spoke softly, each word weighted with sincerity. "It wasn't anything you did. I just needed to confront some personal matters—things that I couldn't continue to push aside." His expression carried the heaviness of unspoken burdens, revealing the inner turmoil he had been grappling with.

I studied him intently, my brow furrowed as I searched his face for any hint of authenticity beneath his carefully crafted facade. "You make it sound as though you were left without a choice," I said, my voice laced with skepticism.

He moves closer, the air between us simmering with echoes of last night's intimacy. The warmth of his presence sends a shiver down my spine. "I didn't have a choice," he begins, his voice low and earnest, each word carefully chosen. "I would have stayed if that personal stuff hadn't happened." His gaze holds mine, searching for understanding in the depths of my hesitation.

"I didn't think it would affect you this much," he said, running a hand through his hair. The words lingered for a second too long. I freeze, something ugly curling in my chest before anger finally breaks through. The way he says it, casual, almost offhand like this wasn't a big deal. Like I wasn't.

"What do you mean you didn't think?" I mutter, pushing myself to my feet. My voice shakes despite my effort to steady it. "Why did you even have to think about how it would affect me?" I look at him, confusion bleeding into something sharper. "It should've been obvious."

He exhales sharply, his jaw tightening as he looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. "That's not what I meant," he says, voice strained but controlled. "I wasn't saying you don't matter. I just-" he stops, rubbing at the back of his neck like he's searching for the right words. "I didn't expect things to get so...intense," he continues, quieter now.