stars × cnblue kangminhyuk

7 : The Weight of a Lie

I felt Minhyuk smirking against my lips before he finally pulled away. My eyes widened in shock, but he just grinned like a fool, pressing his lips together as if to hold back laughter. I was sure my face was bright red.

"I didn't know my wife was bold enough to make the first move," he chuckled.

Shit. I cursed in my head in three different languages. My mom would probably be proud if she knew her daughter was suddenly multilingual—though definitely not in this situation.

"You planned this, didn't you?" I gritted my teeth. Minhyuk was extremely lucky that I was Han Hyojin—the type who didn't have the heart to hurt people—because otherwise he'd be six feet under the moment his lips touched mine. "That was my first kiss, idiot!"

"I didn't plan anything. I just wanted to unbuckle your seatbelt." He clicked the buckle free before giggling at me. "And if you call that a kiss, then that's my first too."

I let out a frustrated sigh, yanked open the car door, and stepped out, leaving him behind. But Minhyuk quickly caught up with me at the front gate, sliding his hand into mine.

"We wanted to seem real, right?" he said quietly, his fingers intertwining with mine.

Fine. He won this round. My parents couldn't know this relationship was fake—they would be too disappointed.

By the time my mother opened the gate, Minhyuk's hand was still warm around mine. I rushed to hug her, burying my face in her shoulder. Without warning, tears welled up.

"Aigoo, my daughter. Why are you crying?" Eomma patted my head gently.

I shook my head quickly, forcing a smile through my tears. She didn't need to know how much I was struggling inside.

"Omo, Hyojin-ah, is this Minhyuk?" she asked, adjusting her spectacles as she looked past me.

Minhyuk was already smiling and blushing furiously, like a boy meeting his future mother-in-law for the first time. Which... technically he was. My stomach twisted.

"Yes, eomma. This is Minhyuk." I grabbed his arm and linked it with mine, making us look more like a couple. Eomma's smile stretched from ear to ear.

"Aigoo, my son-in-law. Such a handsome young man. Come here, let me hug you."

I nearly choked on air as I watched my mom pull Minhyuk into her arms. He grinned like a child and let her pat his back.

"Nice to finally meet you, eomonim," he said.

What the hell? That was my mother. Why was he calling her mother so naturally?

"Come in, come in. Appa is in his room," she said, dragging Minhyuk inside by his arm. I trailed behind them, feeling like an outsider in my own family home.

"Eomma, when is unnie coming home?" I asked as she reappeared with a tray of drinks.

She smiled as she placed the tray down. "Oh, Hyunjoo said she'll come home for summer."

My chest ached with longing. Jung Hyunjoo, my sister, was two years older than Hoseok and currently working abroad in China in the broadcasting industry. I missed her terribly. If she were here, she'd definitely kick Minhyuk in the butt for dragging me into this mess.

"My daughter!"

"Appa!" I ran into his arms as my father came down the staircase, his smile wide and warm.

"I missed you, appa," I said, crying again as he patted my head with his familiar chuckle.

My bond with appa had always been special. While Hoseok was closer to eomma, I was his little girl.

"Omo, you even brought my son-in-law!" he teased, glancing at Minhyuk.

Minhyuk immediately stood up, bowing politely with that signature warm smile.

But then appa's expression shifted. Serious. Heavy.

"So," he said, sitting beside eomma, "you both owe us an explanation."

My heart stilled.

I looked at Minhyuk, panicking, but his calm gaze met mine. He gave a small nod, silently telling me: I'll handle this.

Minhyuk cleared his throat. "First of all, I'm Kang Minhyuk, drummer for CNBLUE." He paused to take a breath. "I want to apologize for the rumor. That night, we had a team dinner. Hyojin accidentally drank alcohol and got drunk. I didn't know her address, so I brought her to my condo. I'm sorry. Truly sorry."

He stood and bowed 90 degrees.

I jumped to my feet, bowing with him, my heart hammering as I braced for my parents' reaction.

But instead, they exchanged confused looks.

"What rumor?" Eomma asked, her hand flying to her chest.

Appa frowned. "We weren't asking about rumors. We wanted to know how you two ended up together."

My stomach dropped. Oh no. Oh my god. We just told them everything they didn't need to know.

Minhyuk laughed awkwardly, scratching his nape. "Ah—right, that! Well... we're still new. I only started feeling interested in her about a month ago, so I approached her. Turns out, she liked me too. So I thought it was time to meet her family, since I'm serious about her."

I nearly choked on my own spit. Serious about me? What the hell?

But appa and eomma's faces softened. They grinned at each other before turning to us.

"Approved," appa said with a firm nod.

⸻

Later that night, guilt gnawed at me. I lied to my parents, saying I was staying at a colleague's house until my internship ended. The truth? I had to stay at Minhyuk's place. Forgive me, appa and eomma. I promised myself I'd apologize properly once I got a stable job.

"You can put your clothes in my closet. Make yourself at home," Minhyuk said as he set my luggage down. His tone was strangely subdued, nothing like his usual playful self.

He wiped sweat from his pale face, forcing a weak smile. "I don't even know why I'm sweating this much. I'll shower first. Don't peek."

Rolling my eyes, I watched him grab a towel and disappear into the bathroom.

Whatever.

I stepped into his walk-in closet, and my jaw dropped. His clothes were perfectly arranged by color. Shirts, jackets, even his accessories—lined up like a boutique. No one would believe a man lived here alone.

After nearly forty minutes of struggling, I managed to squeeze my clothes into the tiny space left on the rack. Looking around, my gaze landed on a framed photo of a beautiful middle-aged woman. His mother. My chest softened a little. He had tucked her photo neatly here, hidden yet cherished.

I stepped back into the room—only to freeze.

Minhyuk was on his knees, palms pressed to the floor, head bowed. His brows were tightly furrowed, his body trembling.

For a moment, I hesitated. The towel hung low around his waist, his damp hair dripping onto his bare shoulders. My throat tightened.

"Minhyuk... are you okay?" I asked carefully, tapping his shoulder.

He forced a smile, sweat beading across his pale skin. "I'm... okay." He massaged his temples, his breath unsteady.

Before I could say anything else, his body suddenly lurched forward.

"Minhyuk!"

I tried to catch him, but he was too heavy. His weight pressed down on me as I stumbled back. My legs hit the edge of the bed, and in an instant—

We collapsed.

His damp skin against mine, his body slumped over me, completely unconscious.

My heart thundered in my chest as panic seized me.

"Minhyuk!" I shook him desperately, but he didn't move.

And in that breathless silence, the only sound was my heartbeat—and the terrifying thought that something was seriously wrong.