spaces | c.h.w + l.m.h

四

Hyungwon lay on the hotel bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His chest felt heavy, the weight of the night still pressing down on him.

Tears stung his eyes. His throat tightened.

"Why does this hurt so much, Joo?" he whispered.

Jooheon, sitting on the edge of the bed, glanced over for what felt like the tenth time. "How did it go?" he asked softly, though he already knew the answer.

Hyungwon inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut. "He acted like... like the first time we met," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know what to do. My feelings were everywhere." He let out a shaky breath, his lips trembling. "I really do love him, Joo... but after his explanation..."

He trailed off, his voice breaking into a small, strangled sob.

Jooheon's expression softened. "What about his explanation?" he asked gently.

Hyungwon sniffled, blinking back fresh tears. "He seemed so... self-centered," he muttered, almost as if he hated saying it out loud. "That's not the Minhyuk I know..."

Jooheon silently grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and carefully wiped the tears from Hyungwon's cheeks. His thumb lingered for a moment, a silent reassurance.

"It'll be okay," Jooheon promised softly. "I swear it will."

Just then, Jooheon's phone buzzed against the nightstand. He glanced down.

Minhyuk.

Jooheon's stomach tightened. For a brief moment, he considered ignoring it. But with a heavy sigh, he reluctantly stood and stepped out onto the balcony, closing the sliding door behind him.

"Is he okay?" Minhyuk's voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

Jooheon let out a bitter chuckle. "No," he answered bluntly. "He's currently crying. Again."

There was a pause. The soft hum of traffic below filled the silence.

"But... I need to tell you something," Jooheon said, lowering his voice. "And it stays between us, okay?"

"Go for it," Minhyuk replied, stifling a yawn.

Jooheon exhaled slowly, his chest tightening. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the balcony railing.

"I like Hyungwon," he confessed simply, his voice flat, emotionless.

There was a sharp inhale on the other end of the line.

"...Why did you tell me?" Minhyuk finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jooheon let out a hollow laugh. "I have no one else to tell," he muttered.

"You should tell him," Minhyuk said softly, a faint smile tugging at his voice.

"Why?" Jooheon scoffed. "He said he still loves you."

Minhyuk was quiet for a moment. Then he exhaled softly.

"He needs to see I'm not the only one out there," he murmured.

Jooheon frowned, his grip tightening on the railing. "Why do you sound sad?"

There was a long pause before Minhyuk answered, his voice barely audible.

"...Don't tell him, but I think some old feelings came back."

Before Jooheon could respond, the line went dead.

Jooheon stared at his phone, blinking in disbelief.

"That was an unexpected turn of events," he muttered under his breath, still processing Minhyuk's words.

With a heavy sigh, he slipped his phone into his pocket and walked back inside.

Hyungwon glanced up from where he lay on the bed, eyes still red-rimmed.

"He just texted me," he said softly, holding up his phone.

Jooheon froze. "Really? What did he say?"

Hyungwon's eyes narrowed slightly. He scoffed bitterly, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"He said he still loves me." His lips twisted into a hollow smile. "I told him to stop contacting me."

Jooheon frowned. "You can't ignore him forever," he cautioned. "He might be serious, Hyungwon."

Hyungwon shook his head, turning his face away. "I'm serious too," he muttered.

Later that night, Jooheon slipped out to meet up with some old friends, leaving Hyungwon alone in the hotel room.

Hyungwon sat in bed, absently scrolling through his phone, barely paying attention. His fingers hovered over Minhyuk's message, rereading it over and over.

"I still love you."

He tossed his phone aside, burying his face in his hands.

The hours ticked by slowly. Hyungwon stared at the dim ceiling, his mind clouded with memories he wished he could forget.

His phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen.

Minhyuk:
I want to see you tomorrow.

Hyungwon stared at the message, his fingers trembling slightly.

For a fleeting moment, he considered ignoring it. Blocking his number. Pretending it never came.

But as much as he didn't want to see Minhyuk again, a small, stubborn part of him still did.

Still wanted answers.
Still wanted to hold onto the boy he once loved.
Still wanted to look into his eyes and see if there was anything left.

With a heavy sigh, he rolled over and pulled the covers up to his chin.

He closed his eyes, silently willing himself to fall asleep.

He knew tomorrow would be hell.