My Little Mermaid :: hyunin

chapter 11 :: i must confess

*mild language is used in this chapter

8:41 PM, July 25th

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Jeongin worried about it.

A lot.

Even though Hyunjin told him not to, Jeongin couldn't help but wonder what Hyunjin had been meaning to say.

Jeongin cursed his curiosity. It was in his nature to be constantly curious, and he'd never hated it quite as much as he had right now. It was eating him up wanting to know what Hyunjin needed to tell him, but every time Jeongin asked him what it was, Hyunjin would reply with the same four words.

"Don't worry about it."

That was the response to him asking each and every time since he was unable to tell Jeongin.

"Hyung, what did you have to tell me?" Jeongin asked, when the two of them were laying in Hyunjin's bed, both unable to sleep.

"Don't worry about it."

"Hyung, can you just tell me?" Jeongin asked, first thing the following morning as he jumped on Hyunjin, who was barely awake.

"Don't worry about it."

Even now, after the whole day went by, Hyunjin still wouldn't tell him. Jeongin played every trick he could to sneakily bribe Hyunjin into telling him—making him coffee, being nice and smiley all day, and practically waiting on him hand and foot. But nothing worked.

Naturally, Jeongjn was utterly sick of the suspense.

By now he'd known the route to the location where they typically swam. The same place where they met, and the same beach where Jeongin first saw Hyunjin when he still had a tail. Hyunjin could recognize when they were half-way to the destination, but didn't comment on it as Jeongin practically dragged him by the hand.

Hyunjin didn't say much at all, until they reached their destination, when Jeongin sat him down on the dock. The younger wore a face of determination and curiosity, which worried Hyunjin for several different reasons.

Jeongin sat the two of them down at the edge of the dock, both facing the water, as Hyunjin checked his phone screen out of a nervous habit. He still had the same number of notifications he had when he checked fifty-seven seconds ago—zero. Jeongin looked at Hyunjin, who had his focus on his phone.

Jeongin forced his hand onto the phone in Hyunjin's hand, yanking it from the older boy and placing it downward facing on the dock. "Pay attention." He signed, leaving Hyunjin wide-eyed in shock. Hyunjin could've scolded him for the abrupt sentence and intense gestures, but fiery frustration was beginning to etch itself into Jeongin's face.

"You've been avoiding my question. Just tell me what you were going to say! It's getting aggravating." Jeongin motioned, his frustration growing when Hyunjin bashfully turned his head towards the water, silent as he splashed his toes in the water. Jeongin's face twisted in agitation. He reached his hand over to grab Hyunjin's face by the chin, and forced the older boy to look at him.

Hyunjin hoped Jeongin couldn't sense him gulping against his fingertips.

Jeongin spent a good five seconds just staring at Hyunjin, making his point clear as Hyunjin sat there in shock.

"Talk to me." Jeongin signed slowly with his free hand, spelling out the words to draw out the sentence. Hyunjin nodded, thankful that the orange lights spilling from the setting sun and bouncing off of the calm water could conceal the peachy pink color painting his cheeks.