Disenchanted (Completed)

1 . 0

7 years later

The café was quiet. But it wasn't something out of ordinary. Minho had taken a seat on their reserved table, though they didn't really have to reserve anything. Once he was settled, he pulled his phone and pushed the power button. The screen grew to life as it displayed an image of Minho's adopted kittens. He used his thumb to swipe the lockscreen to the left, pushing the gallery app with his finger on the screen.

Videos of his students' performance of their choreography were kept in one album and Minho just wanted to check them once more before he submit his report to the head of the dance department. Lots of the kids were talented, Minho thought. They were fast learners unlike Minho, when he was just their age. He had to practice harder than the others before, he kept struggling with his feet and couldn't seem to move them in sync with his arms.

He had to say, those times were the worst. But all those practice paid off. Now he was a dance teacher, he once considered becoming a trainee but the passion of teaching kids who were struggling, like him before, overpowered.

"Always the punctual one, huh?" Minho perked up to the voice, he settled his eyes on the man at the counter.

"Ah, it's just you, Woojin," The man smiled at him fondly and then leaned on the counter as if he was about to strike a conversation with Minho. He wouldn't mind it though, Woojin was a great person, but Minho would always prefer if people just wouldn't talk to him. Putting his phone down on the table, he added, "Someone has to, I suppose."

"Did they tell you why they wanted to hang out today?"

"No, do you know? I didn't mind asking them because... It's them."

"Someone's coming back," Woojin's smile widened even more. Minho's heart abruptly stopped beating for a moment, not entirely hoping it was someone he wanted to expect. "Actually, Seungmin's back home already and the guys are running late because they wanted to pick Jisung up from the airport."

Oh.

"Really? That's great news," Minho tried to laugh off his disappointment. "At least, you get to spend some time with your brother before we snatch him away."

Woojin laughed at this. Then the bells chimed lightly as the door opened, welcoming someone in. Minho averted his eyes from the older and took a look who entered the café.

"Seungmin, you're here," Woojin called, seemingly enthusiastic about his little brother finally taking a visit to their family's small café. Seungmin gave him a smile for a moment before spotting Minho on a table. Minho lifted a hand to send the younger a small wave and an awkward smile, it had been years since they have talked to each other. He couldn't help, but feel slightly uncomfortable around Seungmin. Not to mention they weren't really that close when Felix introduced them to each other. They didn't mix well, that is. Minho couldn't pinpoint the reason to it though.

"Hey," Seungmin greeted softly and settled himself across Minho's seat. He grew up handsomely, Minho thought. Seungmin's baby face looked so hard at the moment, he looked... Matured. His skin got a bit tan and his shoulders grew broad. 

"Hey," Minho said, having no clue what to talk about with the guy. They fell silent, too silent for Minho's liking. He began to tap his foot on the floor in sync with the soft music that played through the café's speakers. Minho went back to his phone and then played the video he was checking awhile ago.

He noticed Seungmin leaning in and opening his mouth, but said nothing. So Minho looked up to meet the other's eyes, which were looking at him warily. "What's wrong?" he had asked.

Seungmin cleared his throat. "I don't know if I should talk about this with you."

Minho was suddenly intrigued at the statement. Now his bafflement sent him leaning, like Seungmin did, across the table. "Tell me."

But instead of speaking up, Seungmin fished for his phone inside his hoodie's pocket and looked through it once he pulled it out. Minho waited, but didn't anticipate what was about to be revealed. He had no idea what this was about. Heck, he didn't even know what this was.

Seungmin gripped his phone, giving Minho a look. Minho tilted his head in confusion. "Have you been surfing through the internet?" the other had asked.

Minho chuckled, "Not really, it's quite a distraction for my work if I ever did."

But Seungmin's vexing stare did not falter and Minho knew it was something serious that he stopped laughing. Finally, Seungmin handed him his phone which had a website open with an article. Minho wrapped the phone in his hold and looked at the screen. The English letters big and bold of, which looked like, a foreign headline.

"The heir of Bang Enterprises, Christopher Bang, is to be betrothed to Governor Roth's only daughter, Kori Roth."

Below was an image of him, dressed in an expensive-looking suit and hair, that was dyed in a healthy brown shade, styled up—not a single fringe on his forehead. Beside him was a beautiful foreign woman with natural orange hair that was tied up in a tight bun. She was wearing a suit that contradicted his black ones and a pencil skirt that stopped at her knees. Her face was painted with a small smile, but it gave Minho a feeling it was forced.

And his—Chan's face gave no emotion. He clearly was not enjoying the event which Minho assumed was a conference. Judging by the number of businessmen around the couple, Chan was one of them. He had become a man that holds much power in terms of position.

And Minho had no idea what to feel about this.

"Are you okay, Min?" He heard Seungmin asked, but Minho ignored the latter. Still scrolling through the entire article, though not really reading it. He was trying to process it all before reacting. He was trying to look for the familiar unpleasant feeling inside him to gush throughout his body. But it didn't. He felt numb—nothing. As if he wasn't fazed by the news.

Or was he still trying to hold his emotions back in?

Just then, the doors of the café bursted open and the loud uproar of their friends filled the quiet place. Jisung walked in with his arms spread out to hug the familiar scene of Woojin's shop. Hyunjin was yelling at him to be more discreet in public because it was embarrassing to watch him go all out like this. Felix was clinging onto Changbin with a wide smile as they waved at Seungmin and Minho's direction.

Minho let out a shaky breath that he realized he was holding in. With a fond smile, he gave Seungmin his phone back and said, "Disenchanted or not, I don't care as long as I have you, guys."