Let's Stop!

Chapter 2: The Last Time

They were on stage once again. The stadium was filled with their loving fans as they performed songs after songs.

Chenle is on his piano just like last time while they enthusiastically sang "Best Friend".

It was now Jisung's turn to melodiously ask Chenle the iconic conversation they have at the ending part. He stood there with the dream members smiling at him, mic in front of his mouth.

Nothing,

no voice came out.

A tear fell before he passed out.

When he woke up, he was already inside his shared bedroom. He gazed at the IV drip adjacent to him, pretending to be fascinated at the slow drops of the clear liquid.
He heard a door creak, turning towards it he saw Jaemin come in.

"Jisung..." The older now sat on the edge of the bed right next to the younger.

"Hyung... why are you crying?" Jisung asked as Jaemin placed a hand on his shoulder wailing by his side.

"Jisung d-don't hold it in. If you want someone to listen to you, tell me. It hurts my heart too you know. Do you think that when my child is in pain I won't know? Do you think that I would not notice how you are cheerful on cam and outside with the members but once we're home, you won't talk, you won't laugh, you won't even flinch that time I scared you." The older complained, clutching on Jisung's deltoids.

"Jaemin, I feel like I've exhausted all that I have so that outside, our fans and the members, won't notice the gap between me and Chenle... That's why here I... I just don't have the energy anymore." He confessed this to the older while staring off into space.

"Do you like him? And not just as a best friend. I mean... Why do you protect him this much, that you're willing to give up your own sanity for it."

Jisung backed away from Jaemin's hold. Looking at the older, hundreds of thoughts came rushing through his mind. This is not the first time that that question popped inside his brain. In fact, he was struggling to answer that himself. Well at least up to this point. When he heard the older asked him, the answer was clear.

"Hmm..." He nodded.
"I do."

Jaemin hugged the younger.
"I know what you feel... Look at me and Jeno. I'm so scared of getting out of the friendzone that I'm stuck in it."

A hand retreated from the handle, the words he just heard made him take a few steps back.
"What the?"

Jaemin went outside the room, closing the door behind him, his eyes caught by the person standing beside it.

"Ch-Chenle how long have you been there." He spoke in a hushed tone even though his insides are panicking.

"Enough to hear all of it." The younger mumbled.

"Let's talk hyung." He uttered before walking away towards the empty kitchen.

"Chenle..."

"I'll talk first ok? If you're worried about what you said about Jeno... Don't worry I won't blab about it. About what Jisung said..." He paused while he fixed his gaze on the counter.

"You can tell him, he can stop looking out for me. I don't care what other people would say." He sighed observing Jaemin's look of concern.

"Don't you... Don't you feel the same way as he does?" The older can't help but ask the most important question for him.

The younger shook his head at this.
"No... I just see him as my best friend."
Running his fingers though his hair he continued,
"Now, I'll be uncomfortable when I see him."
He ruffled his hair in frustration.

"I'm going home. It seems he's okay now."
With that, he left Jaemin standing there not knowing how to deal with the situation.

Days have passed and Jaemin finally plucked out the courage to tell Jisung what Chenle said.

"It's not like I can hurt anymore than this hyung." That's what his reply was.
It turns out he was wrong.
It was more devastating than ever.

They are now preparing for their next comeback that Jisung did all that he can to just focus on the practice and not bother Chenle anymore. That's the heartbreaking part of non-mutual feelings. The way in just an instant you become strangers.

Chenle noticed this... He noticed how Jisung distances himself and not interact more than what's necessary.

"What was I expecting? This is what I wanted right?"