They opened the car door and placed him inside. "Poor baby, why is he so drunk," HwaYoung said, "teenagers, don't worry about it," JaeHwa said entering the car.
The car ride was filled with an uncomfortable silence, Jihoon slouched in the backseat, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol. HwaYoung glanced at him with concern while JaeHwa focused on the road. BaekHyeon couldn't help but shake his head, baffled by the sudden change in his usually composed and collected brother.
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The next morning the twins were up eating breakfast when TaeHyun suddenly walked in. "You guys are up early," he said as he walked to the kitchen. "We missed you last night Tae, where were you?" Baekhyeon asked, "I just spent the night with a friend, We were catching up." He replied looking at Jihoon who was busy eating his food.
"Did you sleep well last night baby?" He asked him placing his hands on his shoulders, Jihoon not looking at him nodded and said nothing. "Would you like something, Mrs. Min can make you something real quick." Hyeon suggested, "sure, I'm really out of energy I could use a little bite." He chuckled nervously.
Suddenly Jihoon got up stormed out of the kitchen and went up to his room. "He had a rough night." Hyeon awkwardly smiled as he nodded his head. "I'll go check on him," Tae Hyun said as he ran after him.
In the room Jihoon slipped on his shoes threw on a hoodie and grabbed his phone and car keys. As he was about to walk out Tae opened the door and walked in, "Are you okay?" He asked. "I'm fine, I just need you to leave me alone right now." He replied backing away from him.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, Jihoon took a deep breath and sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong, I'm just the dumb one who actually believed you when you said you loved me." He told him. "What do you mean?" "What I mean is that you are a filthy lair and a dirt cheater." He hissed. "So with that I'm done with everything that has to do with you, also I don't want to see you in my house when I come back." He firmly said as he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.
In the car, Jihoon slammed his head against the Steering wheel his breath getting heavier. He ran his fingers through his hair as he composed himself, he turned his car and drove off.
20 minutes later he was standing at Minji's door staring down at his phone. After a few seconds, he placed his phone in his pocket and knocked on the door. Seconds later Minji opened the door, his hair wet and his toothbrush in his mouth. "Jihoon!" He mumbled in surprise.
After cleaning up they sat on the couch Minji sitting on Jihoon's lap. Jihoon buried his face into Minji's chest and they sat there in silence for a good 4 minutes.
"Are you going to tell me why you showed up at my house at 8 in the morning?" He asked breaking the silence, Jihoon just stayed quiet with no reply. Minji sighed shaking her head, "Did you fight with your boyfriend or something?" He asked. Jihoon finally looked up at him and replied, "his not my boyfriend, we've been broken up for almost 3 years now." "So was he the guy you were crying about last night at the bar?" "I don't want to talk about it, let's just stay in silence for a moment please." He said as he went back to burring his face.
"Do you realize how shitty this is," "I don't want to sit here in silence with you Jihoon, it's making me uncomfortable." Minji burst out, "If I'm making you feel uncomfortable I can leave right now." He added, "No, I don't want you to leave. I want you to speak to me, talk to me, and let all you're feelings out." He remarked, "Please open your heart to me, I want to know what bothers you the most, what makes you happy, and what makes you cry." "I also want to be someone you value Jihoon, I want to hear all the stupid stories about your uncles, and all the silly stuff your siblings do to you." He stated as he stroked his cheek.
"So please just speak to me and tell me what's hurting you, I hate it when you're not you." He remarked as he kissed him. They passionately kissed their hands roaming each other's bodies. "I've missed you," Jihoon said in his soft husky voice as he hugged him tight.
As their passionate embrace continued, Jihoon and Minji found solace in each other's presence. The weight of Jihoon's heartbreak and the lingering pain seemed to ease in the warmth of Minji's arms.
Breaking the kiss, Minji gazed into Jihoon's eyes. "I've missed you too," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "But I want to understand what happened. You don't have to go through this alone."
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That same morning they laid in Minji's bed cuddling, as they laid in silence Minji ran his hands through Jihoon's hair gently to give him a sense of comfort.
"I'm really sorry, sorry for everything." Jihoon spoke up, "I'm sorry for treating you like trash, I'm sorry for breaking the promise, and very sorry for making you feel like shit whenever I come around." He stated.
"You deserve better then this, you deserve someone who treats you nice and care for you. Not someone like me who can't even figure out his feelings, I'm a mess and I just can't see what you see in me." He added
Minji held Jihoon tighter, pressing his forehead against Jihoon's. "Jihoon, stop. You don't need to apologize like this every time you feel lost or overwhelmed. I know you're going through a lot, and I'm not asking for perfection. I'm here because I care about you, even with all the mess you're carrying."
Jihoon's breath hitched, his eyes growing heavy with emotion as he stared at Minji. "But that's the thing, Minji. I don't want to drag you into this mess. You deserve someone who can give you more than these... moments."
Minji shook his head gently, his fingers still running through Jihoon's hair. "I'm here because I want to be. I'm not expecting you to have everything figured out, Jihoon. I just want to be part of your life, even if it's messy, even if it's complicated. Don't push me away thinking you're protecting me."
Jihoon's lips trembled, but he didn't know what to say. He had never felt like he was enough for anyone, not really. But here was Minji, always ready to listen, always ready to stay despite how many times he'd pushed him away.
"I don't know how to do this," Jihoon admitted quietly. "I don't know how to be the person you deserve."
"You don't have to be perfect," Minji replied softly, his fingers brushing Jihoon's cheek. "You just have to be honest—with yourself and with me. We'll figure it out together."
For the first time in a long time, Jihoon felt something other than the crushing weight of confusion and guilt. It wasn't relief, not yet, but it was something. He nodded slowly, resting his head on Minji's chest once again, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"Just promise me one thing," Minji whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "Whatever happens, don't shut me out. Don't carry it all alone."
Jihoon closed his eyes, the warmth of Minji's embrace giving him a fleeting sense of peace. "I promise," he whispered back.
As they lay there in the quiet of Minji's room, the storm that had been raging inside Jihoon began to calm, if only for a little while.
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At the Kim family house:
As TaeHyun was leaving the house Hyeon stopped him, he looked angry and annoyed. "Sorry but this doesn't belong to you!" He said grabbing the shopping bags full of new things out of TaeHyun's hands.
"What the heck are you talking about Hyeon, I bought those things myself!" TaeHyun rejoiced. "Like you have the money to buy this, even if you saved up for a whole life time you can't afford items like this." Hyeon scoffed.
"You can't just come around here play with my brothers heart and think that you can just leave with his stuff, go ask your little boyfriend for some money. Maybe he will spare you 100 won." He added as he walked inside the house.
"Please escort him out the gate, Gaurd Jeong heolmeoni won't like it if she found out a rag rat was in her yard."
TaeHyun's face flushed with anger and embarrassment as Hyeon's words hit him. He clenched his fists, trying to keep his composure as the security guard approached him.
"You know, Hyeon," TaeHyun said, his voice low but steady, "you can treat me like trash all you want, but that won't change the fact that Jihoon cared about me at one point."
Hyeon paused, giving TaeHyun a piercing glare. "Cared about you? Is that what you're telling yourself? You're nothing but a leech, TaeHyun. Jihoon was too kind for his own good, but he finally sees you for what you are. And now, you're done here."
TaeHyun bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to snap back. Instead, he glanced at the guard, who was standing by, waiting to escort him out. Realizing he had no choice, TaeHyun took a deep breath and turned to leave, but not without giving Hyeon one final glance.
"One day, Jihoon's going to see that you don't control him. And when that day comes, don't be surprised if he walks away from all of you," TaeHyun muttered before walking toward the gate.
Hyeon didn't flinch. He simply crossed his arms, watching TaeHyun's retreating figure with cold eyes. "Good riddance," he said under his breath as the gate closed behind TaeHyun.
As he turned to go back inside, Hyeon couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in his chest. He knew TaeHyun was trouble, but deep down, he also knew that Jihoon's emotions were fragile, and dealing with the aftermath of their toxic relationship was more complicated than he wanted to admit.
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That afternoon Minji's place:
"You've been here since morning, don't you think you should head out." I said as Jihoon clung to my back while cooking, "No, I'm spending the whole day with you." He replied.
"Don't you think your parents will get angry?" I asked, "I think they are to tired of giving me the same lectures everyday, so they will be fine." He replied.
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. Jihoon always had this way of shrugging off responsibility, especially when it came to his family. It was like he didn't care, or maybe he just didn't want to think about it too much. Either way, I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for keeping him here when I knew he probably had things to deal with at home.
"Still, you can't avoid them forever," I said, stirring the pot in front of me. "I mean, it's your family."
Jihoon sighed dramatically, his chin resting on my shoulder. "Minji, I've spent enough time getting yelled at. Can't I just have one day where I don't think about them?"
I couldn't argue with that. "Fine, but don't blame me when you're grounded or something."
He laughed softly, his breath warm against my neck. "I won't."
For a moment, we stood there in silence, the soft sounds of cooking filling the kitchen. There was something oddly peaceful about it—Jihoon clinging to me like I was his lifeline, and me pretending that this wasn't as complicated as it felt.
But I couldn't shake the nagging thought in the back of my mind. How long could we keep this up? How long could I be the one he ran to when everything else fell apart?
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He looked so relaxed, like this was where he wanted to be. But there was always that doubt, that question of whether I was enough for him—or if I was just another escape.
TBC