spilled milk ° lee seokmin

16

Seokmin had offered to walk with Inhyung home since she was heading the same way as him and Heeyun. Sensing the atmosphere between the two Heeyun slowly started trailing behind to allow them to speak freely without having to worry about her.

"Everything going well?" Seokmin asked, his tone kept light. Inhyung simply nods her head not even letting Seokmin finish his question, Seokmin didn't mind it easily to show her it didn't affect him when it only caused him to become more curious. "What about work? Are you still doing well at the ddeukbokki shop?"

She let out a soft sigh as her expression changed. "I quit not to long ago," he didn't pester her to continue even though he was still curious, instead he waited patiently until she began speaking again. "The schedule they gave me started to interfere with school and decided it was not worth it."

"Well hopefully you'll find a better job, right?" He asked, his time now uplifting. She sighs and nods again, Seokmin's brows furrowed in confusion. Momentarily they walked in silence up the steep path, the sound of their footsteps providing ambiance. "I know this isn't my place to be asking, but us everything alright?"

"I just have a lot on my plate at the moment." She confessed, her eyes adverting to the ground. Although his gaze towards her still lingered he didn't let her notice when she looked back up at him, his eyes quickly finding something else to look at.

"I'll just meet you back at home." Heeyun hastily whispers to him prior to disappearing, Seokmin glancing behind him only to realize he had past his house already. He looks back to Inhyung, her own gaze fixed on Heeyun.

"You can go in as well," Inhyung stated. "I'll be fine going on my own." Without further speaking, Inhyung began to walk away from Seokmin as he stood dazed and at lost for what he wanted to do. He makes sure Heeyun goes in safely prior to jogging back to Inhyung, her feet kicking the rocks beneath her as she continues to walk. She's surprised to see Seokmin by her side, his smile trying to mask the heavy breathing from the quick jog.

"I don't mind," Seokmin says in between small pants, Inhyung cocking an eyebrow at him. "I really shouldn't have dropped physical ed." he mutters under his breath. Once he regains his normal breathing pattern the two engage in a conversation, the mood between them different compared to their prior conversation.

The small street lights illuminate the dark and dreary street, the sounds of crickets and other small bugs filling in for the silence that consumed their conversation. Inhyung stops in front of a small gate once they've turn into a quaint neighborhood, her body turned to face him. She says her goodbyes before unlocking the gate, Seokmin standing there awkwardly as he waits for her to go in.

He contemplates for a brief second before he makes his decision, his teeth chewing at his bottom lip as she looks at him with a waiting expression.

"I don't mean to pester you, but are you alright?" His eyes shift to her wrist, Inhyung pulling her sleeves even lower while her expression resembles Seokmin's. She doesn't say anything nor react in any way which leads Seokmin closing his eyes as a sigh slips past his lips. When he opens his eyes he sees her head rested in her hands and her small frame hunched over. Seokmin closes the gap between the two and pulls her into a hug, her tears staining his shirt. His hands rub against her back as he tries to sooth her which only caused her to cling tighter to him. His head rests against hers in attempt to comfort her even more, he's surprised to see that it actually works. After a couple minutes of holding her, Inhyung's breathing returns back to normal as she pulls away from the hug, her cheeks still tear stained. In that moment he wanted to hold her even longer and tell her how everything will be okay, without realizing how close his lips lingered near her's. He was about to do something but the sound of the gate opening had him quickly pull away. His eyes widen when he saw the figure beyond the gate, his face going pale.

"Seungcheol?"