FAN ACCOUNT | yungi

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 18

 Stop thinking you're alone in this, because you're not. In the ocean of people that love you, there are pearls hidden, and we are those pearls. You just have to remember we're there every once in a while —are you crying?

- Park Seonghwa, conversation with Song Mingi

♫♪.ılılıll|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llılılı.♫♪

It took Seonghwa his entire willpower —and a leg— to not break down. It took Seonghwa his entire dignity —and an arm— to maintain a careless expression. It took Seonghwa his entire strength —and a hand— to act unbothered. Because the moment Mingi stepped foot in the building, he knew he'd have to be a pillar for the rapper to lean on.

The sight of the building ignited terror in Mingi, Seonghwa noticed, and it was the reason why Seonghwa had delayed the rapper's return in the first place. He wanted to avoid this. Exactly this. Though Mingi had acted perfectly fine at home, Seonghwa knew returning to the place that brought such pain wouldn't be easy. And by the looks of it, he was right. Ever since they'd left the car, Mingi's grip on Seonghwa's arm hadn't loosened; quite the opposite, actually. Seonghwa didn't dare complain about the lack of blood circulation. Because not only did Mingi have to deal with the crashing down of memories, but also the paparazzi's lack of empathy and, in this case, the worry of fans. Seonghwa did everything in his power to protect Mingi from the public eye, and thankfully, some guards came to his aid, acting as unbreakable walls to avoid any injuries.

And though Mingi waved at the fans, flashing a handsome smile that would most likely be all over the media in a few seconds, Seonghwa didn't miss the frightened glimmer in his eyes, the constant biting of his lip, the trembling of his arm, the sweat of his hands. And if he thought being inside would be any better, he thought wrong, for the trembling worsened, and Seonghwa noticed Mingi's soft tugs, as if he wanted to stray the manager from the path to their destination. It took Seonghwa so much strength to keep moving forward, even if all he wanted to do was take Mingi back home and let him rest.

"Hyung, please, don't leave me alone," Mingi had whispered, tightly gripping Seonghwa's arm. And Seonghwa promised himself that he wouldn't.

At Seonghwa's request, two guards accompanied them from the entrance to the meeting room, which is where they'd be staying for the next two hours, discussing matters between themselves and, if they were unlucky, JQ's CEO. Don't get him wrong, Dongsik, JQ's CEO, is a likable boss, always prioritizing his artists' and trainees' health over anything. But Seonghwa didn't feel like Mingi was ready for such a heavy conversation with his boss out of all people, which is why he reserved a spot in the rapper's schedule, two hours before his dance practice, to talk. Just talk. It won't be Song Mingi, the idol, and Park Seonghwa, the manager. It'll be Mingi and Seonghwa, two friends that are slowly strengthening their bond. Seonghwa mentally prepared himself to bite back all remarks that appeared in his tongue.

The moment the two sat down, the guards stationed themselves outside the room, Mingi instantly relaxed, and Seonghwa sighed deeply at the lack of danger.

"Finally," Mingi breathed. He closed his eyes and fell back on the chair, "I thought I'd never make it."

"It was a 30 second walk." Well, there goes his attempt at biting back the remarks.

To Seonghwa's surprise, Mingi chuckled, though not as nonchalantly as usual. "Felt longer to me, I guess. Should've taken your advice on staying home a while longer."

This time, Seonghwa did bite back the remark, not wanting to make Mingi feel more miserable than he looked. Instead, he cleared his throat, sat on the chair in front of Mingi, and placed his elbows on the table. Although he felt the rapper's questioning eyes on him, Seonghwa didn't let it bother him; he had too many thoughts in his mind, and if he wished to take advantage of their limited time alone, he had to order them. Preferably in alphabetical order.