RED | nyukyu ✓

thirty six

"don't touch him," chanhee said as his aunt was about to take a closer look of changmin, the dancer moving away immediately. "and you know what?" they all stared at him, their eyes piercing into his soul and accusing him, framing him, for everything that had happened years ago when he was a mere child.

he felt his breath hitch, his eyes watery as he tried to bury his fear. his hand instinctively reached up to his collar, taking hold of the red rose pin that his grandmother had given him while the other remained intertwined with changmins'.

"i never caused any of this to happen — you all did." chanhee forced himself to meet them all eye to eye, forced himself to see the hatred they carried towards him. "i wasn't the one who mistreated her simply because she was, as you guys called it, below dad's league. i wasn't the one who constantly criticized her for every single thing she did, disregarding the fact that she could've been right too. i wasn't the one who looked down on my mom's side of the family all because they came from the countryside. i wasn't the one who paid other girls to seduce dad into leaving her. i wasn't the one who verbally and physically abused her — i had no part in any of that. but most importantly-" chanhee felt the tears fall, his relatives stunned by his words. "-after dad died, i was the only one there for her when grandma couldn't be. i was the only one who cared about how she felt instead of blaming yet another innocent person for a death and mind you, i was a child. yet, you all act as though you have the right to call me a murderer?" the tears wouldn't stop falling, his voice shaking but he knew he had to keep speaking since he had already ignited that flame.

"how could you pretend to care now with all your festivities when you weren't even bothered to visit us once after dad died? you all encouraged her to do it — you gave her the knife and egged her on and you have the audacity to act innocent for years and continue blaming the kid?"

with changmin by his side, all the words he wanted to say fell out of his mouth, removing a heavy burden he hadn't realised he had been carrying for years.

"you discouraged me from being happy for years. hell, you all discouraged me and beat my self-esteem until it was nothing and i became reliant on hiding behind masks but guess what?" chanhee glanced at changmin, the latter placing a hand behind his back as if to encourage him to go on. "i don't want to hide anymore," he said, his voice distinctively softer and gentler than before and although his face was stained with tears and he knew he looked like an utter mess behind the mask, he took it off revealing a small smile.

"you...you little...you disrespectful brat!" his aunt yelled.

"you should see him at school — he's a real sunshine," changmin said, earning a soft laugh out of chanhee. "now excuse us please," changmin said, pushing them away as they made their way to the room which held their urns.

"hey mom, hey grandma, i brought someone today," chanhee said calmly, placing the flowers he had brought by their urns followed by changmin who had brought some as well.

"hello! i'm ji changmin!" he said, bowing politely before their pictures before turning to the picture of his mom. "thank you for bringing such a wonderful person into the world ma'am! i will do my best to take care of him for you!" chanhee couldn't help but smile at his boyfriend, not even bothered to question his actions anymore.

he turned to the photo of his grandma next. "thank you for giving chanhee that pin ma'am! without it, i would've never found him so really, thank you for bringing him into my life!"

"that's sappy," chanhee commented. "they would've loved you," he said softly, sitting down on the bench before their urns.

changmin followed suit, chanhee resting his head on his shoulder the second he sat down. "i'm sorry by the way. that just now must've been a lot for you too-"

changmin shook his head, locking fingers with chanhee. "thank you for showing me your family," he said, gently tucking strands of hair behind chanhee's ear.

chanhee shut his eyes, picturing how the two who had raised him up would've reacted towards changmin, his smile widening at the thought of them all fighting to spend more time with the dancer boy.

"hey ji-" changmin hummed in response. "i..." he couldn't bring himself to say the next two words, his voice getting stuck in his throat. with a sigh, he looked away from changmin. "you're my happiness ji and i-"

he heard changmin laugh next to him, the same laugh that gave chanhee a rush of adrenaline.

"don't force yourself to say anything," changmin said, rubbing circles on the back of chanhee's hand.

chanhee shook his head slightly, thinking of the words he wanted to say. "i owe you a lot ji because without you by my side today, i really wouldn't have been able to stand up to them."

"that was all you though!" changmin said with a slight pout. "and, i'm sure your mom and grandma are very proud of you — i'm proud too!" he gave chanhee a toothy grin. "does that mean you'll stop wearing the mask now?"

"maybe but then once i do, you should get ready for some competition because i'm going to steal that campus prince title from you," chanhee joked.

with a frown, changmin hit his head. "you can't be campus prince."

"why not?"

"because you're my prince," changmin huffed, crossing his arms. "you shouldn't be anyone else's prince."

"possessive much?" he teased, nevertheless patting changmins' head as he stood up. "we can leave through the backdoor and also, i know that i'm your prince ji so rest assured."

"you sure?" changmin asked, standing up and following chanhee out of the building, the sun greeting them once they got out.

"i wouldn't want to be anyone else's prince," chanhee said, the smile returning to changmins' face as they made their way back to the university.

ᵕ̈♡˳೫˚∗

author's note:
the chap itself was 1574 words im so sorry its so long 😭😭 but anyways, happy 2022! im late to greet the readers in this story but 2022 better treat you all well or else ill have to fight the universe smh

also, red is at its final few chapters so :")