Smiles -Seongjoong

25

Days, weeks passed. Everything was going pretty well. They hung out with each other a lot, the eight of them became a family.

One day, Seonghwa came home to announce that he would be going on a business trip.
"How long will you be gone?" Hongjoong asked.
"About a week."
"That's so cool!" Yunho said.
They all looked at him.
"Oh wait, I mean you going on a trip is cool, you going for a week is definitely not cool." he explained himself.
"Yeah, what business trip takes so long?" Mingi asked.
"There isn't only one, but like four exhibitions to attend, also I am finally getting to meet the dealer I have been waiting since months. There are quite a few deals to be made. I think it will take a week."
"You wanna do all that in one go?" Yeosang asked.
"Yeah."
"Nice then what else, when do you go?"
"Day after tomorrow."

They all discussed a bit, then settled down for dinner. Hongjoong was the only one that seemed to be bothered, he didn't want him to go away for a week. Do I ask him to shorten his trip? he thought to himself. No. He decided he would just let Seonghwa go, after all, him having fun mattered more.

The day of parting came soon, and Hongjoong bid him goodbye. He watched him go away in the car. Then turned, to look forward to another normal day, not so normal without Seonghwa in it.

Just three days had passed, yet he was missing him terribly. Even calling him wasn't a sure thing, because of the time difference, he rarely got a chance to speak to him. They had to text each other. Which wasn't enough for Hongjoong, he missed everything. And he worried about him, what if he has another nightmare there, who would be there to console him? All these thoughts were troubling him, he decided to talk to someone. The first person that came to his mind was Yeosang. He went over to Yeosang's room, but it was dark in there and he wasn't there, not in the balcony too. The next person he thought about talking to, was Mingi. He walked over to Mingi's room. The door was open, he stepped inside, it was dark, the room glowed a dim blue in the evening light. Hongjoong checked out the balcony, and he found both Yeosang and Mingi there, they were sitting close together, reading from the same book.
"What are you guys doing?" Hongjoong asked.
Mingi flinched at the question,"Oh hyung! You scared me!" he said breathing heavily.
Hongjoong smiled at him.
"We were just reading." Yeosang said closing the book. "Now same question, what happened?"
"I..um..wanted to talk to you guys."
"Are you gonna scold us?" Mingi asked.
"No, why would I?"
"I don't know, just thought."
"Hyung, sit." Yeosang said.
Hongjoong sat down, Mingi's balcony was really pretty, he had decorated the place with a lot of plants, some climbers hung at both side of walls, flowers were closing at this time, but how beautiful would it look in spring. Hongjoong admired Mingi and his love for plants.
"Yes hyung? What happened?" Mingi asked.
"I..um..wanted to talk about Seonghwa."
Yeosang and Mingi looked at each other and shared a smile.
"What about him?" Yeosang asked this time.
"I kinda miss him..don't y'all?"
"Yeah, we do, but he's back in four days, ain't he? Not like he's left the house." Mingi said.
"Yeah, but I think um...I might have..you know? I kinda.."
"You what? A writer struggling for words?" Mingi asked.
Hongjoong assumed Yeosang had told him about him being a writer, how else would he know.
"I think I like him." Hongjoong said in one breath.
Mingi got so happy that he jumped up, he shook Yeosang, "Did you hear that?"
Yeosang was smiling too, showing his pretty teeth. "Hyung! We're so happy to hear that! You should tell him!"
"Um..yeah, I was thinking about that, probably when he comes back-"
"Yess! Surprise him when he comes back!"
"But what if he doesn't like me?" Hongjoong asked, worried.
Mingi and Yeosang didn't answer, they were too busy giggling and shaking each other's shoulders. Hongjoong was confused, why were they happier than him?
"Finally!" Mingi said.
"Finally what?" Hongjoong asked.
"Nothing. You just confess to him, I mean, you should. Don't worry about anything else right now" Yeosang replied.
"But-"
"I won't hear any buts. imagine how cute you two would look together!" Mingi exclaimed.
And then in a few minutes, they were both making up scenarios including the two.
"But you two, don't tell anyone else for now, once he says yes, we can tell everyone." Hongjoong said.
"Yeah, we won't say it to anyone, after all these-" Mingi was saying.
"We won't tell anyone." Yeosang cut him off, smiling.
Hongjoong soon left the room, but he felt like the two were hiding something, Hongjoong wondered if he had done the right thing by telling them.