Breathe Me In || Minbin ✔️

14

I shiver under the slight warmth of my hoodie. He yells at me for not wearing warmer clothing, yet he invites me out anyway. At least this one was a bit warmer than the others.

"Yo," he greets, smiling down at me. "You beat me here, for once."

"I beat you here the last time, I'm pretty sure. I don't remember," I shrug, yawning into my sleeve.

"Tired already?"

"I'd probably be asleep by now if you weren't keeping me awake," I laugh. Work had been long. There was a group practice with some college students, and of course, their choreo is hard. Took me out within the hour.

"Sorry," he chuckles, sitting down next to me. "Oh, I brought the scarf for you."

"The scarf?"

"Yeah. When we were ordering your stuff, I said I had a scarf that you could have. I figured you'd be cold, so I brought it with."

"Oh, I was out of it. I don't remember that."

"You don't remember anything. Your memory is bad, Min," he laughs, holding up the scarf.

It looked incredibly soft. The material was a short, medium length. Dark grey, fur type.

"Here." My eyes flicker back up to him. He was leaning over, collecting the scarf in his hand. Before I could ask, he lifts his arms and puts it around me, wrapping it gently. His face was only a few inches away from mine, forcing me to hold my breath.

Our eyes connect. I could feel my body heating up, but I don't know why. The scarf or the embarrassment of being so close to him.

He smells so good.

He clears his throat, backing away. I bite my tongue, reaching up to unconsciously feel the scarf. Definitely soft.

"It looks good on you."

"Thanks."

-

"Hey, where'd you get that scarf?" Seungmin sits down at the table, setting his bag on the ground.

"Uh, Changbin." Please don't question it. Please don't question it.

"Why?"

SEUNGMIN.

"I hadn't ordered winter clothes since I threw mine away, and I got sick. He, uh, he took care of me and made me buy some stuff. The scarf was something he didn't like, so he gave it to me."

I have over explained once again.

"Oh? That sounds like him. He's very caring."

"Mhm. I see why Hyunjin stayed friends with him for so long. He's super sweet."

"Yeah, but you know, he's never taken care of him while he was sick. Never gave him a scarf randomly. Never brought him a coffee while he was at work." He smirks at me with a knowing look.

"So what? He's done other things for Hyun. I'm sure he has." I cross my arms, looking away so he wouldn't catch the embarrassment on my face.

"Yeah, right."

"Hey guys!" Jisung bounces in, setting his bag down. "Where's Channie hyung?"

"Almost here."

"Okay, anyway, so Jamie's comeback is coming up next week. I'm so excited because it's absolutely amazing. I can't wait for you guys to hear it!" He smiles, wiggling in his seat.

I chuckle, sipping my coffee. "I'm sure it'll be amazing. She has you as a producer. Everything you make is always incredible."

His smile tightens in a shy way, his cheeks glowing pink. "Thanks, hyung. I wouldn't go that far to say that everything is good, but I appreciate the comment."

"No, he's right. Every song you've produced is out of this world. It's insane. You're really talented," Seungmin adds on, smiling at his elder.

"Thanks, you guys," the second youngest nods, timid now that we've pointed out his skills.

"Anytime."

The café bell dings and we all look up, seeing our hyung rush in. "Hey, hey. Sorry I'm late."

"Not a problem, my dude," I wave off.

They all stare at me as if I were an alien.

"What?"

"You get weirder every time I see you," Seungmin scoffs, squinting down at me.

"Do you want to eat tissue with your coffee?"

"You've been weird ever since you met Changbin," he throws back, sitting back in his chair to watch the chaos unfold.

"What? No, I haven't." My defense is weak, but I'm not going to say anything about the recent events. I can only pray he doesn't either.

"Yeah, you have. First, letting him take care of you. Then he gifts you a scarf. Then he helps you buy stuff online. Oh, let's not forget-"

"Seungmin, I swear to god."

"Sorry, you didn't want them to know about the little coffee date you two went on?"

My fists clench in my lap. "It wasn't a date! I was getting coffee anyway and he just happened to bring it up too."

"Hyung, why didn't you want us to know?" Jisung frowns. All three pairs of eyes are on me.

I feel my ears heating up as I look down at the table. "I... I don't know. It's not a big deal. We're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

Why didn't I want them to know? Maybe because I was denying my feelings ever since he took care of me. Maybe because I didn't want to come to terms with it. Maybe because I didn't even know if he had mutual feelings. I don't know. Feelings aren't my strong suit. They're uncomfortable and make me vulnerable. I don't like that.

"You can always talk to us," Chan offers, but my mouth speaks before my brain can think.

"There's nothing to talk about." My sudden snap toward him made the table go quiet. Immediate guilt rises in my chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. Really, there's nothing between us. He's going on with his life and I'm doing the same with mine."

"We understand. Sorry. I shouldn't have kept pushing," the youngest apologizes, patting my shoulder gently.

"It's okay. Let's forget about it, please."