nightlight | minsung

05

Luckily it was just a common cold that had him down, and he was up and running in no-time again. Physically, at least. Mentally? Not so much. Staying at home for two days with nothing to distract him, he was basically alone with his thoughts. So now that he was able to, he took the opportunity and went outside again, ignoring the calls from his parents to stay home and catch up with his abandoned school work. 

Minho wasn't feeling well. On top of his usual struggles, he now had gotten stir crazy and his mind wasn't having it. He felt like shit, completely exhausted from fighting the demons in his head.

It was dark outside once more, the radiance of the streetlights not reaching the poor guy as he ambled over the sidewalk.

The cold nipped at his exposed cheeks, but he had been clever enough to bring a scarf and fingerless gloves – he wore them more for fashion reasons than anything else, but it still kept his hands somewhat warm, aside from his exposed fingertips. Yet, he was shaking, but he suspected it didn't have much to do with the temperature but was more related to the tears he fought.

But tonight there would be no rain to obscure his tears, for his weather app had clearly stated no precipitation expected. A part of him was relieved, but on the other hand, there was something about getting all soaked and cold and wallow in self-pity as he let the darkness have him.

As he walked through the streets in the heart of the city, he let the cacophony of traffic drown out the thoughts pestering his head. There wasn't much going on since it was already around ten in the evening, but you'd be surprised by how lively the streets remained even at this hour.

Cars drove by, people walked past him, their arms linked together with friends or family. It made Minho feel lonely all over again, and he directed his gaze at his feet as he picked up his pace. He did not want to be reminded of how lonely he was, and seeing everyone being out together made him awfully aware of that fact. He entered an alleyway, away from the busy streets. Minho knew this shortcut, and it would lead him towards a quiet park amidst the skyscrapers.

He whipped out his phone on instinct, and before he fully realized what he was doing, he found himself looking at Han Jisung's contact slot. Now was truly a time where he could use the sunshine boy's company, and the boy willingly offered his phone number for Minho to use if he felt miserable, but he was still unsure if he really wanted to bother the angel-in-disguise.

Minho hesitated for a moment, but the darkness that loomed around him in the bystreets suffocated him to a point where he felt like he had no choice if he didn't want to go under completely.

With a sigh, the pad of his index finger tapped the message button. He typed up a quick message, nothing more than a simple hey and it's dark again. Surely, right when he was about to stuff his phone back into his pocket, he got a reply from the male. His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't stop the smile from tugging on his lips as he read the words. Jisung had replied with text me your location, i'm on my way, so Minho texted him the park he was headed to.

He was going to meet Jisung again!

As he reached the park, he instantly sat down on a swing, leaving the one next to him empty so Jisung could sit there if he wanted to. The misery and stress the male felt already subdued a little as he waited for the other to show up, full of anticipation. Minho felt strangely giddy for some reason, clearly remembering the effect Jisung had on him that one night.

"Hey," a voice greeted him about twenty minutes later, and the chains of the swing next to him creaked as someone sat down.

"Jisung," Minho said, honestly mildly surprised by the boy's appearance. "You really came."

"Of course I did," Jisung replied, giving the other a smile. "I told you I'd be there if you felt sad or lonely again, so when you told me it was all dark, I dropped everything I was doing and went to see you."

"You really did that for a stranger?"

Minho felt a wave of appreciation for the squirrel-like boy, not for the first time since they met. He was too kind, and he never met someone like that before. Even those who were supposed to be close to him didn't treat him with such kindness.

"Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "I'd do it for you over and over again, so please, never hesitate to text me if you need it, okay?"

"Jisung–" Minho brought out, a faint blush creeping up his neck. For once, he was grateful for the darkness, as it hid the pink that dusted his cheeks really well.

He'd do it for him over and over again.

He'd be there for Minho whenever he needed someone, he'd drop whatever he was doing to help Minho through his dark hours. Really, he suddenly felt like hugging the Heaven-sent boy, and in an impulse he reached out and grabbed his hand.

Jisung looked at him with wide eyes but did no attempt to loosen Minho's grip. Then his gaze dropped to their connected hands, and for a moment both the boys just stared at their linked fingers in silence. I like this, Minho thought. He barely felt Jisung's touch through the fingerless gloves he wore, but those didn't hide the way Jisung's fingers fit perfectly between his.

"U-Uhm, I just wanted to say thank you," he brought out, attemtpting to free his hand and pull back.

But Jisung didn't let him go and shot him a gummy smile. "I know what it's like to go through those dark moments. If I can do anything to make yours a little brighter, I'd do it."

There he was again, talking to Minho as if they didn't just meet a couple of days ago. Talking to Minho as if they were close friends who went through a lot together already. Jisung was acting like Minho meant something to him, and it touched his heart in a way that almost made him tear up again.

Their hands were still connected, and both the boys were content with that. They sat on the swings for a while, ignoring the crisp evening air and pretending that they weren't shivering from the cold. At least their one of their hands was warm and comfortable, as they rested their palms against each other's.

After a while, Jisung gently removed his hand from Minho's grip, and the other already felt bad for the loss.

"Hey, let's go somewhere," the boy offered. "I'm freezing over here."

Minho nodded, and they got up from the swings. He had no idea what the other had in mind, but it appeared that he wasn't planning on leaving him already.