a pearl

ch.9: thanks to seo changbin.

he's going to put lego inside changbin's shoes, he's going to burn all of changbin's clothes. he's going to steal all of those sweet potato shakes. he's going to throw out all of his stupid dumbbells and his protein shakes. he's going to take—

“hyunjin,”

that voice.

hyunjin ignores it.

the car ride was quiet.

only their manager who was driving the van and chan chatting quietly and faint iu's music from the radio can be heard.

minho was seated with jisung, listening to music on his headphone, his head laid on the window with his eyes closed. jisung sleeping, tired. his social battery running out.

on the left side, changbin was holding hands with his seatmate felix who's sleeping on changbin's shoulder. changbin just closed his eyes, wanting to just go home and wash up already. he's also tired. everyone was tired.

earlier, seungmin thought hyunjin was going to sit with him but he was wrong. jeongin went inside the van right after changbin and felix entered the van so naturally, he doesn't have a seatmate.

hyunjin, who saw the opportunity to avoid seungmin immediately grabbed it and sat next to jeongin without saying anything.

he immediately plugged in his earpiece and closed his eyes so no one can talk to him.

he can feel seungmin looking at him but hyunjin just ignored him.

he's going to sulk. maybe he's a bit too dramatic but he just needs some time to think.

is he a bad person? thats what he's thinking.

he's dating seungmin secretly, nobody literally knows. changbin was absolutely oblivious to their relationship but hyunjin has the right to feel upset just because changbin gave seungmin a hickey.

it was an accident but hyunjin doesn't see seungmin feeling guilty about it but let's just see later.

the manager turned off the engine. “great job guys. rest well and sleep as much as you want. tomorrow is a free day.” the manager stated before telling them to go to their rooms.

chan, and minho has their own room, changbin and felix share one because felix wants too and jeongin and jisung also shared a room, including the couple.

as soon as seungmin and hyunjin entered the room, hyunjin want to throw himself out from the balcony.

“are you upset?” thats the first question seungmin asked. of course he's upset. hyunjin avoids eye contact, “i want to wash up first.” he muttered and went straight to bathroom.

the hotel they chose was pretty fancy and expensive so that means they have two big bathroom with a bathtub and two king-sized bed in separate places. kitchen and living room was also there.

seungmin sighed and decided to wash up too. 

thirty minutes later, the two finally finished. seungmin found hyunjin inside of the kitchen, drinking water.

“baby, talk to me, please?”

hyunjin looks down, not wanting to look at seungmin. he's not strong enough. “what?” hyunjin muttered.

“changbin hyung didn't know we're dating, okay? i also didn't know he'd give me a hickey like that... its no one's fault, okay?”

hyunjin kept quiet for a moment, “still... you don't seem like you'd care much.” his voice was small. not louder than a mere mumble. “do you... really love him more than me, minnie?” he asked. such a childish question he had always wanted to ask seungmin about. asking it doesn't even made him feel better.