Pretty Boy Across the Hall

You're an Idiot

Mingyu stood in the middle of Hansol and Minghao's living room, just staring at Wonwoo's closed bedroom door. He'd been standing there for ten minutes, completely still.

Hansol and Minghao had both been on the couch, waiting for him to make a move before they left. No one said anything to make sure that Wonwoo wouldn't hear them. They all knew that what Mingyu was there for needed to be done in private. Seeing that his friend wasn't moving any time soon, Minghao sighed and stood up. Hansol followed. They both looked at each other and knew that they should go.

As they walked by him, Minghao gripped Mingyu's shoulder and quietly whispered into his ear, "Just go in when you're ready."

"I'm never gonna be ready," Mingyu whispered back.

And he was right. Nothing Mingyu did or said or thought could ever prepare him for seeing Wonwoo again, but ever since Jihoon and Seungcheol made up a few days ago, it's all he could think about. Ever since he moved to the city, Mingyu played with the idea of looking for Wonwoo, but never truly felt like it. After all, he felt nothing for the boy, and for years he thought that was true. Until that one day Soonyoung and Jihoon mentioned that Wonwoo lived upstairs.

Right upstairs.

Since then, Mingyu couldn't stop thinking about him. And the more he thought, the more he felt. For weeks, Mingyu just thought of Wonwoo. While his best friend's love story was going on, all Mingyu could do was think about the one he let go, and he started to regret everything.

It hit him so hard and all at once that he nearly exploded. His feelings for Wonwoo just erupted in his head and heart, almost destroying him. Then he told Jihoon. Then the others all heard. Then Jihoon's story was fixed. Leaving Mingyu broken and alone.

And now he was just a few feet away from the boy he still loved. He was going to talk to the boy he crushed and never spoke with again. He was going to see the boy he left and never looked for. How was he supposed to be ready for that?

Minghao nodded and pat his friend on the back. Without another word, Minghao and Hansol silently slipped out of the apartment, leaving Mingyu with himself.

Hearing the door lock behind him, Mingyu closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He couldn't think anymore. He had done too much of that in the last few weeks. He would never be ready, but he needed to do this. No more thoughts entered his mind.

Shaking in his pants and without any further hesitation, Mingyu walked up to Wonwoo's door and knocked.

"Yeah?"

He froze. Just hearing that voice made his heart sink. He would know that voice anywhere. For a moment, he just stood there clutching the doorknob. No thoughts came. He slowly opened the door. "Wonwoo?"

Wonwoo sat up in his bed. He was studying for an exam he had in a few days, but all of a sudden forgot everything he was doing. He froze. His eyes locked onto the bedroom door as it slowly creaked open. Wonwoo's heart started beating insanely fast. Too many thoughts were racing through his head as the knocker came into view. His eyes grew wide and he just stared at him. "Mingyu."

Mingyu was staring at the ground. He couldn't look up just yet. Slipping into the room, he gently shut the door against his back. "Hi."

Wonwoo had no idea what to think, but his body was doing it for him. He quickly shut his textbook and moved it to the side as he inched over to sit on the edge of his bed. The whole time he was adjusting, his mouth hung open as he continued to stare at Mingyu. "Mingyu," he said again.

Mingyu finally flicked his eyes up and met Wonwoo's gaze. He couldn't help but smile as his body ached. "Hi."

"Hi," Wonwoo said back, unable to think of anything else.