daybreak || minsung

Chapter 14

I finished my cereal in one continuous gulp and sprinted to wash out the bowl. Charlie had been watching me nervously the whole time. I thought he was afraid I'd choke, but he was still eyeing me when he joined me at the sink. We rinsed our dishes in silence for a moment.

"Me and the guys from the station are going fishing on Saturday," he said, staring into the soapy water. "I just wanted to ask if you changed your mind about Seattle. I could come with you."

"No," I replied casually. "I'm all good. Thanks, though."

"Minho," he said, putting the plate down and facing me. I stared at him, waiting tensely.

"There are rumours about you going around town. About, um, who you" — he grimaced — "like. I just want to say that I, uh, love you."

"Oh. Okay." I couldn't tell if he meant my non-relationship with Jisung or my sexuality in general. Either way, my eyes started to prickle and my cheeks turned red. I shook my hair into my face. "I love you, too."

More wordless scrubbing.

"Am I going to meet him?" he asked then.

"Who?" I said innocently.

"Your... boy... friend? Boyfriend? Is that right?"

I smiled a little. "It would be. But I don't have one."

"Do you... have your eye on anyone?"

"Um."

"You don't have to say," he said quickly. "But you're still skipping the dance?"

"Yup. Dances suck — a date wouldn't change that."

"So you don't have a date?"

I looked up at him. "I have a something, but I don't think he's a date. It's complicated."

"I'm, um, here to, uh, talk, if you, er, need..."

I smiled. "I know. But I'm never bringing this up again."

"Thank god," he said. I laughed. We finished the dishes together.

~ * ~

As soon as Charlie was out of the house, I zoomed upstairs and brushed my teeth. I ran a comb through my hair — finding an adamant tangle and Brute Forcing my way through it — and glared at myself in the mirror. I catapulted myself off the top of the staircase, scrambling to the window. The silver Volvo was there. I grabbed my backpack and ran to the door.

I crossed the lawn with more composure today, even taking a moment to adjust my shoe.

I opened the passenger door and sunk into the seat, looking at Jisung as soon as I possibly could. He only smiled once our eyes met.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I said back. We both sounded high.

"Guess what happened," I said.

He backed out of the driveway. "What happened?"

"I came out to my dad."

"That's awesome!" he yelled. He held up his hand for an awkward sideways high five.

I smacked his hand as hard as I could. He didn't flinch.

"How did it happen?"

"Apparently, there are rumours going around about me." There was a bit of pride in my voice.

He nodded. "I've heard those."

"You what?"

"'Chief Swan's kid is gay' — that kind of thing."