yunho's pov
"do you like me, mingi?"
i could see the horror in mingi's eyes as soon as those words left my lips.
as i flipped through the pages of mingi's sketchbook, so many things stood out to me— well, first of all, he was such a fantastic artist. the pencil strokes blended naturally with each other— creating beautifully detailed portraits of different individuals, it was incredible to me how he could draw people as if they were staring at their own mirror.
but something about his art was different.
each drawing was seeping with emotions— some with love, some with admiration, and others with melancholy and sadness.
the only drawings that held negative emotions were those of himself. my heart ached at the realization, but i figured now was not the time to ask about those.
once i reached the first portrait of myself in the book, i then noticed that those were the only pages that were completed and adequately watermarked; others were left without the finishing touches like specific blends and strokes.
this is odd. mingi's known me for only a few days— some of the unfinished art pieces date back months; why are mine the only finished ones?
"uhm— well," the younger hesitated, "would you be... upset if i were to say i did?" he finally lifted his head so his eyes could meet mine upon ending his question.
i was conflicted about how i would answer his question.
did i really want to answer it at all?
with words, that is.
the way he stared directly into my eyes suddenly became intimidating to me; i was now fighting for my life trying not to direct my sight to his lips.
okay. maybe the crush mingi claimed to have was mutual.
i hadn't really thought deeply about how i felt about mingi— but i knew my behavior towards him and how fast i opened up with the younger meant something; maybe even everything.
i felt at home in mingi's presence much quicker than anyone else i had ever gotten close with.
i think i like him.
i gulped, finally deciding to answer mingi's question after a long moment of silence. "you know what, i don't think i'd mind at all," i paused my words. my eyes faltered, signaling that i lost my battle to maintain eye contact.
"actually, i think i might have feelings for you too, min."
a shocked expression immediately took over mingi's face, but before he could even respond, the bell rang throughout the building.
lunch was over.
"we'll talk after school, alright min? let's get to class."
it was safe to say that the random outburst of confidence i had acquired when speaking to mingi earlier was completely gone by the time my last class was over; i was absolutely dreading the upcoming conversation i had planned to have with the latter.
forcing the thought off of my mind, i waited in front of the school gates as every other student began making their way off of the campus. i shook my leg out of anxiety as i stood, my heart feeling as if it was beating faster and faster with each passing second.
eventually, i see mingi turn the corner of the school gate. i tried my best to compress my nervous feelings in hopes of having a normal conversation with him.
"hi yun! how was the rest of your day?" mingi cheered, sincerity dripping off of his tongue. a light blush crept across my face— i appreciated how caring he was. i'm sure he could see my anxiety just oozing out of my body. no matter how much he obviously anticipated the conversation we scheduled to have, he made sure to put me first— whether it was completely intentional or not.
"boring. i slept through half of them, i'm so exhausted and i've barely done anything today," i giggled— my reply was intended to be lighthearted, but upon seeing the shorter's face become laced with concern, i assumed it may not have come off that way.
"yunho, have you still not been sleeping well? i'm worried about you, y'know..." he seemed as if he was stopping himself from speaking more, but i decided i wouldn't question him.
i looked in his direction, yet not meeting his eyes. with a soft sigh, i gave mingi more context on my situation. "i slept really well last night, of course, i don't remember when i fell asleep, but on a typical day for me, i either get a few hours of sleep at insane hours of the morning, or i don't get any sleep at all; which is why i'm always napping in class. i guess right now i'm just worried about if my mom or her boyfriend realized i wasn't home this morning..."
"i'm so sorry yunnie," mingi's words were drenched with sympathy as he gave me a gentle hug. "i'm sure everything will go alright. but if it doesn't, text me or come over, alright? i'll take care of you."
an awkward smile formed on my face as i nodded in agreement with mingi's demand. i knew the blush across my cheeks had only gotten more prominent due to the latter's words, causing me to subconsciously hide my face from his view out of embarrassment.
what is this man doing to me...
"so, about earlier..." i trailed off, attempting to change the topic as we walked together.
"ah, yeah. just remember yun, we don't have to talk about it right now if you don't feel comfortable, i have no problem with waiting for you!"
why is he literally perfect, i'm going to explode—
"no no no, don't worry min— i'm comfortable, i'm just not used to... liking people and having them feel the same in return? so i'm not exactly sure how to put this... but i definitely do have feelings for you, min, and i wanna do something about them; that is, if you do as well."
i brought my gaze up to meet mingi's, and i swear the smile he had on his face at this very moment was the brightest one i had ever seen in my life.
i would do anything to keep that expression on his face forever.
"of course i do, yun! i would love to, actually, if you wouldn't mind... maybe we could go on a date after our classes on friday?"
we halted our movement as mingi asked the question, as we had made it to our houses.
we're already here? i wanted to spend more time with him...
"aw, friday is so far~ i can't see you sooner?"
"we see each other every day yuyu. trust me, i'll make sure it's worth the wait."
"i'll take your word for it then," i chuckled lightly, "well, i should go inside now. thank you for everything today min."
"of course, yunnie. and don't forget what i told you, alright? i meant it. bye bye yun!" mingi waved as he crossed the street, eventually entering his home.
my smile faded quickly upon the disappearance of his presence, soon realizing what most likely awaited me inside.
i hadn't been home since the night i came back late from the mall— even though it felt like days that i had been gone, in reality, it had barely been a full 24 hours.
i took a moment to prepare myself for what could possibly happen before pulling my keys out of my pocket and unlocking the front door as slowly as possible.
as i walked inside and slipped my shoes off, the house was nearly silent; the sound of the television being the only thing keeping the living space from being eerily uncomfortable.
walking closer to the kitchen, i was almost relieved it didn't seem like anyone was home— or awake, at least. i still made as little noise as i could— if in the case someone was sleeping, the last thing i'd want to do is wake them up; however, i did relax my muscles knowing that neither my mother nor her boyfriend was in my presence right now. i poured myself a glass of water and grabbed a snack out of the cabinet. i planned to take everything to the comfort of my own room, but before i could even exit the kitchen, juwon randomly appeared in front of me. i honestly couldn't read the expression on his face; he didn't look angry, but he certainly didn't look happy either. there was a very slight smirk painted across his lips that made my stomach churn— it was unsettling.
my anxiety flew through the roof as soon as he spoke.
"your mother isn't home. she's at work until 8 pm," juwon approached my direction again, soon only a few inches from my body. i was unsure of the older man's intentions, but i knew for sure that they weren't positive.
"you think i wouldn't notice how long you've been gone? i know you were with your little boyfriend— i saw him through the window before you came inside. he looks like a bright young man, it's truly a waste for him to be spending his time with you. stop bothering him, yeah? i'm sure he's getting tired of you fucking being around."
i knew that wasn't true. if mingi truly didn't appreciate my presence, why did he comfort me so much these last few days? why did he let me into his house just to help me feel safer? why would he ask me out?
he pities you, yunho. he feels bad for you.
tears brimmed my eyes before; could mutter my response. "that's not true. mingi doesn't think about me like that—"
i should've known by now what the result of trying to defend myself was.
juwon had cut me off, immediately throwing a punch at my face. it hurt like hell, and it was an instinctual reaction for the tears to start flowing down my cheeks.
"you know that shit isn't true. you burden everyone in your life, and that's why all your friends left you. you know that yunho, stop denying it!" juwon screamed, continuously throwing kicks and punches at my body. i was now located on the hard tiles of the kitchen, feeling myself fall weaker with each passing second. i continued to let him throw insults at me, trying his best to manipulate my mind into resonating with his thoughts.
by the time he was done with me, escaping to his bedroom as if nothing ever happened, you might've been able to say that juwon got what he wanted.
i slowly lifted myself off of the floor, seeing small amounts of blood taint the area around where my body previously lay. i couldn't just leave it there, so with the very last of my strength, i wiped up the mess and then proceeded to my bedroom with my water and my snacks like i had once planned. i groaned in agony as i slid onto my bed, not even bothering to clean myself up first.
well, i doubt i could've even if i tried.
the thoughts that took over my mind as a result of earlier had finally surfaced in full consciousness, and they weren't pretty.
juwon was right yunho. mingi's only here for you out of pity, but soon he'll see why your friends left you, and he'll follow in their footsteps. he's going to fucking hate you, and you know it.it happens with everyone you share a bond with. hell, even your own mom!
my breaths picked up and i soon embraced my body in a hug, wincing as my hands touched my bruised torso. stop it, stop it, stop it—
don't push your thoughts away yunho. you need to face the consequences of your behavior. everyone else would appreciate it if you did too. remember the last time? you were so close. if seonghwa hadn't interrupted you, then you would've—
"NO!" i screamed as i began to shake violently. i scavenged for my phone, shakily opening my text messages once i retrieved the device.
i need to speak to mingi.
—————
i'm so sorry for taking literally FOREVER to post this chapter omg .. but i'm almost done writing chapter 7 so hopefully i can publish that one on time !! but i hope you enjoyed this chapterrr and tysm for reading !! 🤍
(AND SORRY IF THERE ARE ANY ERRORS ... i am posting this while sleep deprived so i may have missed some things 😭)
— iya 🌼