Chapter 25: Part 25

MOON PRINCEWords: 6064

Joong woke up, Stretching lazily, he reached out immediately, only to find the space beside him empty. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes snapped open.

Joong:

Dunk?

His voice echoed in the quiet room, but there was no response. He quickly sat up, his mind racing with concern. Dunk never left his side without telling him. Before he could panic further, a burst of laughter reached his ears from outside.

Joong sighed in relief, recognizing Dunk’s cheerful voice. He hurriedly got out of bed and made his way to the hall.

There, he saw all his friends gathered, sitting around and chatting. Dunk was right in the middle of it all, his laughter lighting up the room

As soon as Dunk spotted him, his face lit up even more.

Dunk:

Joong! Good morning! Come here, sit beside me!

He walked over and sat down beside him

Joong:

Good morning, Dunk. When did you wake up?

Dunk:

I woke up earlier, and you were still sleeping… and snoring loudly

Joong frowned, his brows knitting together.

Joong:

I wasn’t snoring

Dunk burst into laughter, nudging Joong lightly.

Dunk:

You were! Joong, I’m not lying

Joong shook his head, crossing his arms.

Joong:

No way. I don’t snore

Phuwin:

Actually, Joong, I think Dunk’s telling the truth. You snored once when we went camping too

Joong shot him a mock glare.

Joong:

Traitor

Pond joined in, smirking.

Pond:

It’s okay, Joong. Dunk seems to like your snoring

Dunk laughed harder, leaning into Joong’s shoulder for support.

Dunk:

See? Even they agree!

Joong rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile spread on his lips as he watched Dunk laugh.

Joong:

Alright, alright. I’ll deal with all of you later

Dunk:

Okay, but admit it-you snore!

Joong shook his head

Joong:

Never

Dunk followed him, still giggling

Joong was still sitting beside Dunk when Pond suddenly leaned over with a mischievous grin.

Pond:

Joong, check your Twitter

Joong narrowed his eyes suspiciously, pulling out his phone. As soon as he opened the app, his notifications were blowing up. Fans were commenting, liking, and sharing a picture of him and Dunk sleeping together, arms draped over each other, looking cozy and peaceful. The caption: New couple but old love

Joong’s eyes darted toward Phuwin, who was trying to look innocent.

Joong:

Phuwin… why?

Phuwin shrugged

Phuwin:

Come on, you two looked cute. The fans love it!

Dunk, sitting quietly, noticed Joong’s furrowed brows.

Dunk:

Show me, Joong

Joong handed Dunk the phone. Dunk’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the picture and read the caption. His gaze shifted to Joong, silently asking if he was okay with it.

Dunk:

Joong, don’t you like this?

Joong paused for a moment, seeing the genuine concern in Dunk’s eyes. A soft smile spread across his face.

Joong:

It’s cute. I like it

Relieved, Dunk’s face broke into a bright smile.

Dunk:

Really? Then it’s fine!

Phuwin:

See? Even Dunk agrees. You should thank me, Joong

Joong rolled his eyes but chuckled softly.

Joong:

Next time, at least ask me before posting something like that

Phuwin:

Where’s the fun in that?

Dunk leaned closer to Joong and whispered

Dunk:

You really don’t mind?

Joong nodded, patting his shoulder

Joong:

No, Dunk. It’s just a picture. Don’t worry about it.

Joong:

Alright, Dunk, let’s get ready. We have a workshop to attend

Dunk:

Okay!

He stood up, brushing off his pants.

Dunk:

Bye, everyone!

Phuwin:

Bye, Dunk! All the best!

Joong and Dunk left, the rest of the group exchanged knowing smiles

As they stepped into the apartment, Dunk immediately made a beeline for the bed, sinking into the soft mattress with a sigh of relief. Without wasting a moment, he pulled the blanket over himself, snuggling comfortably into its warmth.

Joong watched him, leaning against the doorframe.

Joong:

What’s this, Dunk? You slept all night, didn’t you?

Dunk peeked out from under the blanket with a small pout.

Dunk:

No, I didn’t! They were shouting and laughing all night. I haven’t slept properly.

Joong:

Oh, I see

Without any warning, Joong stepped onto the bed and yanked the blanket off Dunk.

Joong:

No excuses! Get up and get ready.

Dunk:

Joong, no! Give it back!

But before Dunk could grab the blanket, Joong leaned down and began tickling him mercilessly.

Joong:

If you won’t get up on your own, I’ll make sure you do!

Dunk burst into laughter, his voice filling the room.

Dunk:

Hahaha! Joong, stop it! I can’t-hahaha I’ll go, I promise!

Joong:

Not until you get up

he teased, his hands relentless.

Dunk was laughing so hard tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Dunk:

Okay, okay! I’ll get ready! Please stop!

Dunk lay there, catching his breath, but then a playful glint sparkled in his eyes.

Dunk:

You think you’re so clever, huh?

Before Joong could react, Dunk suddenly sprang up and hovered over him, pinning Joong to the bed.

Dunk:

Now tell me, huh? Should I tickle you?

Joong’s eyes widened in terror.

Joong:

No, no, Dunk! Let’s talk about this!

Dunk smirked.

Dunk:

Too late for that

With that, Dunk began tickling Joong, who immediately dissolved into laughter.

Joong:

Hahaha! Dunk, stop! I can’t breathe!

Dunk:

Now you know how it feels!

But Joong wasn’t going down without a fight. Using his strength, he wrapped his arms around Dunk, pulling him into a tight hug to stop the assault.

Joong:

If I can’t get free, neither can you

Dunk stopped struggling, relaxing in Joong’s hold. Slowly, the room grew quiet as they lay there together. Dunk rested his head against Joong’s chest, feeling an unusual comfort in the embrace.

Joong:

Feeling better now?

he asked softly, stroking Dunk’s back gently.

Dunk:

Hmm

he murmured, not wanting to move. His heart was pounding, but he didn’t understand why.

Joong, on the other hand, was completely aware of his emotions. He knows he's in love with this boy, but what can he do? Holding Dunk like this, he felt an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. He didn’t say it out loud, but he knew deep down that Dunk was special-someone who could calm his chaos and make him feel whole............