Chapter 8 - The Weight of Silence

Hyunjin sat on the edge of his bed, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as if holding himself together. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows across the room, making the space feel even emptier than it already was.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Minho had locked himself in the bedroom down the hall, making it painfully clear that he wanted nothing to do with him. Not that it was any different from before—but tonight, something had changed.

Hyunjin lifted a shaky hand to his cheek, his fingers brushing against the swollen, red mark that burned on his skin.

Minho had hit him.

He hadn't expected it. Even after all the cold words, the sharp glares, the blatant disdain—he never thought Minho would actually lay a hand on him.

But he had.

And Hyunjin had let him.

He let out a shaky breath, blinking back the sting in his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He had already spent too many nights swallowing down his pain, convincing himself that things would get better if he was just patient enough.

But now... was there really any hope left?

Was there anything left to wait for?

--

Hyunjin curled into himself further, staring at the wall, his mind drifting to memories of a life that felt like a distant dream.

Before all of this, before the marriage, before Minho—he was happy.

He remembered coming home to his parents' warm embrace, his mother's soft voice asking how his day had been, his father's proud smile whenever he talked about his classes. They had loved him. Cherished him.

Now, they were so far away.

And it wasn't just the physical distance—it was the invisible wall he had placed between them, pretending everything was fine. He had always been the kind of son who didn't want to worry them.

So he lied.

He told them he was happy.

He told them Minho was good to him.

He told them what they wanted to hear because the truth would only hurt them.

But God, how much longer could he keep this up?

A lump formed in his throat as he thought about his friends—Chan, Changbin, Felix. They still surrounded him, still reached out, still made sure he was okay.

But was he?

Was he really okay?

--

Hyunjin slowly stood up, his body heavy, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin. He walked towards the vanity mirror, hesitant, as if afraid of what he might see.

And when he finally looked...

He almost didn't recognize himself.

The face staring back at him was pale, tired. His usual spark—the glow in his eyes that had always made people gravitate towards him—was dim.

And then there was the mark.

A cruel, red reminder of what had happened.

He touched it gently, wincing at the sting. It wasn't just the pain from the slap itself, but everything it represented.

Was this what marriage was supposed to be?

Was this what his life had become?

He had always been the type to believe in love, to believe in the goodness of people, to believe that kindness could change anything.

But how could he change someone who didn't even want him here?

He swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the vanity, his knuckles turning white.

"Don't break," he whispered to himself.

Don't let this destroy you.

Don't let this define you.

There's always a rainbow after the rain, right?

He wanted to believe that. He needed to believe that.

--

The night dragged on, but Hyunjin never moved from his spot. He just stood there, staring at himself, lost in his own thoughts.

At some point, the weight on his chest became too much, and he let himself sit back down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The world was still moving outside.

People were laughing, falling in love, living their lives without the burden of a marriage they never asked for.

And here he was.

Existing.

Not really living, just existing.

Hyunjin exhaled softly, closing his eyes.

Maybe one day things would change.

Maybe one day, Minho would look at him without hatred in his eyes.

Maybe one day, he would stop feeling like a stranger in his own life.

But until then...

All he could do was wake up tomorrow and pretend everything was okay.

Even if it wasn't.