Chapter 21 - The Breaking Point

The air inside the lecture hall was heavy with the murmurs of students, the scratching of pens against paper, and the occasional sound of someone flipping through their notes. Jisung sat at the back, his knee bouncing restlessly under the desk.

His mind wasn't on the professor's words. It wasn't on the upcoming assignment or even the game night Jeongin had mentioned.

It was on Hyunjin.

And the fact that Hyunjin had shown up to school that morning with a stiff smile, swollen eyes, and sleeves pulled all the way to his knuckles.

Jisung clenched his fists.

He wasn't stupid. He noticed things.

The way Hyunjin's voice was quieter than usual. The way he barely touched his food at lunch, even when Felix practically forced a sandwich into his hands. The way Chan hovered near him, hyper-aware, as if expecting him to shatter at any moment.

Jisung knew something happened.

And he knew exactly who was responsible.

--

Jisung found Minho near the library after class.

Minho barely had time to react before Jisung grabbed his wrist, pulling him toward the nearest empty corridor.

"Jisung—what the hell?"

Jisung ignored him, shoving him against the wall—not forcefully, but enough to make his point.

"What did you do?" Jisung demanded.

Minho's eyes darkened. "What?"

"What did you do to Hyunjin?" Jisung spat.

Minho scoffed. "That's none of your business."

Jisung let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, really? Because I saw him today, Minho. And he looked like absolute shit."

Minho's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

Jisung took a step closer, his voice dropping. "He was crying last night, wasn't he?"

Minho flinched.

Jisung didn't stop. "Did you yell at him again? Did you call him names? Or did you actually hit him this time?"

Minho's eyes flashed. "I never—"

"But you did, didn't you?" Jisung cut in, voice sharp. "Maybe not at first. Maybe it was just words. Maybe it was just looks. But then it got worse."

Minho's silence was all the confirmation Jisung needed.

Jisung exhaled sharply, stepping back.

"I always knew you were an asshole," he muttered. "But I didn't think you were this bad."

Minho crossed his arms, expression hard. "You don't know anything about our relationship."

"Relationship?" Jisung repeated, laughing bitterly. "Minho, that's not a relationship. That's torture."

Minho's jaw clenched.

Jisung shook his head. "Do you even see him? Or are you so obsessed with Seungmin that you can't recognize what you're doing to him?"

That hit a nerve.

Minho straightened, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't talk about Seungmin like that."

"Why?" Jisung shot back. "Because you actually love him? Because you actually care about him?" He scoffed. "It must be nice, huh? To be loved by you."

Minho's fingers twitched, but he said nothing.

Jisung took a deep breath. "Hyunjin never deserved this."

Minho looked away.

Jisung's voice softened—just slightly. "If you don't love him, then let him go."

Minho's shoulders tensed.

And for the first time since the start of this marriage, Jisung saw something in his eyes.

Guilt.

But guilt didn't change the past.

Jisung swallowed the lump in his throat. "You're losing him, Minho. And when he finally leaves, don't expect any of us to feel sorry for you."

With that, Jisung turned on his heel and walked away.

Minho didn't call him back.

--

Jisung found himself walking to the café near campus. He needed air. He needed to think.

The conversation played over and over in his mind.

It wasn't enough.

Minho hadn't apologized. He hadn't even tried to defend himself.

But Jisung saw the way his fingers trembled.

And he hated that some part of him still hoped Minho would change.

That he would wake up one day and realize.

But Jisung had seen this before.

People like Minho didn't change until they lost everything.

And Jisung was afraid that by the time Minho realized that...

Hyunjin would already be gone.