Chapter 32 - An Unwanted Awareness

Minho had always prided himself on being someone who understood his own emotions. He wasn't the type to get lost in feelings, wasn't the type to be confused about what he wanted or what he didn't.

And yet, here he was.

Confused.

Restless.

Watching Hyunjin.

--

It started with small things.

Hyunjin humming to himself while making tea in the morning.

The way his fingers twirled absentmindedly in his hair while reading.

The soft way he spoke to strangers, always kind, always patient.

It wasn't that Minho hadn't noticed these things before. He had—he just hadn't cared. Or at least, he had convinced himself he didn't.

But now, his eyes betrayed him. His mind betrayed him.

Because every little thing Hyunjin did seemed to linger in Minho's thoughts longer than it should.

And he hated it.

Because none of this made sense.

Minho loved Seungmin.

Didn't he?

--

One afternoon, Minho found himself walking out of a lecture hall, exhausted and distracted. He had barely been able to focus in class, and it frustrated him.

He didn't get distracted. He didn't allow himself to get distracted.

But just as he turned the corner toward the cafeteria, he spotted Hyunjin by the vending machine.

He wasn't alone.

A small child stood beside him, no older than five, holding a bag of snacks. The child was looking up at Hyunjin with wide, teary eyes, clutching an empty bottle in his tiny hands.

Minho slowed his steps.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Hyunjin asked gently, crouching down to meet the child's gaze.

"My..." The child sniffled. "My coins fell, and I c-can't get water."

Minho almost rolled his eyes. It was just a bottle of water. Most people would just walk away, not bother, or tell the kid to go find an adult.

But not Hyunjin.

"Here," Hyunjin said, slipping a few coins into the machine. "Press the button. The one that says 'water.'"

The child hesitated before pressing the button with his small fingers. A moment later, the bottle clunked into the dispenser, and his face lit up with joy.

"Thank you!"

Hyunjin smiled. "Make sure to drink lots, okay? It's important to stay hydrated."

The child nodded enthusiastically before running off.

Minho didn't realize he had been standing still, watching.

He didn't realize that something about the scene made his chest feel tight.

That something as simple as that—Hyunjin helping a random child—had affected him.

And that terrified him.

Because for the first time, he realized that Hyunjin was getting under his skin.

--

Minho was already on edge when he entered the cafeteria, but the sight before him only made it worse.

Hyunjin was sitting at a table with Jisung.

That alone shouldn't have meant anything. But the way Jisung was leaning close, the way he was grinning as Hyunjin laughed at something he said—

Minho hated it.

A burning sensation crawled up his spine, an irrational irritation pooling in his stomach.

And it made no sense.

Because Jisung and Hyunjin were just friends.

Because Minho had Seungmin.

So why did he feel like something was wrong?

--

That night, when Hyunjin returned home, Minho was already there, pacing the living room.

He didn't know why he felt the need to say something.

He didn't even know what he wanted to say.

But the moment Hyunjin walked in, all he could think about was Jisung, the laughter, the closeness—

"Had fun today?" Minho asked, his voice sharper than intended.

Hyunjin blinked in surprise. "Uh... yeah?"

Minho crossed his arms. "With Jisung?"

Hyunjin tilted his head. "Yeah. We were just—"

"It looked cozy," Minho cut in.

Hyunjin frowned. "Minho, what's with you?"

Minho opened his mouth, then closed it.

What was with him?

Why did he care?

Why did it bother him?

"I don't know," Minho muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Hyunjin just stared at him, puzzled, and for the first time, Minho felt like he was the one who didn't make sense.

He turned away before he could say anything stupid.

Before he could admit something he wasn't ready to face.

But the cracks were already forming.

And Minho knew, deep down, that soon, something would break.