Chapter 4 - Lines Drawn in Silence

The days passed in a strange blur, an eerie calm settling over Hyunjin's life. His daily routine remained unchanged—early morning classes, lunch with Felix and Chan, occasional study sessions in the library—but there was an undercurrent of something new, something suffocating. No one looked at him differently, yet he felt different.

Perhaps it was the knowledge of what was to come.

He was getting married.

To a man who didn't want him.

And while Hyunjin had accepted that reality, there were moments—when he walked past couples holding hands, laughing, looking at each other like they were the most precious thing in the world—that a small, bitter pang twisted in his chest.

Would he ever have that?

Would he ever be loved like that?

He shook the thought away, focusing instead on the words in his textbook. Introduction to Fine Arts, a subject that should have come easily to him, given that he was majoring in Visual Arts. But today, his mind wandered.

A gentle tap on the table pulled him from his thoughts.

"Spacing out again?" Felix teased, dropping into the seat across from him.

Hyunjin smiled, closing his book. "Just thinking."

Felix tilted his head, watching him carefully. "About?"

Hyunjin exhaled, resting his chin on his palm. "Everything. The wedding. The fact that my life is now a drama cliché."

Felix snorted. "To be fair, you'd make a great lead. All pretty and tragic."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes but chuckled. "Tragic, huh?"

Felix hummed. "Well, yeah. You're too nice for this world, Hyunjinnie. And now you're marrying a guy who doesn't deserve you."

Hyunjin tapped his fingers against the table. "You've never even met him."

Felix shrugged. "I don't need to. Anyone who tells you straight up that they'll never love you is an idiot."

Hyunjin's smile faltered slightly.

Felix noticed. He reached across the table, squeezing Hyunjin's hand. "You deserve better."

Hyunjin didn't answer.

Because deep down, he wasn't sure if he even believed that.

--

Minho's Side of the City

Minho's life didn't change much, either. He still had classes, still had lunch with Jisung, still went home to his apartment where Seungmin was waiting for him.

On the surface, nothing was different.

Except it was.

There was a looming weight now, pressing down on him whenever he wasn't distracted. A name that followed him like a ghost. Hyunjin.

His parents had started calling him more frequently, talking about wedding preparations, asking him about Hyunjin as if they were already some happy, in-love couple.

Minho played along. He nodded when they gushed about how perfect Hyunjin was. He lied when they asked if he was starting to like him. He smiled when they talked about their 'future together.'

And every time he hung up, he felt sick.

Seungmin was quick to remind him that none of this mattered.

"It's just pretend," Seungmin would say, fingers lazily tracing Minho's collarbone as they lay tangled in the sheets. "You don't have to care about him."

And Minho would nod.

Because that was the truth.

He didn't care.

So why did that quiet, accepting look on Hyunjin's face that night still bother him?

--

It was inevitable, really.

Their lives were intertwined now, whether they liked it or not.

Hyunjin hadn't expected to run into Minho so soon, especially not on campus. But there he was, standing near the entrance of the library, talking to Jisung.

They hadn't formally met yet—not really. Their first and only conversation had been brief, cold, a transaction of words that left no room for warmth.

Hyunjin could have walked past. He could have ignored it.

But Jisung saw him first.

"Hyunjin?"

Minho turned, his gaze landing on him with a flicker of something unreadable.

Hyunjin smiled politely, stepping closer. "Hey."

Jisung grinned, nudging Minho. "You didn't tell me your fiancé was this pretty."

Minho tensed slightly, his jaw tightening. "Jisung."

Jisung laughed. "Relax, I'm just saying."

Hyunjin chuckled softly, shifting his bag on his shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Jisung."

Jisung beamed. "Likewise. I feel like I should apologize in advance for being friends with this guy." He jerked his thumb toward Minho.

Minho rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

Hyunjin smiled, but he could feel the tension rolling off Minho in waves. He wasn't sure if it was because of him or just the situation, but he decided not to linger.

"Well, I won't keep you. I just came to return some books."

Jisung pouted. "Aww, so soon?"

Hyunjin laughed lightly. "We'll see each other again, I'm sure."

Jisung nodded. "Definitely."

Minho stayed silent.

Hyunjin hesitated for half a second before giving him a small nod. "See you around, Minho."

Minho didn't respond.

And as Hyunjin walked away, he told himself that it didn't matter.

--

Later That Night

Minho's bad mood didn't go unnoticed.

Seungmin watched him from across the couch, arms crossed. "You're sulking."

Minho huffed. "I'm not."

Seungmin smirked. "You totally are. Did something happen?"

Minho hesitated before mumbling, "I ran into him."

Seungmin raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Minho shrugged. "Nothing. He was... polite."

Seungmin snorted. "Of course he was."

Minho leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Jisung was there too. He was being annoying."

Seungmin tilted his head. "So, what's the problem?"

Minho sighed. "I don't know. He just—" He frowned. "He looked at me like he already knew how this was going to go. Like he wasn't even expecting anything from me."

Seungmin hummed. "That's good, right? Less hassle."

Minho didn't answer.

Because, for some reason, it didn't feel good at all.