«Hyung! Did you bring a guest?»

Han and Minho had arrived at the agency. The younger had quickly let go of Minho's hand, assuming that it wasn't the best to be seen like that at work, and the trainee boy smiled at him, leading him along the corridors and flights of stairs. Han looked around with bright eyes, scanned every boy or girl they met, imprinting them on his mind to one day being able to say "I had seen them before they became famous!"

Minho looked at him with a smile, happy that the previous day and Han's empty gaze seemed just a distant memory, and they reached the rehearsals room. The older had dropped down and was stretching, while Han had crouched with his legs up to his chest in the corner of the room, behind him.

A boy walked in and Han immediately recognized him: he was one of the two friends who had accompanied Minho to the café that time.

«I.N-ah!» Minho greeted him and then smiled, looking at his little friend curled up in a corner. He looked so lost, so little.

«This is Jisung, he wanted to see us dance»

The boy smiled at Han and his eyes almost disappeared. He gave him a short bow: «Pleased to meet you, I'm Jeongin»

Han shyly smiled at him in response. A few moments later the hall was already filled with loud music and two other boys had also joined them: Hyunjin, that beautiful dancer Jisung had already seen at the café with Jeongin, and Felix - what an unusual name for a Korean guy.

«Woah, Minho-hyung, did you bring your boyfriend?» Felix exclaimed as soon as he saw Han.

Minho glared at him, while his ears were turning red, and Jisung buried his head in his knees. However, neither of them denied it and Han was puzzled. He kept looking at Minho, trying to read his expression.

Did he think he was his boyfriend? Would it have been fine for him?

«Enough talk, lazy people, let's get started!» Minho called his mates back and they started the long training.

The whole time Han couldn't take his eyes off Minho, who was focused on the dance but occasionally gave him a quick glance through the mirror. His body moved so attractively. He was so sure of himself, so sinuous in his movements and Han was mesmerized by him.

He was the more experienced dancer, compared to the others, perhaps also because he was the oldest, but it wasn't just the precision in what he did that attracted Han's attention. It was the strength in his movements, coupled with how he made everything seem so effortless and natural.

It was terribly sexy too. His thighs were tense, his legs so powerful, his buttocks firm...

Han had always found him handsome, beautiful, but he had never looked at him with malice and blushed at the thought. Yet he couldn't help it.

During the break Minho sat next to him but didn't get too close: «Don't come near me, I stink»

«Mmh, romantic» Han cackled, but Minho didn't miss the chance.

«Do you want me to be romantic? I can be too much» he smirked, winking.

«Oh for real, boyfriend?» Han cackled, watching Minho get embarrassed, «You must have decided that while I was sleeping» he added, enjoying teasing the older one. 

«Ah, were you sleeping then? You seemed too quiet and too little red» Minho smiled, playing along.

«Ya! Do not joke about that!» Han mumbled, covering his cheeks with his hands. He knew he always blushed so easily and this had also been something he was bullied about as a child, because he looked too "Sissy".

«Have you ever looked at your ears?» he added then, pointing to Minho.

«My ears?» Minho asked, touching that part of his body.

«Oh yes, they turn red when you're embarrassed!» Han explained, thinking about that morning.

"I would miss you too much" he had said and his ears had turned the color of the tomato.

«Oh, I guess you make me embarrassed too» Minho chuckled and stood up, drinking a copious amount of water.

Then he saw Felix watching them from a distance gossiping with Jeongin. He rolled his eyes: «Break is over, come on!»

Han continued to watch the boys practice, blushing for no reason from time to time, thinking about the sweet things Minho had said to him during the whole day. He was being so soft. He also thought about that firm and strong body next to his during the last few nights - had he really slept with that sexy boy so many times? 

He also thought about how much... How much he wished Minho was his.

The boys finished training and said goodbye to Han one by one: Hyunjin with a simple wave, I.N with a huge smile and Felix with a wink. Han didn't like being around people but, he had to admit that they seemed nice.

«They like you» Minho said, approaching while tapping his front with a towel, «But of course, how can they not like you» he added, with a smile.

Han shook his head at the compliment and smiled: «So you like me too?» he asked, smirking.

Minho nodded and started to add something, but was interrupted by the first little dancers. He almost didn't even have a break before the room was immediately filled with screaming children.

Han huddled even more against the wall, in his corner, afraid of all the chaos. Two of them clung to Minho's legs, while one pulled him by the hand and another jumped pointing at Jisung: «Who is that boy, hyung? He's weird!»

Minho threw a smile at Han and messed up the boy's hair: «He's not weird, he's different. And he's beautiful.» he said, making the boy frown, «Now get off my legs and let's see if you remember anything from last Friday!»

There were some pours of resentment but then the whole group got into position and, after a quick warm-up, they followed Minho for more than an hour without ever getting distracted.

Minho was very good at teaching, Han didn't stop looking at him with wide eyes. He was discovering new sides of that boy every day and, he didn't even know how it was possible, he liked each of them.

Once Minho's day's work was over, the boy was finally able to return to Han. He had often observed him and had noticed with pleasure that the little one didn't take his eyes off him, but he couldn't wait to be able to be alone with him again. Just the two of them. 

«Woah, Min, you are a great dancer and a great teacher too!» Han came hopping towards him, while Minho wiped his neck with a towel. Regardless of the sweat, the stench and whatever else, Han threw his arms around his neck and hugged him.

Minho was surprised by that gesture, but he reciprocated, putting his hands on Han's back.

«Did you miss me?» he whispered, pulling the younger away to look him in the face.

Han looked at him puzzled: «I was here in the same room as you all the time!»

Minho held him closer, stroking his back softly: «I mean... If you missed that» he explained, pointing to their intertwined bodies.

Han blushed, but nodded. Then he buried his face in the older's chest, mostly to hide his shyness.

«Ji, I'm all sweaty!» Minho chuckled, pulling him off. Han resisted, clutching Minho's torso and pouting: «I don't care!»

Minho lifted an armpit and brought it to Han's face who was horrified: «Ya!»

«I told you, I can be very romantic» Minho sneered.

«You are so silly!» Han laughed.

Minho grabbed his stuff and smiled: «But you like me that way.» he said, watching him in those sweet eyes.

«Yes, I think I like you» Han mumbled, almost imperceptibly.

Minho squeezed his little hand again and they walked towards Han's house. By that day, it was obvious for both of them that they would have slept together that night too.

.           .           . 

Han and Minho seemed to have passed, together, the bad moment of the youngest and Haru couldn't stop smiling. She felt relieved that his child was no longer alone and had found someone to love, however those two loved each other.

Friends, lover, soulmate... It didn't matter how they defined themselves, those two were made to be close.

«Mom? What are you watching? Your smile is creepy» Han laughed, while Minho hit him on the arm. 

«Nothing, honey. I'm just happy you two found each other» she said, getting up from the table with a smile.

Han quickly glanced at Minho, who did the same. Their eyes met for a moment and both quickly averted that contact. A strange embarrassment was perceived by both.

«Well, we go to my room!» Han exclaimed, trying to chase that feeling away. Haru nodded, wished them both good night and watched them walk up the stairs, at a safe distance from each other.

Once they were alone, the two found it hard to look each other in the eyes, as if the words of Han's mother had brought out a thought that both were trying to avoid: what were they to each other? 

Minho thought that there was no need to define a relationship or a person. It wasn't necessary to have a label to love someone. It was enough for him to be next to that squirrel boy to be happy.

Han on the other hand, back from unhappy love stories, preferred to go slow and not consider their relationship as a love affair. For him, Minho was much more than a lover. 

«I'm so tired!» Minho snapped, throwing himself on the bed after a quick round in the shower. Han knew Minho hadn't slept at all the previous night because of him and he tried to hide the guilty feeling.

«Me too» he just answered, but his mind was elsewhere. He'd been thinking about it all day, watching Minho dance, watching these new sides of him and he'd convinced himself. 

He grabbed his diary from the desk and went to sit on the bed next to Minho. He turned the small notebook in his hands for a few moments, under the older's curious eyes, and then handed it to him.

«I want you to read it.» he said.

Minho's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered how Han had reacted the day Minho had asked him about that diary. Had he changed his mind so quickly? 

«Baby, are you sure?» he asked, taking the object with extreme delicacy between his hands. It contained part of Han's heart, after all.

Han nodded, with a soft smile. He wanted to know every part of Minho, who was in fact giving him free access to his entire life, and he wanted to make himself known too. He wished that boy to really understand him and to find out the darker parts of his life, which however Han wasn't able to tell aloud. And no, the diary wasn't just full of songs.

«I trust you.» Han said, lowering his gaze, «And I want you to know every part of me.» he added, lying down and covering his face with his hands.

Minho hugged the diary to his chest and approached Han: «I am honored, Ji» he said, watching his cute face fondly. «And I have to admit that this is very romantic» he whispered, leaving a kiss on Han's cheek.

Jisung blushed abruptly, putting a hand to his cheek: «Don't make me change my mind!» he snapped, pouting.

Minho looked at him, that sweet and proud look in his eyes again, and smiled.

«You are so cute, Han Jisung»

.           .            . 

Over the next two days Minho had longer rehearsals than usual and had already warned Han that he couldn't have picked him up. So Jisung went home alone for two evenings, with headphones in his ears; he had dinner with his mother and threw himself on the bed. The room felt empty without the cat-like boy, he had grown too used to Minho's presence.

He really missed him. And he couldn't sit still and stop thinking about him.

He got up puffing and walked over to his desk, looking for his diary. He had so many thoughts in his head, he had to write. As he thought about what he would rather write - he could continue his song or write something new - he frowned not finding the notebook in any corner of his messy desk, not even moving some rubbish.

"Where did I-" he stopped and sighed, suddenly remembered that his diary was not there either. Minho had it.

Han bit his lip and threw himself on the bed again, sinking his head into the pillow.

What would Minho have thought? Would he have found him strange? Or boring? Or creepy?

Han didn't even remember everything that was written in the diary because, apart from the songs, he had promised himself not to reread it, not to reread the tear-soaked pages of venting that he had written in the last year.

What he was certain of was that in that diary there was part of his soul, part of his story, without filters, without mincing words. And it could be really scary.

He glanced at the phone, but still no sign of Minho. The boy was still at the agency for sure and probably still hadn't read a single page of that stupid notebook. In the last two days he had only sent him a few messages and Han couldn't stop checking his phone, hoping for another heart emoji or another "I miss you".

But at that moment Han was huffing, agitated. He was starting to regret giving him the diary. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe Minho would have walked away from him. Maybe...

His smartphone lighted up and Minho's name appeared on the screen.

Minho

"I read your diary"

"You are fucking amazing, Han Jisung"

Han felt his heart tighten in his chest at those words.

Ji 🖤 

"I don't think my story is wonderful..."

Minho

"Not at all. I was up all night to read it and, to be honest, I had to run to the bathroom to cry several times today during rehearsals."

"So, yeah, your story is awful."

"But your words, your thoughts, you..."

Minho looked up from his phone and watched his reflection in the dance room mirror.

"Fuck, I'm in love with your soul too, Han Jisung" he thoughts, returning to look at the chat.

Minho

"I can't wait to hug you"

Han felt tears running down his face, but he smiled.

Ji 🖤 

"Me too, Min"

Minho

"You have to promise me one thing"

Ji 🖤 

"Mh... What is that?"

Minho

"You have to finish that last song and sing it to me. I won't accept a no."

"See you tomorrow, baby Jisung, good night"

Ji 🖤

"Good night, big romantic Minho"

Elle's note:

I'm baaaaack baby stars! How are u doing?

Did u read Members with benefits? I'm so happy I finished it and now I can go on with this one. I really don't know where I'm going, no idea at all, but we will see ahah

PS. I made a 2023 Stray Kids recap, with the best moment of their year!! If you wanna see it:

https://youtu.be/2xvK7mbnMp4

I will do even each member recap, so tell me which member should I start with and which song should I use!! 

Love u

Moon