36: Conflict

"You shouldn't have done this to me, Soobin."

"Yeonjun, you are misunderstanding the situation. Me and Lynn didn't sleep together. She lied!"

"She lied? Then how come the ring I gave you was in her hands?"

"Okay, freeze." The acting coach exclaimed, making the pair of actors break free from their dialogues.

"Wooyoung, you have to show Yeonjun's underlying annoyance when you say the dialogue at the same time your pain." Wooyoung nodded, asking for some water, meanwhile Minho scanned the workshop room, trying to find Jisung and finally noticed the said person laughing with Wooyoung's manager.

It has been two days since the workshop started. Everyone was putting their best into the series as the project shouldn't flop with the two best actors of Korea being the characters in it.

Minho asked for a break and walked towards the two laughing people who stopped their conversation when they noticed the actor.

"Why did you guys stop?" Minho asked with a forced smile. Jisung watched Minho bored then shook his head. He glanced at Wooyoung's manager and said with a smile.

"I will talk to you later, San Hyung." San nodded, patting his head.

"Message me when you are free okay, Ji?" Jisung nodded, watching the older walk towards Wooyoung and both of them exited the room.

"How did you get close to him?" Jisung got startled when he felt a voice near his ear, a slight shiver running down his body so he turned around quickly, knocking his forehead with Minho's chin.

"Ouch!" Both of them hissed in pain, especially Minho who felt like his tongue would have split into two.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" Jisung  exclaimed in discomfort and unconsciously rubbed Minho's chin, surprising Minho.

"Sorry." Minho apologised, surprising Jisung. When he noticed his hands placed over Minho's chin, he immediately pulled back his hands, feeling conflicted.

Jisung looked away, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with the older and from his peripheral vision he noticed Minho looking at him with a slight close-lipped smile and one eyebrow raised.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Am I obligated to answer every question you ask?"

"No, but for this question, yes." Jisung let out a sigh in disbelief.

"San hyung was my sunbae before I left…" Jisung  paused, then continued, " Before he passed out of highschool." Minho observed Jisung expression and noticed him fidgeting in nervousness.

"So a senior?" Jisung nodded.

"Mr.Minho?" One of the staff called out, making both of them snap out of their short moment. "Mr.Seungmin is here, looking for you."

Jisung mind went blank upon hearing the familiar name. His insides churned with immense anger at the mere picture of the person he loathed a lot.

An angry frown creased into his forehead as he looked at Minho who nodded at the staff.

"Tell him that I will be there in a minute." The staff nodded, leaving the room.

Minho tilted his head  and noticed Jisung angry state. "What happened?" Minho asked, genuinely concerned about the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Why is he here?"

"Who?"

"Kim Seungmin."

"Cause he is the songwriter of this series?" Jisung face went pale, which made Minho a bit puzzled.

"What happened? Do you know him?" Minho suddenly asked, trying to grab a staggered Jisung attention.

"I…'' Jisung was ready to explain, but then remembered that Minho doesn't know about his childhood.

Like he doesn't know about Minho's childhood.

"Nothing." Jisung uttered, looking away. Somehow the thought about Minho not knowing his past calming his nerves down. "He is just an unimportant stranger to me."

So there is something hateful that happened between their friendship. Minho thought, patting Jisung thigh.

"Do you have any plans today?" Jisung glanced at Minho for some time then shook his head. "Okay, great. You can go back home and take a rest if you want. You will be bored if you continue accompanying me here."

"Ah okay." Jisung mumbled as he watched Minho standing up.

Jisung was left flabbered, when Minho ruffled his hair gently like he was a small puppy and what made the younger even more astonished was the gentle smile Minho gave him before leaving Jisung  to deal with the emotional battle that was happening in him.

Minho walked the hall, searching for the person he was anticipating to meet and he finally saw the person, sitting on the chair with his phone in his hands.

"Seungmin." Seungmin paused his actions as he glanced up and smiled widely as he stood up for a hug.

"Long time no see, Minho." He uttered, as they broke the hug. Minho smiled and nodded.

"Let's get in the room, shall we?" Seungmin nodded following the actor to the special room provided to Minho. Minho opened the door for Seungmin making the songwriter a bit bewildered about the actor's behaviour, but nonetheless he entered the room.

A frown started forming over Seungmin's features when he turned around after hearing the sound of the door closing. He watched Minho locking the door, perplexed.

"Minho, why are you locking…."

"Tell me. What happened between you and Jisung ?" Seungmin froze on his spot hearing the most startling question from the actor.

"Jisung?" Seungmin voiced out with an uncertain voice. "Oh your husband? Nothing, I don't even know him, Minho." Seungmin exclaimed with a smile, but his smile slowly wiped out when he noticed the look Minho gave him.

Seungmin let out a sigh as he turned on his heels and took a spot on the sofa, looking down. Minho on the other hand leaned against the wall, staring at the nervous male.

"I bet Jisung cursed me." Seungmin voiced out, letting out an empty chuckle with hollow emotions.

"No, he didn't." Seungmin looked up which made Minho let out a sigh. "In fact I got to know about you when he talked drunk." Minho pushed himself from the wall as he took a seat facing Seungmin.

"You did something during high school which made Jisung hate you. He didn't say what it was so I wanna know."

"I won't tell you." Seungmin exclaimed. " It wasn't even my fault in the first place. Jisung assumed everything and wasn't ready to hear my side."

"But you should." Minho's reply made Seungmin startled. "I am his husband so I have the right to know."

"Then why don't you ask him? Aren't you his husband?" This time Minho was the one who felt startled by the question.

Yes, why can't he ask Jisung?

Wasn't he the great ' Made In Korea' titled man? The most important person in Korea. A man with confidence as his brother and ego as his concubine? A person with millions of people who devoted themselves packaging him to be superior? The great Lee Minho?

Then why was he unable to ask Jisung about his past? Was he scared of a normal veterinary doctor?

These thoughts always puzzled Minho. However Minho has long found the answer to this question.

He wanted Jisung to open about it himself.

Minho took a deep breath as he calmly stated. "He is stuck in his past." Seungmin's facial expression changed when he heard Minho's answer.

"I want him to break free from the shells that he had created around. I want him to breathe the fresh air of relief." Minho exclaimed looking at the latter with a soft expression.

"So please, Seungmin. Please tell me the truth."
__________

"Because of San hyung's curious ass I lost an hour! Why is this man curious about my profession? Like hell just because I said I have an aim to become a veterinarian during high school doesn't mean I will. Well I did achieve the dream but still!!" Jisung frustratedly yelled, scratching his head in utter defeat.

San was curious about Jisung's choice of job as he knew that Jisung's dream job was to become a veterinarian, but instead of that he became a P.A for Minho which struck San's suspicious instinct.

"How can I tell him that 'Hey! My husband kicked my dream job like a football by showing me the red card and then suddenly showed white card by adding me as his P.A?' Bullshit."

"Hannie?" Jisung stopped talking, completely froze on his spot when he heard a very familiar voice near him.

A voice he has been hearing since his childhood. A voice that he loved to hear at his happiest or saddest moments. A voice of comfort. A voice of friendship.

A voice which he despise now.

Slowly, Jisung turned around, coming face to face with a teary eyed Seungmin whose face lightened up when he saw his ex best friend that he love the most.

Jisung's hands trembled, his heart thumping fast when all the painful memories started crashing into his soul. He felt like a fish out of water.

Seungmin stepped forward ready to embrace him, to let him know how much he missed his best friend but Jisung turned on his heels as he ran away from the hallway, leaving from Seungmin's sight.

He wasn't ready to face Seungmin.

A painful reminder of his past.