49: Denial

The husbands were back inside the house, the door closed behind to contain their quarrels inside the four walls. The least thing they want the villagers to know is that they are husbands.

Jisung fiddled his fingers, glancing at Minho who was being silent all the time, patiently waiting for an explanation. Jisung let out a sigh of feeling wronged and started speaking.

"What?" Minho raised his eyebrows.

"You know what it is, Jisung."

"Did I do something wrong?" Jisung asked, hoping for the other to stop his interrogation, but who was he kidding to? Minho can't change his stubborn attitude overnight.

"Yes you did!" Minho exclaimed, "You kept your exam a secret. How could you, Han? How can you walk around without feeling guilty?"

"Why should I feel guilty? It's for my life and my career. It's not like I have to say everything to you." Minho's expression changed. He stood up from where he was seated, and walked towards Jisung.

Minho stopped mid-way, giving them the safe distance they needed at the moment. Jisung raised his eyebrows, but on the inside he was facing conflicts, afraid of where this would lead to.

"You don't have to," Said Minho, "but at least as your husband, don't I have the right to know?"

"Do you consider yourself as my husband?" Finally, Jisung let out the question he was anticipating to ask. He watched the latter's expression turning to disbelief and hesitation.

The question lingered in the air like a weighing silence; too odd to strike a conversation, yet Jisung wanted to hear the thoughts from Minho's mouth. The thoughts he has suppressed.

"Jisung, don't make it difficult for me." It wasn't the answer that Jisung seeked for and the disappointment he felt hearing the words was immense.

"I'm not making it difficult, you are." Jisung exclaimed, pointing his hands at Minho, "I wanna know what and where our relationship is. You can't randomly kiss me and claim it as revenge." Minho stood there silently as he stared at the Jisung who was too composed for the cold situation.

Even though Jisung's question was out of the blue, Minho knew that one day he had to answer the question. If it was the old Minho he would have clearly declared that 'You are my husband till our first anniversary' however having a clear awareness about his feelings for the younger, he doesn't know what to answer as Jisung clearly despised him for many things he has done to the latter.

Thus how can he confess that he loves Jisung? Minho was hundred percent sure that Jisung would brutally reject and mock him and Minho doesn't want that.

Keeping his blooming feelings hidden was much better than getting it crushed by the love of his life.

"I don't know," Minho glanced away, not noticing Jisung's face falling,"I have never thought about it."

"You never have or you didn't want to?" Jisung only received silence in return making him sigh. He felt like crying out but what did he expect from Minho who married him out of ego?

"You wanna know the details right? Here it is. I will be leaving for America in January right after the first week. To make it clear, no I won't be coming back until our contract comes to an end." Jisung at first felt anger eating him as he only received silence yet again. Tears started forming over his eyes, but at the same time emptiness started overshadowing him.

"Give me some time." Jisung blinked his eyes, finally hearing a response from the latter. "It's too much to process."

"Too much to process?" Jisung shook his head in disbelief. "Call me dramatic or whatever you want, but have you ever thought about how much I was going through? Can you imagine a day where you get threatened by someone you met during your work hours and that person takes your dream job away saying it's my punishment for what? Offending? Lee Minho, you are in a headspace."

Minho tried to defend himself. "I told you that I will give the job back."

"And what? Do you think I will have the mindset to work there once again?" Jisung looked away, "Why the fuck do I even like you?" That caught Minho's attention. Jisung blinked his eyes in realisation and bit his tongue at his stupidity.

"What did you say?" Minho voiced out, ready to raise the question once again only to get intercepted by a knock on the doors. Jisung took a quick glance at Minho and walked away. He opened the door, not before making sure that he looked presentable.

Hannah smiled, despite sensing the awkward atmosphere between the husbands. "Did I disturbed, Oppa?" Jisung shook his head smiling.

"What happened, Hannah?"
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"Love quarrel?" Minho looked at his side and saw Hannah, looking ahead at the happy crowd. Minho glanced ahead, finding Jisung amongst the crowd, the said person happily chattering with the doctor – who goes by Mingyu – and few other subordinates.

The village Bale – head of the village – called everyone to have a great winter feast together since Mingyu along with the other nurses would leave the village to reach, so as to show small gratitude, the village will be partying tonight.

Minho nodded, " Sorta, it's a bit complicated at this point." Hannah tilted her head, still not looking at the latter. They thanked the lady, who approached them with drinks. They stood there watching the lady going away, doing the same thing with others. "May I know the reason?"

And that's how Hannah ended up smacking the heck out of Minho who stood there, too shocked to even react."You are seriously dumb for a CEO! How did you even get the title?"

"What did I do now!?" Minho pouted, rubbing the place Hannah hit him. The girl reminded him of his sister, and he could find similarities between them now.

"Uncle, you idiot, Jisung oppa clearly loves you." Minho's eyes widened, "If he doesn't, then he at least likes you. Heck he can be attracted to you too."

"How can you say that?"

"Didn't you just say that he asked in what position your relationship was?" Hannah shook her head, " Trust me if someone asks that they would be expecting something from you." Minho tilted his head, clearly confused.

"I don't think so." Hannah facepalms.

I have to pray to the almighty Jisung Oppa, for having patience with this dumbass yet handsome elder. She thought.

"Did you forget that I have two fathers? I have been seeing them for fifteen years. They quarrel, bicker and why not? Flirt with each other, not caring that I am in front of them. They are some shameless beings I have ever seen." She chuckled, "However they both were once enemies and always attacked each other physically." She glanced at the dark sky, as if she was trying to collect the memories.

"My dads were colleagues. Papa used to say that they always found and pointed out each others' faults when the funny part is they were working in different departments." She shook her head. "Despite having enmity, they did have a liking towards each other, but were in denial. They still don't know how or when they did fell in love. Now, here they are, with a new day and chapter."

Silence filled, making her raise eyebrows. She turned her body towards the elder, who glanced at her, blinking his eyes repeatedly, making her mentally pray that Minho did get the hint. "Did you get what I meant by the story?" Minho nodded, making her hopes rocket high. "What did you get?"

"That your fathers still live together." Another smack was delivered as Minho let out a hiss in pain. At the moment Jisung walked towards them only to see Hannah smacking his husband's head making him panic. "Hannah, what are you doing!?"

"Nothing!" Both Minho and Hannah exclaimed at the same time, making Jisung suspicious of the situation.

"It doesn't look like 'nothing'. " Jisung exclaimed, emphasising the word nothing. However, Hannah raised her hands, making Minho panic.

"Jisung Oppa! Uncle Minho was asking…" She immediately moved away before Minho could grab her, "He was asking when you both could go to the city!" She screamed at last when Minho grabbed her, but let her go when she didn't spill the tea, making him sigh. Jisung looked at the pure chaos in amusement, but still gave an answer.

"I came here for that. Mingyu-ssi said that they will be departing the day after tomorrow, so we will be able to go to the city in two days before Christmas." The husbands stared at each other, but it was short lived as Jisung was called out by one of Mingyu's colleagues.

"Poor Jisung Oppa." Minho raised his eyebrows.

"Why?" Hannah shook her head with a chuckle, "Nothing." Minho rolled his eyes.

"So, why did you smack me?"

"You didn't get my point."

"What point?"

"Denial is part of love." Minho blinked his eyes, making her sigh. " You both are in denial, whether or not to confess to each other."

"I don't think he loves me."

"Denial."

"Whatever." Hannah giggled at Minho's defeated state. "I have one question."

"Spill."

"Why do you call Jisung as Oppa but me as Uncle?"

"Simple, you are stupid."

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Hannah is me when I have to knock some sense into my "flirting yet enemies" friends. 😭💅