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⇒ Sunshine Apartments
1:30pm

"How come you didn't answer any of my calls last night?" Jeongin inquired cautiously, soft pout resting on his lips as he eyed his best friend's back while they both made their way through the hallway. "You didn't even reply to my texts until this morning... Everything okay?"

"I'm fine." Hyunjin smiled warmly, chest lifting with a sigh of relief as he sat himself down on the sofa, and cheeks spreading further upwards to pave the way for a genuine chuckle at the concerned look resting on Jeongin's face. "I swear I'm okay, Innie. I didn't answer last night because I was away from my phone, and by the time I picked it up, I was to tired to do anything. So yeah, I just went to bed."

"Tired? Tired with what? Don't lie to me, Hyune." Jeongin frowned lower, shoulders slumping and sad eyes gazing ever so lovingly into those of his best friend. "Is it- were you down about... him? I know it still hurts but, you should-"

"No, Jeongin. I'm moving on, okay? So please don't bring him up." Hyunjin scoffed as he spoke, small smile dimming into the natural curve of his lips and, eyes glancing down at his fingers as they rested against his thigh, fiddling with each other. "Just, last night was rather... interesting."

"Oh... okay, I'm sorry... But, what do you mean interesting? What happened?"

Inhaling deeply to aid in the relaxation of his nerves and muscles as the night's events replayed like a movie within the fresher parts of his memory, Hyunjin looked up again, the small smile that was returning on his face causing the younger to arch a brow at such switch in expression, as it seemed all too rare yet familiar for his anxious heart.

And as dreadful as it was, with the additional input of the older's next line, Jeongin was practically forced into the direful reality that his chance was once again, being taken away.

Because, according to observation over years of friendship, Hyunjin only ever switched faces so quickly whenever he had found something or, someone, interesting. That glint in the blonde's eyes only lingered whenever somebody had recently managed to make his heart flutter and, that red shadow darkening the paler color of his ears and cheeks only appeared when he already had his eyes on someone, whether knowingly or ignorantly...

So Jeongin gulped thickly. His parted lips closed themselves to give his frown a more defined shape as he listened and, his eyes, though fixated on Hyunjin's moving frame, were in no way adoring the features that he had favored so much, but rather just acting as a proof of some sort, that he was present in that room, and supposedly listening to everything that Hyunjin was saying.

"Last night, the fire alarm went off so, you know, I ran out. But then I remembered Seungmin so I went to call for him, and yeah we made it outside..." Hyunjin smiled as he spoke, eyes once again gazing down at his fingers as they childishly played together and, heavy breaths making the heaving of his chest way clearer than normal. "And then, I tried to warm him up, but he hugged me... and we hugged until we knew it was safe to go back in... And then he told me some things which I can't say... But we baked cookies."

"Cookies?"

"Mhm. There's some left over if you want... Anyways, after we spoke and all... He wasn't feeling too well so we cuddled to eat the cookies..."

"Wait. Which Seungmin?" Jeongin furrowed his brows with the question, the clawing of his fingers against both the couch's armrest too silent to alert the older of his growing anxiety. "Because the Seungmin you told me about and this one, don't really sound similar."

"It's the same Seungmin, Innie." Hyunjin chuckled. "So yeah, we cuddled, and watched movies- He was so warm and soft and everything... And when he fell asleep, I came back to my apartment, and it was late so I just went to bed."

"Hm."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just- nothing..."

"No. You know I don't like it when you do that, Jeongin. Tell me what you're thinking." Hyunjin pursed his lips worriedly as he spoke, eyes lifting to meet Jeongin's blank gaze and, head tilting to the side when so many seconds flew by without the company of any verbal reply. "Innie, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

Sighing, Jeongin looked down, lips stretching themselves up into a fake smile in attempt to calm his best friend's nerves, though his fingers did in no way cease their anxious clawing at the firm cushion. "Just be careful, Hyunjin."

"Careful with what?" Hyunjin scoffed softly, brow arching and, sarcastic smile lifting one side of his cheek. "I was just telling you why I missed your calls and texts."

"I know but, I know you too well, Jinnie. I saw how flustered you became while talking about him-"

"What? Jeongin I'm still healing, you know. I don't like Seungmin like that. You know how much I loved Felix, so why assume something like that?" Hyunjin spoke loudly- too loud for his friend's liking- and too harsh to keep Jeongin's tone from adopting its own attitude whenever he saw fit to reply. And the latter couldn't help but furrow his brows at the way Hyunjin became so offended so quickly. He couldn't help the deep scoff that left his own throat and, his mind couldn't help but shuffle through the sudden tension, meticulously searching for some sort of reasoning behind the potential argument.

Because it didn't make any sense.

Hyunjin was so damn defensive and, it seemed to make absolutely no sense, causing the only logical explanation to be that he was maybe, avoiding all new aspects of feelings for someone other than his ex...

Oh.

Well, yes.

That did make sense, didn't it? Maybe he was just, so scared of moving on... Maybe Hyunjin was just holding onto that one string of improbable hope that Felix's lover would leave again, and that said boy would selfishly grant him the second chance that he internally begged for on a nightly basis.

So despite the hint of aggravation in Jeongin's first line, he understood. He understood so clearly but, it still hurt to see the man that he loved so banked on someone that didn't even want him anymore, whilst he, Jeongin, was right there, patiently waiting with an open, loving heart. And it hurt even more, seeing the man that he loved, slowly but surely and clearly, catch feelings for someone whom he was guaranteed was out of the picture...

"Hyunjin what- Why are you being like this? I'm just trying to help you." Jeongin sighed before continuing, eyes closing and jaw clenching in attempt to rid his slight irritation, and head shaking as if the new flood of emotions disrupting his trend of thought would somehow fall out throat his ears. "I'm just- I'm sorry. I understand and I'm sorry. It's just- I know you, Hyunjin. I know that you catch feelings easily and I don't want you getting hurt like this a third time."

"I'll be fine."

"Okay..."

"Yeah, and sorry for getting on like that. It's just a sensitive topic for me..." Hyunjin sighed as he apologized, lips forming a soft pout, and one hand lifting to brush some hair back from his forehead. "Do you- do you want some cookies? We could eat some and watch a movie. I don't really have anything to do on Saturdays."

"I- I don't have much of an appetite right now, so no thanks." Jeongin faked a smile as he spoke, hands lifting from their sweaty posts on the armrest of that single sofa to ruffle the brunette strands on his head. "I might- not even stay over for long today."

"Yeah? How come? Everything okay?"

"Yep... Just some issue with a friend..."

"Talk to me, Innie. Tell me what's up." Hyunjin spoke reassuringly, the warm smile spreading on his face practically forcing an honest response from his dear friend and, gaze softening as he shifted closer to the edge of the couch to be closer to the younger. "I hope they're okay..."

"I don't even know if they're okay, honestly... And I want to express myself more to them but, these days they're making a kind of blockage, you know?"

"Mhm? Go on."

"Yeah... And I- I kinda like him..." Jeongin spoke skeptically, lower lip trapping in between his teeth as he gazed down at his thighs and, heavy breaths showing so evidently in the vigorous flaring of his nostrils. "We've known each other for years... and just like you... he moved to Seoul not to long ago..."

"Oh... Innie likes someone." Hyunjin giggled lightly, bright smile ignorantly paring with his statement to add to the stinging in Jeongin's chest, and body adjusting itself to lay on the sofa as it seemed better than sitting there so awkwardly. "And what a coincidence though. I didn't know you had a friend that moved here with me..."

"Mhm... and then he had a boyfriend for a few months... but then they broke up... and he's been hurting... and he's not been letting me in..."

"What do you mean?"

"Like... his feelings. He doesn't talk to me about them. And it's like he's scared to move on... But he's kind of moving on without even knowing it... but with someone else... rather than with me..." Jeongin pouted as he spoke, eyes closely observing the slight shifts in the other's expression as each and every specific description settled underneath the flesh of those blonde locks. "And I don't- I don't know how to tell him how I feel. Before his last relationship, I wanted to... But I didn't want to rush him or be inconsiderate..."

"Hm..."

"Mhm... But it hurts to see him move on, even if it's unintentional, with someone else. Especially... especially when I thought that person was out of the picture..."

"I also have a friend." Hyunjin started skeptically, lower lip trapping in between his teeth as his mind fought to organize the wisest group of words that'd flow perfectly with Jeongin's rather obvious implications. And it hurt, what he was planning to introduce in his own story-like wordplay but, he knew that it was best. He knew that it was necessary to avoid dispensable hurt and, he knew that it was needed to at evade the likeliness of prolonged tension in their platonic relationship.

Because Hyunjin knew what it felt like to be led on- he knew what it was like to harbor false hope and, he knew what it was like to assume the presence of romantic love from the simplest of gestures, without even a hint of correction from the other party. "He's amazing."

"Mhm?"

"Mhm. He's beautiful and caring and loving, and always picks me up at my lowest."

"Hm..." Slight yet evident hope fueled the sound of Jeongin's hum. His eyes gazed ever so intently at Hyunjin's lowered head and, his palms, moist with cold sweat, could only drag back and forth over a short expanse of his clothed thighs. "He sounds... nice."

"He is. He's always caring, you know? We've known each other for years. And he's never let me down... I love him like a brother."

"Oh."

"Y-yeah. He's like my other half. My little brother... There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you, Jeongin." Hyunjin spoke softly, head lifting to meet the gaze of his best friend, and the soothing smile on his face completely contradicting the tears brewing in the younger's wide eyes. "I love you, Innie. I love you a lot... but not... in that... way."

"Mhm. I- I understand, yeah. I didn't mean to be so ob-obvious and- and I'm s-sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Jeongin let a tear slip free, mentally chastising himself for becoming so vulnerable after a supposedly embarrassing, indirect confession as his rant. "I think I should go home now... You can call or text me if anything comes up and... yeah. Take care of yourself."

"Innie." Hyunjin called loudly upon noticing the swift movements of the younger to leave the inside of his apartment. "Innie, wait. You don't have to go." He spoke up again, body lifting up and off of the couch to skip after the other, and innocent conscience feeling so irked by the incident that it just had to allow him the slightest bit of guilt; just enough to permit his mind to overthink some time later. "Promise me that you won't let this come between us, Jeongin. I love you, and you know that. I don't even know what I'd do without you... So please don't let this change us."

"I won't." He faked a small smile, head nodding and, hand twisting the doorknob in its hold. "Again, I'm sorry for bringing it up in the first place. I promise it won't change anything. I just need some time to myself."

"Okay. Text me when you get home, please..."

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