one hundred six

As the party continued, the warm hum of chatter and laughter filled the room.

Minho glanced around, soaking it all in. It had been a while since he had all his closest friends together like this, and seeing them all there – joking, teasing, eating – made his heart swell.

His gaze landed on Jisung, who was still smiling nervously while trying to balance his plate on his lap.

Minho leaned in close, his voice soft. "You okay? I know meeting everyone all at once can be a bit... much."

Jisung looked up, meeting his eyes. "I'm okay. Just... they're all really cool. I'm kind of nervous."

Minho smiled. "You fit right in, Jisung. Trust me."

Jisung smiled and gave a small, appreciative nod.

The dinner proceeded with the clinking of glasses and the sounds of laughter filling the room.

Jisung, still a little shy but warmed by the energy around him, sat quietly by Minho's side.

He wasn't used to gatherings like this—his memories of social interactions were vague, pieced together from what he had observed during his life as a mannequin.

"How did you two meet, then?" Chan asked, breaking Jisung's thoughts. The table turned quiet, all eyes shifting toward Jisung and Minho.

Changbin leaned back in his chair, munching on a piece of garlic bread, his eyes still twinkling with curiosity.

"Yeah! When's this long story gonna happen?" He said through a mouthful of food, "I gotta know what it takes to deal with Minho on a daily basis."

Jisung laughed nervously, stealing a glance at Minho, who smiled reassuringly at him.

"M-Maybe later?" Jisung stammered, hoping the topic would drop soon.

Hyunjin, sitting on the opposite side of the table, was trying his best to look relaxed, but his fingers nervously drummed on the side of his glass.

What would they think if they found out that Jisung had once been just a mannequin? Would they even believe it?

The thought made his stomach churn.

"Hyunjin, you good?" Chan suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hyunjin flinched, quickly forcing a laugh. "Yeah! I'm fine. Totally fine. Just, uh, enjoying the food."

"You sure?" Seungmin added, narrowing his eyes playfully. "You look like a constipated goat right now."

Hyunjin nearly choked on his drink. "A w-what— You know what, nevermind! It's nothing. Really!"

"Oh, come on! Stop it, you two. We wanna hear the tea!" Jeongin interrupted and rolled his eyes.

Minho hesitated for a second. His hand tightened just slightly around Jisung's. He hadn't exactly prepared a polished version of their "unusual" love story.

"Uh..." He began, laughing nervously. "It's a bit of an unusual story."

Seungmin raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Unusual is kind of your thing, isn't it, Minho?"

Felix leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "Oh, this sounds good. Spill it."

Minho shot Jisung a glance, silently asking if he was okay with them sharing. Jisung, still unsure how to navigate these situations, simply nodded.

They would have to explain eventually, right?

"Alright," Minho sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So, the truth is... we didn't exactly meet in the usual way," he started, chuckling awkwardly. "You know, like at a coffee shop or through mutual friends. It was a little... different."

Chan raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest. "Different how?"

Minho cleared his throat, glancing briefly at Hyunjin, whose nervous drumming on his glass had picked up speed. "Well, it started when Hyunjin, out of the goodness of his heart, gave me a mannequin—"

Hyunjin visibly tensed at the mention, trying to suppress the awkward gulp he took.

"Wait... a mannequin?" Jeongin interrupted, looking both confused and amused. "Like one of those things you pose to draw?"

"Yeah," Minho confirmed with a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hyunjin thought it would help with my art—practice proportions and stuff. Seemed like a harmless gift, right?"

The table fell silent as the weight of the story began to set in, eyes flicking from Minho to Jisung, and then to Hyunjin, whose nervous expression was becoming harder to hide.

"So... you met Jisung through a mannequin?" Seungmin asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "How does that work?"

"Oh! Does Jisung, like... sell mannequins and stuff?" Changbin chimed in, looking genuinely puzzled. "Is this some weird mannequin business connection?"

"Well..." Minho hesitated, unsure how to continue. His heart pounded, knowing that they were venturing into territory that would sound absurd to anyone who hadn't lived through it.

"It turns out that the mannequin wasn't... normal."

"Not normal how?" Felix asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Hyunjin looked like he wanted to melt into his seat. His fingers tapped nervously on the table now, unable to look anyone in the eye.

He clearly hadn't expected this part of the story to resurface so soon.

"Y-Yeah," Hyunjin muttered, trying to play it off casually. "Not normal is... one way to put it."

Minho gave a small smile, glancing over at Jisung, who nodded subtly. "You see... Jisung wasn't just a mannequin. He's... a person. He'd been under a curse."

The silence was deafening. Changbin stopped mid-bite, his fork hovering in front of his mouth, while Chan's eyes narrowed in confusion.

Changbin, still holding his fork mid-bite, blinked. "Wait... like, a real curse? As in fairy tales?"

Jeongin furrowed his brow, squinting at Jisung. "So you're saying Jisung was a mannequin... and now he's not?" He looked around the table. "Is this some kind of prank? There's no way."

Minho laughed, but there was something deeper in his tone—something vulnerable. "I know it sounds impossible, and trust me, I spent a long time trying to figure out if I was losing my mind. But Jisung... he's real. And he's... more than I could have ever imagined."

Jisung felt his heart flutter at Minho's words. It wasn't easy being in a world that didn't understand his existence. He often felt out of place, like a visitor from a reality that shouldn't exist. But with Minho by his side, he was reminded that he belonged.

Felix, trying to follow, tilted his head. "Wait, so... Jisung used to just stand around all stiff in Minho's studio? Like, no blinking? No breathing? Just... mannequin-ing?"

"Uhhhh," Chan added, rubbing his temple as though trying to process. "You're telling me I'm eating dinner with someone who used to be... part of a store display?"

Seungmin blinked slowly, clearly still lost. "So... like... you went from being made of plastic to... human? Is this some Pinocchio-type situation?"

Changbin finally set his fork down, looking around at everyone before turning back to Minho. "I'm sorry... I think I need a manual or something because none of this is adding up for me."

Hyunjin chuckled nervously, feeling the pressure build. "Yeah, I know it sounds... absolutely crazy. Trust me, when I first found out, I thought I was losing my mind."

Felix leaned closer, squinting at Jisung like he was trying to spot something off. "So, you were just... stuck as a mannequin? And... what, a kiss woke you up?"

Minho groaned. "It's a little more complicated than that, Felix."

Jisung, feeling the weight of the moment, took a deep breath and nodded, his voice quiet but steady.

"Yes... it's true. I used to be a normal person, but... because of the curse, whenever I feel threatened or afraid, I turn into a mannequin."

The room was eerily quiet. Minho's friends exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or take this seriously. Finally, Jeongin broke the silence.

"So you're telling us... the person sitting here with us... used to be a mannequin?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Yes," Jisung answered, his voice soft but honest. "I know it sounds crazy. Trust me, I didn't believe it either when it first happened."

Changbin let out a low whistle, setting down his fork. "Wow. I thought we were in for some weird story, but this... this is a whole other level."

Chan, though skeptical, was trying to piece things together. "Wait, so how did Minho find out? Like... what was that moment?"

Minho smiled, the memory of those early moments with Jisung clear in his mind.

"It started small. I'd feel... weird things happening around the house. Like, I'd wake up to find someone had kissed me, or things would be moved around. It took me a while to realize that it was Jisung coming to life."

Hyunjin shifted again, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... I may or may not have freaked out when I found out the truth. Thought I'd given Minho a haunted mannequin or something."

Seungmin raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You did give him a haunted mannequin."

Hyunjin groaned. "I didn't know he was haunted! I thought it was just... a mannequin!"

Jisung smiled sheepishly. "To be fair... I didn't know how to explain it either when I first came to life. I... wasn't sure how Minho would react."

"And... you two just fell in love after all that?" Jeongin asked, still in awe of the bizarre story.

Minho smiled warmly, his gaze softening as he looked at Jisung. "Yeah... we did. As strange as it all was, we figured it out together."

The table sat in stunned silence for a moment before Changbin suddenly burst into laughter. "Man, I was not expecting this! A cursed mannequin? You guys have the wildest lives!"

Seungmin shook his head, laughing. "Well, I guess if anyone was going to date a living mannequin, it'd be Minho." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It suits your vibe. Leave it to Minho to have a love story that sounds like a fantasy novel."

Jeongin burst into laughter at Seungmin's bluntness. "I was thinking the same thing."

Felix grinned. "Well, I'm still not a hundred percent convinced, to be honest with you guys. But I'm just glad you're both happy."

He beamed at Jisung. "I knew you were special from the moment I heard about you. I mean, it takes someone pretty amazing to make Minho let his guard down."

Chan, usually the calm and level-headed one, finally broke into a soft smile. "Hey, I've seen stranger things in life like that one guy who had plastic pants on. If you're happy, Minho, that's all that matters."

Minho chuckled, relieved that his friends were taking it in stride. He turned to Jisung, who looked both embarrassed and touched by the acceptance from the group.

"You see?" Minho whispered softly to Jisung. "I told you they'd understand."

Jisung smiled shyly, his heart swelling with gratitude. Minho's friends might not have expected this story, but the warmth in their reactions made him feel like he truly belonged.

"Wait, wait, WAIT." Changbin interjected, eyes wide. "If you were a mannequin... how did you go to the bathroom?"

Everyone burst out laughing at that, the tension dissolving into giggles.

Jisung laughed along with everyone, his grip on Minho's hand tightening.

Maybe tonight wasn't just about celebrating Minho's birthday. It felt like the beginning of something new for them both—healing, understanding, and acceptance.

But most importantly, Jisung was starting to realize that even if the world didn't always make sense, as long as he had Minho, everything would be okay.

To be continued...

A SLIGHTLY LONGER UPDATE IN COMPENSATION FOR THE MONTHS I WAS GONE YALL. I AM SO SORRYYY! I"M REALLY INSANELY BUSY HUHUHUH.

Welp this is a nine minute read guys. Have fun BWHAHAHAHAHAHHA