Chapter 9 - Unwelcome Guests

The house was silent, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional ticking of the clock in the living room. The afternoon sun filtered through the curtains, casting warm golden streaks across the wooden floor.

Hyunjin sat at the dining table, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the smooth surface. He had been alone for most of the day. Minho had left early in the morning, not bothering to say where he was going or when he would be back.

Not that it mattered.

Hyunjin had learned not to expect much from his husband.

A sudden knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock—Minho wasn't supposed to be home yet.

Confused, he stood up and made his way to the entrance, unlocking the door with careful hands.

And then he froze.

The person standing before him was unfamiliar—dark brown eyes sharp and calculating, lips curled into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. He had an air of confidence, almost arrogance, the kind that came from knowing exactly where he stood in someone's life.

Hyunjin knew.

He didn't need an introduction.

But the stranger gave him one anyway.

"Hi," the man said, tilting his head. "You must be Hyunjin."

Hyunjin nodded slowly, his grip tightening around the door handle. "And you are?"

The smirk widened.

"Seungmin," he said, stepping forward slightly. "Minho's boyfriend. The love of his life."

--

Hyunjin's heart clenched, but he kept his face neutral, offering nothing but a polite nod.

Seungmin watched him closely, clearly waiting for a reaction—hurt, anger, jealousy. But Hyunjin had learned long ago how to mask his emotions.

Instead, he stepped aside, allowing Seungmin to enter.

"I assume you're here to see Minho," Hyunjin said calmly.

Seungmin let out a small, mocking laugh. "Obviously." He glanced around the house before turning back to Hyunjin. "I'll wait in his room."

Hyunjin only nodded. "Go ahead."

He turned away, walking toward his own bedroom without another word.

Seungmin clicked his tongue behind him. "You're really just going to let me walk in like this?"

Hyunjin paused in the hallway but didn't turn around. "Why wouldn't I?"

Seungmin took a slow step closer. "Because I'm here to take what's already mine."

Hyunjin inhaled sharply, keeping his shoulders squared. "Minho has always been yours."

A beat of silence.

Then a chuckle, low and full of satisfaction.

"You're smarter than I thought," Seungmin mused. "At least you know your place."

Hyunjin said nothing.

He simply walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

--

Hours passed.

Hyunjin wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but when he woke, the house was no longer quiet.

Laughter.

Low voices.

The faint sounds of a movie playing in the living room.

For a moment, he considered staying in bed. Pretending he wasn't here. Pretending he didn't exist in the same space as them.

But his stomach churned with hunger, and he knew he couldn't hide forever.

With a quiet sigh, he pushed himself up and padded toward the door.

As he descended the stairs, the voices became clearer, and so did the scene before him.

Minho and Seungmin sat curled up on the couch, wrapped in a world that didn't include him.

Seungmin's head rested on Minho's shoulder, his fingers lazily tracing patterns on Minho's arm. Minho, in turn, gazed at him with an expression Hyunjin had never seen before—soft, warm, full of something dangerously close to love.

Then, Minho leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to Seungmin's temple.

Hyunjin stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his breath hitching.

For the first time, he felt it.

The pain. The weight. The unbearable ache in his chest.

Not because Minho was with Seungmin—he had always known where Minho's heart belonged.

But because for the first time, he truly saw the difference.

The way Minho looked at Seungmin was nothing like how he looked at him.

With Seungmin, there was affection. With him, there was only resentment.

With Seungmin, there was warmth. With him, there was only ice.

With Seungmin, Minho wanted to be close. With him, Minho couldn't get far enough away.

Something wet slipped down Hyunjin's cheek.

It took him a moment to realize it was a tear.

And for the first time since this marriage began, he let himself cry.

Silently.

Unnoticed.

Alone.