Chapter 33 - A Fear He Couldn't Name

Minho tapped his fingers against the armrest of the couch, his eyes flicking between the clock on the wall and the silent phone in his hand.

11:45 PM.

Hyunjin still wasn't home.

A strange unease sat heavy in Minho's chest, tightening with each passing minute.

Hyunjin never stayed out this late without letting him know. Even if they weren't close, even if their relationship had been nothing but forced from the beginning, Hyunjin always had the courtesy to send a text when he'd be home late.

But tonight—nothing.

Minho leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His foot bounced anxiously against the floor.

He had told himself he wouldn't care.

But here he was, staring at his phone like a fool, waiting for a notification that never came.

Waiting for Hyunjin.

And he hated it.

--

12:10 AM.

Still no sign of Hyunjin.

Minho had never been the type to panic easily, but the silence was gnawing at his patience. A hundred thoughts ran through his mind—none of them pleasant.

What if something happened?

What if he got lost?

What if someone hurt him?

The idea sent a sharp jolt through Minho's body, one that had him standing abruptly.

That's it.

He wasn't going to sit here and wait anymore.

He unlocked his phone and pressed Hyunjin's contact, his heart pounding far harder than it should.

The call rang once. Twice.

Then finally—

"Hello?"

Minho let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, relief crashing into him so hard it nearly made his knees weak.

But that relief was short-lived.

"Where the hell are you?" he snapped, gripping the phone tighter. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

A pause. Then, Hyunjin's voice, soft but slightly strained.

"I'm at the hospital."

Minho felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him.

"The what?"

"The hospital," Hyunjin repeated, his voice still calm. "But I'm fine—"

Minho was already grabbing his keys. "Stay right there. I'm coming to get you."

"Minho, you don't have to—"

"I said stay there," Minho growled. "Do not move until I get there."

And with that, he ended the call and stormed out the door.

--

The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity.

Minho had always been a rational person. He didn't act on emotions—he controlled them.

But right now, his emotions were controlling him.

The moment he had heard Hyunjin say hospital, something inside him had snapped.

Fear.

A fear so raw, so intense, that it almost scared him.

And he had no idea why.

Because this was Hyunjin.

The same Hyunjin he had been forced to marry.

The same Hyunjin he had dismissed as spoiled and naïve.

So why did the thought of something happening to him feel like a punch to the gut?

Minho didn't have an answer.

And that terrified him more than anything.

--

Minho pushed open the hospital doors with more force than necessary, his eyes scanning the waiting area frantically.

And then—he saw him.

Hyunjin sat on one of the chairs near the reception desk, looking exhausted but completely unharmed.

Minho exhaled sharply, tension leaving his body all at once.

But then his relief turned into something else entirely.

Anger.

Because Hyunjin had scared the hell out of him, and for what?

Minho stormed over, stopping right in front of him. "Explain. Now."

Hyunjin looked up, blinking at Minho's intense expression. "Minho—"

"I swear to God, if you tell me you just forgot to text me—"

"I didn't," Hyunjin interrupted, sighing. "I was helping someone."

Minho narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Hyunjin gestured toward the hallways. "An old woman collapsed on the street. No one else stopped to help, so I brought her here."

Minho blinked. "You—" He inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you serious?"

Hyunjin tilted his head. "Would you rather I had left her there?"

"That's not the point," Minho snapped. "The point is that it's nearly one in the morning, and you didn't even think to tell me where you were? Do you have any idea how—" He stopped himself, biting down on the words before they slipped.

How worried I was.

How I thought something had happened to you.

Hyunjin frowned. "I didn't want to bother you. You never cared before."

Minho's jaw tightened.

Because Hyunjin was right.

And yet, right now, the thought of not knowing where Hyunjin was, of him being in a hospital of all places, had nearly driven Minho insane.

Hyunjin sighed. "I was going to leave after making sure she was okay, but her family wasn't around, and she didn't have enough money to pay for the initial bills, so I—"

Minho's expression darkened. "Tell me you didn't."

Hyunjin gave him a sheepish smile. "I covered the costs."

Minho inhaled sharply, his grip tightening around his car keys. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath.

"Minho—"

"Let's go," Minho cut him off. "I'm driving you home."

"But—"

Minho grabbed Hyunjin's wrist, dragging him toward the exit. "No arguments. You are not commuting home alone at this hour."

Hyunjin looked up at him, surprised. "Why do you even care?"

Minho halted.

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken.

Minho's fingers twitched against Hyunjin's wrist, his heartbeat loud in his ears.

Why did he care?

Minho didn't answer.

He just pulled Hyunjin along, ignoring the way his chest felt impossibly tight.

Ignoring the fact that, deep down, he already knew the answer.

And that scared him more than anything.