Chapter 42: Stirring the Unknown

The morning air was tense, thick with something neither Minho nor Hyunjin could put into words. Despite agreeing to forget about the accidental kiss, it lingered in their minds like an unshakable echo.

Hyunjin busied himself in the kitchen, determinedly avoiding Minho's gaze as he prepared breakfast. His hands trembled slightly as he poured milk into his cereal, the moment replaying over and over in his head.

Minho, on the other hand, sat at the dining table, arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular. His jaw was tense, his mind a battlefield of conflicting emotions.

Why was he so flustered? It wasn't a big deal. Just a stupid accident. So why did his lips still tingle as if it had happened only moments ago?

Hyunjin finally broke the silence. "Do you want coffee?" His voice was quieter than usual, hesitant.

Minho snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh? Uh... yeah. Sure."

Hyunjin turned his back to him, grateful for the distraction. He busied himself with the coffee maker, biting his lip as he tried to push the morning's events aside. But he could still feel Minho's presence behind him, watching him.

Minho, however, wasn't just watching—he was observing.

He noticed the way Hyunjin's shoulders hunched slightly, how his fingers fidgeted with the mug handle. He was nervous. But why?

Was it because of what happened?

Minho scoffed at himself. Of course, it was. Hyunjin was probably overthinking everything, just like he was.

But deep down, Minho couldn't deny it—he was beginning to realize that he liked seeing Hyunjin flustered.

Damn it.

--

The day passed in a blur. Minho tried to distract himself by focusing on school, but he found his mind wandering far too often.

Hyunjin had been quieter than usual, but it wasn't a sad kind of quiet. It was the kind of quiet that made Minho want to figure him out even more.

By the time they got home, Hyunjin seemed to have relaxed a bit. He hummed softly to himself as he took off his shoes, stretching his arms above his head.

Minho caught himself staring.

He quickly looked away.

"What do you want for dinner?" Hyunjin asked, turning to him.

Minho blinked. He hadn't even thought about dinner. "Uh... anything's fine."

Hyunjin tilted his head. "You always say that."

"Because I don't care." Minho shrugged, walking past him toward the couch.

Hyunjin huffed, putting his hands on his hips. "One day, I'm going to make something really weird and see if you still don't care."

Minho smirked. "Go ahead. I dare you."

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes playfully before heading into the kitchen. Minho watched him for a moment before shaking his head at himself.

Why was he starting to enjoy these moments?

--

Later that night, Hyunjin sat on the couch with a book in his lap, completely immersed in the story. Minho sat beside him, scrolling through his phone, though his eyes kept flickering toward Hyunjin.

He didn't know when it started, but he had begun to enjoy these quiet moments.

Hyunjin, lost in his own world, was always so expressive when he read. His brows furrowed when something intense happened, his lips parted slightly in anticipation, and sometimes, he even smiled without realizing it.

Minho wasn't sure why, but he found himself wanting to see more of that smile.

"Hyunjin."

Hyunjin looked up from his book, surprised. "Yeah?"

Minho hesitated. He didn't even know why he called him.

"...Nothing."

Hyunjin blinked before letting out a small laugh. "You're weird."

Minho scoffed. "Says the one making dramatic faces while reading."

"I can't help it! It's a good book." Hyunjin clutched it to his chest.

Minho rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips.

Maybe—just maybe—Hyunjin wasn't as unbearable as he once thought.

--

Just as the night settled into its usual quietness, Minho's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

Seungmin.

His stomach twisted.

He stood up, walking toward the balcony before answering. "Hey."

"Hey, babe," Seungmin's voice came through, light and sweet. "I miss you."

Minho exhaled slowly, leaning against the railing. "It's late, Seungmin."

"I know, but I wanted to hear your voice," Seungmin pouted. "You haven't been calling me as much lately. Are you that busy?"

Minho hesitated. Had he really not been calling as much?

Seungmin sighed dramatically. "You're not... getting too comfortable with Hyunjin, are you?"

Minho tensed. "What? No."

"Good," Seungmin hummed. "I don't want him replacing me."

Minho frowned. "No one's replacing anyone."

There was a pause before Seungmin's voice turned softer. "Then come see me soon, okay?"

Minho swallowed. "...Yeah."

But for some reason, his chest felt heavier than it should.

And as he hung up the call, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing—whether he was ready for it or not.