Chapter Text
Mingi decides, for better or worse, to listen to Wooyoung and Yeonjun.
He’s going to stop floundering in this awkward limbo of not-quite avoidance. Because by now, Yunho has definitely noticed that something’s up. The look on Yunho’s face when Mingi flinched away from his touch during movie night might haunt Mingi for the rest of his life, and acted as the spark that lights the fire under his ass to do something.
He never wants to be the cause for such sadness on Yunho’s face ever again. And the first step is to talk to him. Just like everyone’s been telling him to.
“I’m proud of you,” Seonghwa says when Mingi comes to him in another panic. “It’s very brave of you to do this. Confessing to someone isn’t easy to do.”
Mingi groans, covering his face. “Yeah, tell me about it. Wait, actually, I don’t think I even know what happened there. How did you do it?”
“Yunho didn’t tell you?” Seonghwa asks. “I’m kind of surprised he never said anything, it was humiliating.”
“Huh?” Mingi blinks, sitting upright. “I always assumed it was like, all sappy and romantic. Yunho just said you were finally asking Hongjoong out, and the next day you guys were acting like an old married couple. Well, more than you already had been.”
Seonghwa’s smile turns wry. “Well, not exactly. Joong was so deep in denial that I had to lay it out for him about three times. Then we argued about whether or not I was being clear enough.”
Mingi’s mouth falls open. “What? You bared your soul to him and he shrugged it off three times?”
“Pretty much,” Seonghwa says, a fond smile on his lips. “I was petrified, but I don’t regret any of it. Sometimes, you have to take the leap and trust that your person will catch you.”
“And if he steps back and I fall on my face?”
“Then that’s your answer,” Seonghwa shrugs. “But I doubt that’ll be the case. Yunho would bend fate and destiny if you asked him to. And if that’s not enough proof that things will work out, you’re as stupid as Hongjoong.”
Mingi cries out in protest. “Dude, you were supposed to be hyping me up here!”
“And you’re supposed to be meeting with Yunho soon.” Seonghwa stands, pulling Mingi up with him. “So shoo, you don’t want to be late. You’re gonna do great.”
Mingi offers him a wobbly smile, pulling Seonghwa into a tight hug. “Thanks. I mean it. This has been… a lot, and I didn’t mean to unload it all on you.”
“It’s no problem,” Seonghwa says softly. “I’m glad I could help out. Don’t forget, you deserve happiness. Now go get your man, you can tell me how it goes later.”
After giving Seonghwa one more parting hug, Mingi does just that.
Yunho lives within walking distance of Seonghwa, which Mingi finds himself thankful for today. It gives him time to think, without being distracted by the bustling movement and wandering, judgmental eyes of other people that he might be subjected to on public transit.
As he walks the familiar path, Mingi mulls the conversation over in his mind, doing his best not to catastrophize the way he did back in the tattoo parlor.
Yunho would bend fate and destiny for him. Yunho has been his best friend for ten years. Yunho would never intentionally hurt Mingi, not in any way that matters. Yunho will always be there for him, no matter what.
He’ll catch me, Mingi tells himself. A part of him already knows it’s true.
Seonghwa’s encouragements and his own newfound hope propels Mingi all the way to Yunho’s apartment. He’s practically giddy by the time he reaches the complex, heart pounding out of his chest and pulling him closer to Yunho—Mingi’s chosen fate.
He pauses at the bottom of the stairs. “You’ve got this,” Mingi mutters to himself, taking a deep breath.
“Hell yeah you do,” a passing stranger says, sliding past with a small dog in their arms. “Fighting!”
Mingi laughs, some of his nerves finally dissipating as he climbs the familiar stairs. He stops at Yunho’s door. Then, he knocks.