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Where’s Jisung?
He was just here at his table writing last time I checked. Maybe I lost my sense of time earlier.
Thoughts encircled Minho’s mind as he tried to imagine where Jisung was. Did he go outside? No, he would’ve told him if that was the case. Was he in the kitchen or the living room? No, he would’ve heard the door open, or footsteps from him. But there was a chance Minho managed to ignore every single thing that happened earlier.
He stood up from his bed, maybe finding him is better than thinking of where he is. He checked the kitchen, and no sign of him appeared. The living room was the same picture, and the bathroom was open. Even the sofa that Minho told Jisung to fix was left untouched. How strange.
If he didn’t go outside the apartment block, then there was one thing left in Minho’s checklist. The rooftop.
Minho dragged himself up to the only door leading to the rooftop of their apartment. He sighed as he reached the top, expecting Jisung to be right in front of him as he opens.
And there he was, lying down on concrete, looking lost. Minho would say dead if it weren’t for his eyes being open.
“Sungie?” He approached confused. “What are you doing?”
“Hyung!” Jisung stood up. “Ah, nothing, I was just gazing.”
“At what? You know you can’t see stars with all the light from these buildings.”
“No not at the stars! It was gazing, like in general.”
“You’re blocked, aren’t you?” Minho sat beside him.
“Yeah, I don’t know for days, weeks even I can’t write something properly. Even a simple lyric, nothing!” He looked down, fiddling with his fingers which Minho thought was cute.
“Knew it, you only come here when you’re lost.”
A huff came out of Jisung’s mouth. He liked it. They liked it. How the night seemed to comfort these lost souls while the sat quietly waiting for its response. Melancholic. So empty, yet so heavy. Minutes later the streets below them went dark, and the buildings around them closed light at the same time.
Jisung opened his phone to bring out some light.
“Huh,” He shone on Minho’s face, who still shone despite the lack of a proper light. “A blackout at this hour?”
“Close your light I wanna show you something.” Minho was now the one who lied down, trying to look at the night sky.
“Why hyung?”
“Just close it, before the lights go back.”
As he closed his phone’s light, thousands of tiny dots filled the night sky. If it weren’t for Jisung’s glasses they would all by indiscernible blurry specks. But he saw them, blue and red dots, large and small points that dotted the night sky. Such natural beauty hidden by our artificial lights and colors.
He lied down in awe.
“What is it Hyung?”
“Look. Maybe the true night sky will get your train of thought back in its own rails. Instead of looking at the dark maybe it’ll help to look at something colorful instead.”
“Well, it’s gorgeous.”
Another batch of silence. This time of company. Knowing that Jisung is beside practically his soulmate at this point gazing at the night sky was comforting to say the least. It was as if the concrete below them were actually grass, and the cars passing by were wind and elements trapped in weather’s dance.
It seemed like it was the right moment to actually tell him what has been bothering him recently. But the older suddenly spoke.
“You know Andromeda right?”
“Like the galaxy?” He tried to look at Minho, but he was still gazing above. “Yeah, of course I know.”
“You know where it’s located?”
“No.”
He chuckled a little, and then proceeded to lift his own hand and point. “It’s the hazy oval over there!”
Jisung followed where Minho was pointing at and surprised himself at actually seeing where he was pointing at. “I didn’t know you can actually see it.”
“Yeah, but only when it’s really pitch black.”
“Why is the galaxy called like that, Andromeda.”
“It’s named after a character in Greek mythology, Andromeda.”
Jisung disturbed the elder’s upcoming lesson. “No like why of all galaxies in the sky, that was the one named that way.”
“Ah, it’s because it’s with its parents.”
“Really?” Jisung sounded disappointed. “You answered how my parents would if I was six.”
“No really! See those five bright stars right next to it? The one that forms a W.”
“That?” Jisung tried pointing at something, which left Minho giggling at how clueless he was.
“No silly!” Minho grabbed Jisung’s hand to guide him. “That!”
Jisung saw the W. It stood out clearly that Jisung felt embarrassed not seeing it in the first place. “Oh, what about that?”
“That’s her mother Cassiopeia, former queen of Ethiopia. She was cursed by Poseidon after being so boastful about her and Andromeda’s looks and trapped her in the night sky looking like a W. Apparently it symbolized her being tied to her throne as it circled the night sky.”
Jisung smiled at the answer. He wanted to know more. “And his father?”
“Try to look for a triangle and a square put together. Like an arrow.”
“Is he right next to Cassiopeia?”
“Yes he is.”
“Then I think it’s that!”
Minho’s eyes glinted as Jisung moved their still interlocked hands at the right constellation. “Wow I didn’t think you would get it right away!”
“It was right next to it hyung don’t be stupid!” Jisung giggled making Minho’s insides fill with butterflies.
“That’s Cepheus, her father and former king of Ethiopia. He too was cursed by Poseidon to circle the night sky, although for no reason other than being married to his vain wife Cassiopeia. He was actually quite humble and quiet. He had the choice to stay in this world but because of love he chose to be with his family in the night sky, no matter how hard it would be.”
“The things people do for love,” Jisung tried to continue the conversation, not noticing that their hands are still interlocked, pointing at the family in the sky. “What happened now that they’re stuck there?”
“Well, it’s said that Poseidon had them spin around each other until they suddenly dim out of tiredness and die. But up till now they’re still going in the celestial plane. Some believe its because of Cassiopeia’s beauty that secretly Poseidon didn’t give out the punishment that harshly. Some believe it was Andromeda’s marriage with Perseus and her connections to the gods. But personally, I think it’s how strong the bond they formed that they managed to persevere until now.”
“Tsk! You make things so cheesy.” Jisung bumps Minho’s head with his other hand, while the latter was laughing on what he just said.
And by a stroke of luck, the lights went back on, as if fate has told them to have that moment beneath the skies. Minho’s vision adjusts for a moment, then finally notices that his hand was still holding on to the younger’s. And Jisung didn’t mention a single thing about it.
“Hey, I didn’t notice you held on for that long.”
“Hm?” Jisung didn’t seem to notice until Minho gestured at their hands. His cheeks turn red as he immediately released his from Minho’s hold. “Oh sorry, I-I didn’t notice too.”
Minho looked at him, smiling, making Jisung’s heart melt on sight. He looks so soft and beautiful. And even if the lights went back, the night sky still held its picture in his eyes. Maybe it’s the right time to tell him.
“Well, I should better leave you here. Just next time tell m-“
“Wait hyung!’ Jisung grabs Minho’s arm as he stood up, sitting down in the process.
“What is it?”
“So, the thing I was bothered about…”
“Yeah?”
Jisung looked down again, trying to find the right world. For Minho, he looked so innocent, trying his best to say something.
And at this point, Minho already knew what he was about to say.
“Was it this?” Minho said as he lifted Jisung’s face and placed a peck around the younger’s lips.
His lips curved to form a smirk. While Jisung looked so empty-minded, gazing at something in the background.
The older laughed again, this time at how shook Jisung is right now. “Hey! Earth to Jisung! Are you still there?”
“W-What was t-that for?” His words trembled as he tried to compose himself, eyes now sparkling with held tears.
“You’re too obvious Sungie.” He smooshes his face and hugs him right after. “I love you too.”
“H-How?”
“Let’s just say, Hyunjin has a big mouth. And it seemed like the right time after that whole fiasco under the sky.”
Minho felt Jisung cry right behind his ear. How emotional the younger can be, it’s so cute. Minho releases from the hug and looks at Jisung once again, cheeks wet with tears. It made him more puffy than usual, making him more adorable.
“Hey stop crying Sung.” He wiped his tears with his thumb. “I thought you’re supposed to be happy that I felt the same way too.”
“I am happy.” He smiled, sniffing the rest of his tears away. And Minho again sees his weakness. Jisung;s gummy smile, and how it really makes him shine bright even at night. “These are tears of joy hyung.”
Minho smiled back at him. “Well, I should really get going.”
“I’ll come with you hyung.” Jisung said, interlocking their hands together. Even if the last time they help was literally minutes ago.
As they stepped down the stairs, a thought arrived in Jisung’s mind. “Hey hyung, when are we gonna tell Hyunjin about this?”
“About what?”
“This.” This time Jisung placed a peck on Minho’s cheek, causing the older to blush for a long moment.
“Oh,” He wasn’t expecting that from Jisung. “Immediately of course.”
Jisung giggled at the thought of Hyunjin being so dramatic about the news. “Speaking of, what was his term when joking about the both of us?”
“Ah, he always calls us out as Minsung.”
“What would he think if we said there really is a Minsung.”
Minho grinned. “Maybe act all dramatic and shocked about it.”
Minsung. Minho thought. Yeah, that sounds about right.