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Jeonghan exited the half-painted building and made his way to the parking lot. A smile bloomed on his face when he saw his boyfriend already waiting near his motorcycle. Kim Mingyu smiled back at him and raised one arm into which Jeonghan slotted himself perfectly.
“Good job with the west wall today, Hoshi.” Jeonghan said, turning to Hoshi who had been standing with Mingyu.
“You too, hyung. I think we can consider our clubhouse saved.”
The university students grinned at each other in high spirits, feeling positive about their ongoing campaign to save the university clubhouse building from being torn down.
Around three months ago, the administration had proposed a request to demolish the ancient building and build an Olympic-sized pool in its place. This request had been met with disapproval from the members of the many clubs operating out of the building, but it was not enough against the vote of the rest of the student body who preferred the swimming pool. Mingyu had suggested then, to renovate and fix up the building.
The idea was brilliant, and it didn’t take long to collect students to volunteer for the job. The old building – which was filled with years of dust, creaking floorboards, paint chipped away, steps missing from staircases, and cobwebs hanging wherever you could look – now looked barely recognizable. In the next few days, the task would be completed, and they would propose for a revote.
“Let’s go then, I’m so excited.” Mingyu said as Hoshi bid the couple farewell and left.
Jeonghan got on the motorcycle, handing Mingyu his headgear. Mingyu’s mother was visiting from America, where she was working as a nurse, and Jeonghan was going to meet her for the first time. Jeonghan had talked to her on the phone, but it was back when he hadn’t started dating Mingyu yet. Today Mingyu was going to introduce him to her as his boyfriend, and Jeonghan was feeling nervous with anticipation.
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Mingyu hummed a song happily as he bustled around in the familiar kitchen. He usually took care of the evening menu in their family restaurant, and his movements were well practiced and mindless. Jeonghan was upstairs with his mother, and Mingyu was feeling content. His mother had warmly hugged Jeonghan, and they were getting along well, and they were going to win the votes to save the clubhouse. Life was good.
After some time, he goes upstairs to tell them dinner is ready. He finds his mother teary eyed and Jeonghan standing in front of her, staring down at a postcard in his hands, and his heart sinks.
He recognizes the postcard, and instantly knows they were talking about his father – His father who had been a sailor, and who had gone off to sea one day and never returned. The same father for whom Mingyu still raised the flags every morning on top of the hill, who is Mingyu’s role model and hero, and who’s last postcard is clutched in Jeonghan’s hands right now. Jeonghan seems to be reading and rereading the words written behind the card, which Mingyu knows by heart.
“My dear,
Do you miss me? I miss you a lot. I hope you’re doing well, and that Mingyu is healthy.
This photo is of the Hong Kong skyline, taken from the harbour right before we departed. The sky always reminds me of home.
I’m always thinking of you two, waiting for the day we are reunited.
Don’t stop waiting for me too, I love you.
Yours always”
And at the bottom, signed in the loopy handwriting is ‘K.H.S.’ punctuated with a smiley with two stars for eyes.
Mingyu swiftly approaches his mother and embraces her, trying to comfort her. He misses his father so much every day, and he knows she misses him even more. It has been years since they got the news of his ship, eighteen years to be exact, but it still hurts just as bad every time they reminisce about him.
After they have managed to collect themselves, Mingyu looks towards Jeonghan, and he is still standing at the same spot staring down at the writing on the card, looking almost frozen.
“Jeonghan? Dinner’s ready, shall we go down and eat now?”
Jeonghan looks up at Mingyu and the look on his face makes Mingyu concerned, but Jeonghan just nods, and they move to leave. Mingyu reaches out to run his fingers through Jeonghan’s shoulder length black hair and tuck it behind his ear, but misses as Jeonghan turns away to put the photocard down on the bedside table.
At dinner, the mood is light as Mingyu and his mother catch up, Jeonghan just nodding and humming occasionally but otherwise not talking. An uncomfortable feeling arises in Mingyu’s stomach at Jeonghan’s behaviour, not used to his boyfriend being this quiet.
He attempts to send concerning glances at him, but Jeonghan does not catch any of them, his attention on the bowl of food in front of him –he is not even eating it as much as he is turning the contents around with his chopsticks. He seems to be lost in thought, his free hand playing with the daisy locket of his necklace on his chest. It is not visible, the chain tucked inside his shirt as always, but Mingyu knows it is there. Mingyu nudges Jeonghan’s knee with his under the table, but Jeonghan does not look back at him, his eyes on Mingyu’s mother as she narrates some incident from work.
Mingyu’s stomach churns uncomfortably. Was Jeonghan ignoring him? Did something happen between his mother and Jeonghan? But his mother was not behaving weirdly, just being how she always is.
After dinner, Jeonghan takes his leave immediately.
“I really should get going. I need to get the nine o’clock ferry, it’ll be too late if I wait for the ten pm one.”
Mingyu’s heart sinks. Jeonghan lives on the other side of the bay and has stayed other nights past eleven and taken the last ferry at midnight. He has even stayed over, a few of his personal belonging lying in Mingyu’s cupboard and washroom.
But a short goodbye later, Mingyu is walking Jeonghan out to his motorcycle parked outside.
“Hyung, is everything okay?”
Jeonghan does not turn to him, just gets on the bike, and turns on the ignition.
“Yeah, Subinnie needs help with her school project, so I must leave. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And he sends a small smile towards Mingyu.
Mingyu’s heart soars, immediately feeling lighter, and he smiles back at Jeonghan. Mingyu has always found it funny how someone who’s so popular on campus spends almost all his free time hanging out with a nine-year old. So many of their dates were in the park watching Subin play.
“Oh okay! Send me a pic when it’s done.”
“Hm.”
“Good night Jeonghan.” Mingyu leans in, ducking his head, but Jeonghan slides his headgear over his head and misses it.
“Good night, bye.”
“Bye, I lo-” but Jeonghan had already sped off.
Mingyu just watches as his motorcycle disappears down the hill, and laughs lightly to himself.
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Mingyu does not see Jeonghan the next day.
He had gotten up early and did his usual routine – raising the flags, preparing breakfast, replacing the water in the vase, getting dressed, and walking down the hill and to the harbour. But Jeonghan had not gotten off his usual boat.
Mingyu opens his text chat with Jeonghan, types out “you’re running late?” and hits send.
His eyes skim up, rereading the previous chat from last night.
[10:12 pm] have u reached home? I tried calling but u didn’t pick up
[12:50 am] yeah. got busy.
[12:50 am] oh okay! 👍
[12:50 am] did u guys finish Subinnie’s project ❓
Jeonghan must have had fallen asleep because he hadn’t replied after that.
Mingyu waits, but Jeonghan does not get off the next boat either. Mingyu watches the boats come and go, the ships docking further down the port, people rushing around as the morning gets busier, and refreshes the chat one more time.
[9:40 am] r u not coming today
[9:41 am] Jeonghan?
[9:43 am] why r u not picking up
[9:43 am] hyung is everything okay?
A few minutes later, Mingyu gets up and flags down a cab.
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Mingyu’s day is horribly slow. He gets through a few classes barely paying attention or taking notes, then makes his way to the clubhouse and helps with painting and putting up decorations. The response from the calls to Jeonghan’s number changes from ‘The number you have dialed is not responding’ to ‘The number you have dialed is currently switched off’ halfway through the day. Several people come up to ask him why Jeonghan didn’t come today, and he sheepishly tells them ‘I think something came up’.
Mingyu reaches home feeling drained. After a quick shower, he goes down to his grandmother’s room. She tells him their restaurant helper took a half day off. Mingyu slumps down the wall, feeling defeated. He was planning to go over to Jeonghan’s and check on him.
“Aigoo, stop pouting, you big baby. We’ll do something easy for the menu tonight, like japchae and plain rice, okay? I’ll chop the vegetables, bring them here.”
“Ah no, it’s okay. I’ll do it, halmeoni, don’t worry.”
Mingyu lies slumped on the floor with his head in his grandmother’s lap for a long time. Her fingers running through his hair almost puts him to sleep, but he forces himself to get up and move to the kitchen.
He checks his phone once more before getting started on dinner but there’s no notifications from Jeonghan and his messages are still unread.
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Mingyu’s mother arrives home shortly after he starts and joins him in the kitchen, and with her help, dinner is prepared quickly. Mingyu would normally go for an evening run at this time, but he’s so tired this day that he just flops down onto his bed.
He reaches for his phone again, despite knowing he won’t find what he wants. He finds it dead instead and connects his charger, switching it back on.
Still nothing.
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After they’ve had dinner and Mingyu is washing the dishes, his phone pings in his back pocket. His heart lurches, and he clumsily drops the dish he’s holding, wipes his hands, and almost drops his phone trying to pull it out of his pocket.
One message from J💛🌼
Mingyu can’t open it fast enough.
[10:45 pm] sorry. wasn’t feeling well.
[10:45 pm] oh nooo 😯
[10:45 pm] what happened???
[10:45 pm] fever?
[10:45 pm] yeah.
[10:45 pm] oh hyung 😟
[10:46 pm] is it better now? are u still feeling unwell?
[10:46 pm] no. better now.
Mingyu hits the call button, desperate to see his face and hear his voice. Jeonghan doesn’t pick up, again. Mingyu stares at their chat room, as the bubbles appear and disappear.
[10:47 pm] sorry. too tired rn.
[10:48 pm] its okay 😄
[10:48 pm] did u have dinner ❓
[10:48 pm] yeah.
[10:48 pm] take some medicine before sleeping
[10:48 pm] and warm water
[10:49 pm] don’t need medicine. better now.
[10:49 pm] okay~
[10:49 pm] that’s good 🤗
[10:49 pm] so you’ll come tomorrow ❓
[10:49 pm] yeah.
[10:49 pm] great 😊
[10:50 pm] I missed u 🥺
Jeonghan types for a long time. And then stops. Then, after one minute:
[10:51 pm] me too.
[10:51 pm] ❣
[10:52 pm] I’ll see you tomorrow.
[10:52 pm] yeah!! 😄
[10:52 pm] good night.
[10:52 pm] night Hannie ❤️
[10:52 pm] sleep well 💤
[10:53 pm] oh and
[10:53 pm] u know u can call me if u can’t sleep right?
The last three messages are left unread, and Mingyu scrolls up, rereading their past messages. He misses the unicorn stickers Jeonghan usually sends. The last one is from the previous afternoon.
He returns to washing the dishes, but after a few minutes, his phone chirps again.
[10:58 pm] I’m sorry.
[10:58 pm] for not texting.
[10:58 pm] and not calling.
[10:59 pm] nooooo
[10:59 pm] its okay Hannie ❤️❤️❤️
[10:59 pm] I understand 😘
[10:59 pm] just don’t fall sick again pls 🙁
[10:59 pm] haha I’ll try not to.
[10:59 pm] hehehe 😆😆
[11:00 pm] I love you ❤️
Mingyu sighs and shuts his phone after seeing the last message left unread, but his heart feels considerably lighter, and he looks forward to the next day.
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The next morning, Mingyu carefully packs some soup for Jeonghan. He’s running late, and when he reaches the harbour, he sees that Jeonghan’s ferry has already arrived, but Jeonghan is nowhere to be seen. When he dials his boyfriend’s number, there’s no answer.
“Oh, Mingyu! You’re still here?”
Mingyu turns to see Mrs. Tokko. She’s Jeonghan’s neighbour, and usually travels with Jeonghan till the harbour.
“Mrs. Tokko! Yeah, I was just waiting for Jeonghan. Did he not come with you?”
“He did, he just left a few minutes back, immediately after we arrived. Did he not know you were going to come here?”
“Oh, um. I guess? I don’t know.”
“Ah well, he’s probably reached your university by now. You should go then.”
“Yeah, I’ll….yeah.”
He makes small talk with Mrs. Tokko as they wait for a cab, but his mind is far off.
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Mingyu doesn’t have to search for Jeonghan, because he sees him handing out flyers at the university gate. He pauses a few feet away, watching as Jeonghan stops someone and hands them a flyer. His hair is ruffling around lightly in the spring breeze, and there’s a blue butterfly clip pushing it back from his ear, which Mingyu knows Subin put on him. He loves Jeonghan so much. Mingyu can hear his voice, telling someone to come have a look at the refurnished clubhouse tomorrow. A smile blooms on his face and he picks up his pace, approaching his boyfriend.
“Jeonghan hyungggg!!!” he practically whines when he’s close enough.
Jeonghan does not whine back “Mingoo-yaaa” at him. Jeonghan does not turn to look at Mingyu with that smile of his. Jeonghan does not even acknowledge he’s heard Mingyu. Instead he turns to Yewon a few steps away and hands her the stack of flyers in his hands.
“Ah, take care of these for me, will you? I really need to go and submit my assignment. It was actually due yesterday; I can’t delay it any further.” And with that he’s gone without even a glance towards Mingyu.
Yewon turns to Mingyu with a baffled expression, not having missed the way Jeonghan blatantly ignored his boyfriend. Mingyu looked back at her helplessly, feeling small and disheartened, the soup packed in his bag feeling unusually heavy.
“Hey now, no need to look like that! I’m sure he really was in a hurry. Come on, help me with these.”
Mingyu just hopes he can have lunch with his boyfriend, if not breakfast, and that it all really is a coincidence which Mingyu is reading too much into.
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Jeonghan’s behaviour goes from bad to worse. He walks right past Mingyu in the corridor after second period, swerving around him, ignoring Mingyu’s eyes following him. Then he turns up twenty minutes late to the only class they share together, sitting right by the door instead of in his usual seat next to Mingyu towards the centre, and bolting out of the door the moment their professor dismisses the class. Mingyu spends the entire 30 minutes with his eyes glued to the side of Jeonghan’s profile, watching him doodling absent-mindedly in his book. ‘Why did he even attend the class if he wasn’t going to take notes or pay attention? This professor doesn’t even count attendance.’ Mingyu thinks in annoyance.
During lunch, Mingyu walks around for fifteen minutes trying to find Jeonghan, and finally spots him eating with Hyungwon on the benches outside the geography department - Hyungwon’s department. Mingyu watches as Jeonghan reaches his chopsticks into Hyungwon’s lunchbox as they talk about something. His grip tightens on the container in his hands, and he spins on his heels. Before he can walk away, he hears Hyungwon call out to him.
“Mingyu, hey!”
Mingyu takes a deep breath before turning back to the sight.
“Come join us! What are you doing here? Jeonghan said that you were working on some photography club thing right now? Ah, it’s a shame, we’re almost done.”
“I….”
Mingyu does not know what to reply. Jeonghan’s gaze is lowered, moving around everywhere except to Mingyu.
Hyungwon raises one eyebrow at Mingyu’s awkward answer and his eyes look down Mingyu’s awkward posture. He gestures to Mingyu’s hands with his chin.
“What’s that?”
“Oh…nothing!” Mingyu tries to hide the container behind him. It only makes the situation more awkward.
“I’m sorry, I should get going. I need to get some printouts before my lab class.”
“Jeonghan, wait-”
Jeonghan gathers his things and rushes around, but Mingyu grabs his wrist when he tries to run past him.
But when he feels Jeonghan tense up and look sharply down at his hand, he lets go. Jeonghan disappears out of his sight within seconds, and Mingyu turns back to Hyungwon who is watching him with his eyebrows raised high into his hairline.
“Oh my. Trouble in paradise?” He grins teasingly, and Mingyu tries to hold back his annoyance from showing on his face.
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I’ve got to go, see you around hyung.”
He later gives the soup to Seungkwan, Moonbin, Eunbi and Umji whom he finds having a late lunch.
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At the clubhouse, Mingyu is hyperaware of Jeonghan’s presence, who is always just out of reach but also visible out of the corner of his eye. Mingyu goes about his tasks, keeping mostly busy. Jeonghan, as usual, does more supervising and ordering around than any actual work. They were doing the finishing touches on the building, so the atmosphere wasn’t as fast-paced and exciting as the previous weeks.
Mingyu thinks back to a few days ago, when Jeonghan had chased him down all four floors of the clubhouse with a brush of paint after Mingyu had swiped a giant stain of yellow paint down Jeonghan’s face and chest, their laughs and shrieks echoing down the hallway.
He thinks further back to a few weeks ago, when the volunteers had blasted music and danced for half an hour, and Jeonghan’s sparkling eyes were only on Mingyu as their breathing had grown laboured.
And even longer ago, maybe a lifetime ago, when Jeonghan had tried to stabilize the stool Mingyu stood on, warning him to be careful, and Mingyu had crashed down onto him not a minute later, flattening Jeonghan to the floor in a flurry of limbs and screams. They had argued all the way to the medical room about whose fault it was.
“Stop daydreaming Kim Mingyu! I swear to God if you drop me!”
Mingyu’s attention snaps back to Yeseul who’s standing on the chair Mingyu is holding down, squatted in front it. His grin widens and he threateningly shakes the chair slightly.
“Yeah? What will you do then?”
Yeseul glares down at him, “Do you have a death wish?”
Mingyu cackles delightfully as Yeseul rolls her eyes and turns back to the wall she’s painting a design on.
He feels it on the back of his head then, and turns his whole torso around, barely catching Jeonghan’s gaze move away to the conversation he’s having with Eunha.
When he loses his balance and Yeseul lets out a sharp yell as the chair gives a jerk, Mingyu turns back to her in a fluster of apologies.
“Yeah, no, that’s enough! You can go find something else to do.” Yeseul shoos Mingyu away, shutting out his apologies. “Hey, Joshua! Will you please come here and hold onto this rickety old chair for me? You really can’t trust Mingyu with this stuff.”
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An hour later, all the volunteers yell and cheer as Seungcheol announces the building to be ready and thanks everyone for their contribution. Tomorrow the clubhouse would be open to all students and faculty, and after that they were going to propose the revote. Mingyu gets swept up in the celebrations, hugging and high-fiving everyone around him with glee.
As everyone starts to disperse, he looks around for Jeonghan, having made up his mind earlier to catch him after they were finished, but Jeonghan is nowhere to be seen. Mingyu makes his way to the door of the clubhouse, but he does not find Jeonghan’s head among the students outside as well. He turns to Junhui and Wonwoo, who are holding onto each other as they try to shove each other into the compost pit.
“Hey, guys, have you seen Jeonghan hyung?”
“Jeonghan hyung? Yeah, he just left like a minute ago.”
“Yeah, he went that way.”
Mingyu races towards the parking lot, and sees Jeonghan already on his bike. Jeonghan revs up the engine and Mingyu shouts for him.
“Jeonghan, wait!”
Jeonghan does not wait, the motorcycle moving towards the exit.
“JEONGHAN!”
Mingyu yells and sprints after him, weaving between the pillars in long strides, taking a shortcut and leaps in front of the speeding motorcycle.
The bike comes to a screeching halt a hair’s breadth away from Mingyu’s body, Jeonghan’s boot slamming into the ground with the force of a volcanic eruption.
“YAH, KIM MINGYU!”
Jeonghan’s shocked, furious, high-toned howl sparks a fire in Mingyu’s chest, the adrenaline of jumping in front of a speeding vehicle surging to his brain.
“Do you want to die?!” Jeonghan’s voice is hysterical, his hands gripping the motorcycle handle.
“Maybe I do.” Mingyu replies with a sarcastic smile, eyes glaring daggers at Jeonghan.
There’s a beat of silence and then, “Mingyu…” Jeonghan’s voice is agonizingly soft all of a sudden.
In a moment, all the hurt, exhaustion, confusion, and anger from being ignored by his boyfriend catches up to him and explodes in his chest. Mingyu feels positively livid.
“Really? Really, Jeonghan? Not picking up any calls! Not replying to messages for hours! Leaving me waiting for you at the harbour without any notice! Ignoring me in front of everyone! Running away the moment you see me! Acting like I don’t exist when I’m right in front of you!? Abandoning me and having lunch with Hyungwon hyung of all people?! Lying about me to him?? Leaving me no choice but to chase your bike?”
Mingyu’s voice is hoarse, and his lungs are burning from lack of air. He takes deep breaths as Jeonghan reaches up and takes off his headgear. The regretful look in Jeonghan’s eyes punches all the fight out of Mingyu and his shoulders slump.
“You refused to even look at me….and you didn’t even reply to my ‘I love you’.”
There is only hurt remaining in Mingyu’s chest now. He cannot believe Jeonghan did all that to him. Jeonghan has never ignored him before, at least not like this.
He remembers how before they got together, Jeonghan had ignored him for a whole week and yet had continued to send glares and taunts his way, because of his jealousy over Mingyu getting close and touchy with someone. Recalling Jeonghan’s frustrated yell of “Because I like you, you idiot!” in the middle of their argument sends a pang though Mingyu’s chest.
They are both hot-headed, and their relationship has always been the confront-and-fight-it-out type, never the ignore-and-let-it-stew-until-someone-blows-up type. The fact that Jeonghan treated him with cold radio silence for two whole days frightens him beyond words.
“Just tell me what’s going on, please. Do you not feel the same anymore hyung? Is it something I did? Did something happen? Because of me? Or someone else? Is there someone else?” Mingyu is pleading, dread building up in his veins and anxiety over-riding his brain.
“No! No, Mingyu – no. There’s no one else. And no, it’s not you either. It’s…complicated.”
“Why won’t you just tell me?”
“I…”
“Jeonghan, please.”
Jeonghan sighs in defeat.
“Fine. Come on.” He beckons Mingyu to get on the bike.
Jeonghan looks up at Mingyu as he passes by him to get on the motorcycle, and Mingyu gets a proper look at his boyfriend for the first time in two days. He pauses in his tracks, studying Jeonghan’s face, noticing how tired he looks, dark circles under his eyes and cheeks sunken. There seems to be a storm brewing behind Jeonghan’s usually sparkling eyes.
Jeonghan looks away first, and Mingyu proceeds to get on the bike behind him. He suddenly feels unsure on where to keep his hands, wondering if he was still allowed to hold him. Eventually, he decides to throw his inhibitions to the wind and wraps his arms around Jeonghan, having missed him too much.
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They are sat in a café, tucked away at a table in one corner. Mingyu watches Jeonghan’s face in silence as Jeonghan chews away at his bottom lip, unable to gather the words to start the conversation.
When Jeonghan finally looks back up at him, Mingyu tries to give him a comforting smile.
“You…know about my past, right?”
“Yes…? About you being adopted, right?”
“Yeah. You know how I told you I only have two things from my birth parents?”
“That daisy necklace and a letter, yeah.”
“Yes. This letter.”
Jeonghan pulls out a folded, yellowed paper and hands it to Mingyu. Mingyu’s eyebrows furrow and he unfolds the paper carefully.
“Wait, Mingyu – just. Maybe you should prepare yourself.”
“Prepare myself? For what?”
Jeonghan does not know how to respond, and Mingyu cautiously looks back down to the letter in his hands.
The air leaves his lungs at the familiar handwriting.
“My dear,
Jeonghan. That’s the name your mother chose for you, moments before she took her last breath. You are only a few days old, but you have the same big brown eyes as her. I hope you know how deeply she loved you, and I hope you can grow up feeling that love.
Little daisy, you have every right to hate me for it, but please, believe me, I had no other choice. I only pray you can grow up having an easier life than I could have provided you with. And I promise you this, I will come back for you, Okay? I give you my word, I will come and take you back as soon as I have the means to take care of you. Just know that I’ll be thinking of you every day until we are reunited.
Don’t stop waiting for me, I love you.”
And that all-too-familiar signature at the bottom ‘K.H.S’ punctuated with a smiley with two stars for eyes.
Mingyu cannot breathe.
He reads and rereads it again. And again.
“Wha- what, what does this mean?” he asks, staring down at the offending piece of paper.
“Mingyu.”
“Hyung, seriously, what is the meaning of this?!”
“You know what it means.”
“No. No. No, no, no. No!”
“Mingyu…”
“How can this happen? How the fuck can this happen?”
“…….”
“No, seriously, this can’t be what I’m thinking it is. Let’s not– let’s not jump to conclusions here, okay? I’m sure this is– I’m sure there’s another explanation, there might have been a mistake, or–!”
“No, Mingyu. There’s no mistake, and there’s no other explanation. I checked my adoption papers. Birth father – Kim Hyun Seok. Anyang Adoption Centre.”
Anyang. Mingyu’s birthplace and hometown. Kim Hyun Seok. Mingyu’s father, who died at sea.
Mingyu’s hands are shaking, his heart is hammering in his chest and his head is spinning.
“The other day, when I met your mother, and we talked about– and she showed me that postcard. I recognized the handwriting, and the signature.”
They sit in silence for the next few minutes, and then Mingyu abruptly stands up.
“I’m sorry, I– I have to go.”
“Mingyu, wait–”
But Mingyu had already grabbed his bag and ran out.
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At dinner, Mingyu weakly deflects his family’s questions about his subdued behaviour. He retires for the night early but spends at least a few hours tossing and turning around on his mattress. An avalanche of thoughts is wrecking his mind – Jeonghan being his half-brother, his admiration of his father being completely shattered, so much of his life being a lie – worsening his headache.
His mother comes in later, sitting by his head.
“Is something wrong?” She asks after silently massaging his head for a few minutes.
Mingyu just shakes his head, and throws his arms around her, burrowing his head further into her hands.
He wonders whether his mother knew about Jeonghan’s existence, or if she had any idea at all about his father’s infidelity. He has no idea what he is going to do now, but one thing he knows for sure is that he is never going to tell his mother about anything.
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Jeonghan lies in bed staring at the last unopened message from Mingyu pinned at the top of his texts.
My Mingoori 🧸
[Yesterday, 11:00 pm] I love you ❤️
He had barely slept the last few nights, and he probably wasn’t going to get much sleep this night as well. His thumb hovers over the call button next to the contact name, but he cannot gather the nerve to go through with it.
Jeonghan is worried. He hadn’t wanted to tell Mingyu anything, but there was no other way around it either. He knows what Mingyu’s mental state will be currently. Jeonghan feels angry at his own existence.
He falls into a troubled sleep very much later at night, mind plagued with uncertainty and a storm in his heart.
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Mingyu walks down to the harbour very early the next day. His footsteps are hesitant and his mind heavy. He hadn’t raised the flags today.
After an hour of waiting, he spots Jeonghan unloading his motorcycle from the ferry, but Mingyu cannot bring himself to come out in front of him. He looks on from where he’s leaning against a shipping container as Jeonghan brings his bike onto the road and looks around the busy port. Mingyu hides himself behind the large cargo as Jeonghan’s eyes swipe the area in his direction. Jeonghan checks his phone, looks up at the hill where Mingyu’s house stands, and then mounts his bike, riding off.
The day is hectic as their clubhouse opens to all faculty and students, everyone marvelling at the renovated building. The volunteers had done a spectacular job indeed, and the ancient building looked sparkling new. The revote is scheduled and all the students gather in the university hall after classes.
The volunteers are hanging out in the clubhouse when the news is delivered. They had won the voting. The floor erupts in cheers, students jumping around with arms around each other. Jeonghan meets eyes with Mingyu on the opposite side of the room, exchanging victorious smiles and looking away just as fast. When Mingyu snaps a celebratory selfie, Jeonghan’s far out at the back with everyone else instead of with his head leaning on Mingyu’s shoulder. He ignores the few weird looks he gets for that, just like he’s been ignoring the turmoil and anguish inside of him the past few days.
Neither of them seek out the other to talk, both too unsure what to say.
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Jeonghan is staring at his Messages app open on his screen again.
My Mingoori 🧸
[Two days ago] I love you ❤️
He has to close his eyes when his sister starts poking her brush near them. Subin has her face-painting kit open near Jeonghan’s head lying on her bed and her eyebrows are furrowed in concentration.
Two minutes later, his phone buzzes, and he cracks one eye open to look, even though he knows it’s not him.
One message in #SaveTheClubhouse 💥 ✊ 🏴☠️
He shuts the screen, tosses the phone a few feet away onto the pillow and shuts his eyes again. After a few seconds, the phone vibrates again, and then continues vibrating as the groupchat blows up.
Jeonghan does not care to find out what is going on. He keeps his eyes shut and tries to drown out his thoughts by focusing on Subin’s low humming and the feeling of her brush drawing patterns on his face.
“Jeonghannie is coming with Subinnie to Soonie’s birthday party tomorrow, right?”
“Hm? Yeah, we’ll go together.”
“Does Jeonghannie wanna match clothes with Subin?”
“Of courseeee.” Jeonghan stretches out the words cutely.
“Great! Subinnie wants to wear the new green frock. Jeonghannie has that white and green shirt, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll wear that one. You have that leaf hairclip, right?”
“Yes!”
Jeonghan smiles at her broad grin. His phone rings then, and he picks it up to see Seungcheol’s caller id on the screen.
“Hey.”
“Did you see the group messages?”
“No, what happened?”
“The administrative board said they’re going to go ahead with the demolition.”
“Whoa– what?”
“Yeah, they seem to have had already decided on it.”
Jeonghan lets out a heavy sigh.
“What are we going to do now?”
“I was thinking of going and speaking with the chairman directly.”
Jeonghan’s eyebrows shoot up. “Huh? Are you serious? In Incheon?”
“Yeah. Come with me, we can’t lose now. Seriously.”
“Okay, yeah. When?”
“Let’s leave tomorrow morning.”
Jeonghan shifts the phone to his other ear as Subin pushes it out of the way to paint down his jaw.
“Okay.” After a pause, he speaks up again. “Let’s take Mingyu too, the renovation was his idea after all.”
“Sure.”
“Can you talk to him? We’ll have breakfast over at his before leaving.”
“Is everything alright between you two?”
Jeonghan does not respond for a few seconds.
“…...Yeah. Don’t worry about it. Just talk to him for me, okay?”
“Jeonghan. What’s wrong?”
“It’s…I can’t explain, Seungcheol. Just tell him about tomorrow please. I’ve to go now.”
“…...Fine, I’ll call him.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
“Bye. Take care.”
The call ends and Jeonghan looks at Subin, chewing on the inside of his cheek. She was not going to be pleased.
“Subinnie.”
“Yes?”
“I won’t be able to go with you tomorrow evening. I’m sorry, something very important came up."
Subin stops painting, and stares at Jeonghan with disappointed eyes.
“Oh.”
“Jeonghan’s really, really sorry, Subinnie. Don’t be angry please. I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay? Day after tomorrow, we can go to Bounce! You can invite Soonie and Jisoo too.”
“Really? Yayyyy!”
“You’re not mad at me anymore, right?”
His sister shakes her head. “No, it’s okay if Jeonghan wants to go somewhere else tomorrow. Subinnie just wants Jeonghannie to be happy again.”
Jeonghan’s heart clenches. He grabs and shakes the tip of her nose affectionately, and then opens his phone and starts taking selfies with her.
That first night, when everything had come crashing down, Subin had asked him “Why is Jeonghannie sad?” as they sat on the floor building her project. It was actually planned for the next night, but Jeonghan had come home early that night and asked her if she’d like to get started on it early.
Surrounded by craft supplies scattered across the floor, Jeonghan had shook his head and told her that he was just stressed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeonghan and Seungcheol stand in front of the gate, Jeonghan’s heart hammering in his chest. He curses his idiocy internally. Planning a breakfast with his ex(?) boyfriend who’s also his presumed half-brother just because he misses his cooking is the most stupid decision Jeonghan has ever made.
The gate opens, and Jeonghan and Mingyu lock eyes for a long moment, before Mingyu looks away to Seungcheol and invites them in. Jeonghan wipes his clammy hands on his trousers and follows Seungcheol inside.
The have breakfast with Mingyu’s mother and grandmother, and it is not as awkward as Jeonghan was dreading it to be. Mingyu doesn’t talk much, and Jeonghan sees the quick, short glances he sends him out of the corner of his eye. Jeonghan observes Mingyu’s mother as she laughs and talks, noticing every small resemblance between her and Mingyu. He darts his eyes away feeling inexplicably ashamed when she looks his way, unable to find the guts to meet eyes with her.
Just as they are ready to leave, Seungcheol excuses himself to the restroom, and then Jeonghan and Mingyu are alone in each other’s presence. They hesitantly meet eyes, and then Mingyu bravely steps closer.
“Jeonghan hyung…”
Jeonghan just stands in silence, hyper aware of the distance between them, and mind filled with memories of all the times they’ve closed that distance between them.
“Is this how it’s going to be now, hyung?”
Jeonghan looks away. “What other solution is there?”
Mingyu steps even closer. “What if I said I don’t care?”
Jeonghan’s gaze snaps back up to Mingyu’s in shock, brown eyes wide.
Truth be told, Mingyu had been spiralling. All he could think of these past days, was how much he hated his father, and how badly he missed Jeonghan. He was filled with resentment over the unfairness of it all. The fact that him and Jeonghan had to pay the penance for his father’s sins filled him with fury. Infuriating him even further was the thought of his faithful mother who had only ever loved one man her entire life. Mingyu would not have thought that his morals would be warped this way, but his life being turned upside down in one night was also not something he thought would ever happen. None of it made sense to him, and all he wanted was to erase the past few days from ever happening. He’s sure if they pretend nothing happened, he can make himself forget this truth was ever revealed to him.
Jeonghan takes a step back with disbelief in his eyes.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
Mingyu keeps stepping closer, unheeding.
“Seriously, what does it matter, Jeonghan? No one has to know,” he pleaded, reaching out to touch Jeonghan’s face.
Jeonghan stumbles back in panic, one hand pushing away at Mingyu’s sternum.
“Mingyu, stop it.” He says firmly. “It matters, because it is real. You have to face it.”
Mingyu stares back at him, a lump in his throat.
They hear Seungcheol’s footsteps descending down the stairs. Mingyu steps away from Jeonghan.
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Mingyu is sleeping with his head on Seungcheol’s shoulder and Jeonghan sits on his other side, watching the scenery go by outside the train, his thoughts far away.
Jeonghan wonders if Mingyu will heed his words and back down, or if he will continue to insist on his argument. They were both quite stubborn people, but Mingyu’s obstinacy was one of his defining traits. He was logical and objective in his thought processes, and the decisions he made were wise and rarely caused him regret, if ever. Jeonghan knew Mingyu trusted on his own reasoning and judgement more than anyone else’s, and he was resolute on his decisions. He did not change his views easily once his mind was made. Jeonghan does not know what the reasoning behind this choice of his was, but he knew Mingyu would not be able to look at it through anyone else’s logic. No one else’s argument would make sense to him more than his own.
In hindsight, Jeonghan should have known Mingyu would make this choice. Mingyu has always been the type to go after what he wants even if the rationale choice would be not to. The type to go against everyone’s advice and prove himself right. Add to that the fact that he would never submit to a decision being forced on him against his will. Jeonghan sort of understands why Mingyu is hell-bent on this choice. In a twisted way, this would be his revenge and resistance against his father’s actions. Jeonghan almost cannot believe what an ugly mess their life has turned into.
But Jeonghan also knows that he personally could never agree with it. It is what it is, no matter how hard a pill it is to swallow. He could never forget what he has learnt. And he knows eventually, even Mingyu will not be able to run from the truth. In the end it’s not going to be worth it.
A part of Jeonghan even believes this was fated of them. Because, really, all of it coming undone in such a complicated wreck like this? It was almost laughable. This was always meant to happen. Mingyu and Jeonghan were meant to meet, develop this bond where they argued over everything but always had that soft spot for each other (almost like a sibling bond, Jeonghan thinks, feeling nauseous), and eventually discover they were brothers. They were just never meant to fall in love. That was their one mistake. That was what actually went wrong. Jeonghan regrets it all.
He takes out his phone and changes the contact name. Then opens the Messages app and looks at it one last time.
Kim Mingyu.
[Three days ago] I love you ❤️
Jeonghan unpins the contact from the top of the screen. It moves down to where he can no longer see it without scrolling down.
Seungcheol stands up to give his seat to an elderly man, and shifts Mingyu’s head onto Jeonghan’s shoulder. The weight of Mingyu’s body on his shoulder and his warm breaths on Jeonghan’s neck is not enough to calm the chaos within him this time. Jeonghan turns his head to study Mingyu’s face, and for that moment, he lets himself feel it all – the excruciating ache in his chest, the pain of heartbreak, the anguish of having to give up what is most precious to him, the urge to give in to Mingyu’s wishes, and the rage he feels against his birth father and the entire world. When Mingyu wakes, Jeonghan will have to be strong and resolute again, will have to deny Mingyu what he asks of him while looking straight into his begging eyes. And Jeonghan knows Mingyu will beg.
Jeonghan slowly lowers his head and rests it on top on Mingyu’s, blinking back tears. I wish I never fell for you.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The meeting with the chairman goes by with minor complications. He agrees to their request to come to the university the next day and have a look at the renovated building, give the students one last chance to change his decision. Mingyu enthusiastically updates the groupchat about the news.
Seungcheol, Jeonghan and Mingyu are free by five pm, and after a late lunch at a local restaurant, they board the train back. It grows dark outside halfway through the way back. Seungcheol is sleeping leaning back onto the seat. Jeonghan gives up his seat to a lady with a heavy looking bag and goes to stand near Mingyu who is standing next to the door, looking out at the bright city lights passing by outside.
They stand in silence until Mingyu stumbles and Jeonghan reaches out to grab his arm and stabilize him.
“Careful, Mingoo-ya.”
“Thanks.”
Jeonghan takes his hand off.
“Hyung, will you please hear me out at least?”
“We need to accept the truth, Mingyu. Denying it will not change the reality.”
“I cannot change my feelings for you.”
“They will go away. Eventually.”
“No. No, they won’t. They won’t.”
“They will. Nothing is permanent, Mingyu.”
Mingyu lets out a frustrated sigh. “Is it so easy for you? Giving up on me? Letting go of what we have?”
“Mingyu, we are brothers.”
“So? I cannot change how I feel, Jeonghan. And I won’t ever feel embarrassed or ashamed for feeling that way. I don’t regret falling for you. I’ll never regret falling for you. I hope you never will either. And I cannot act like the past year didn’t happen. I cannot erase the memories of you from my mind. You are the biggest part of me, I cannot remove you from me, don’t you understand? I cannot make myself forget you, Jeonghan.”
“We used to be friends, Mingyu. We can be friends again.”
The train arrives at Mingyu’s stop.
“Hannie, please. Please. I cannot live without you.”
Mingyu’s voice is devastated and strangled. Jeonghan looks away from Mingyu’s desperate eyes. The doors of the train slide open.
“You’ll be fine without me, Mingyu.”
Mingyu gets off the train onto the platform and turns to face Jeonghan.
“How can you say that? You know how much I need you. In all my ups and downs, I need you. I need you day and night. And I know how much you need me. I fell in love with you, Jeonghan. How can I ever be fine without you?”
Jeonghan knows Mingyu is trying to argue with him. But Jeonghan is not going to argue back. He knows what his final decision is.
“You’ll find someone else, Mingyu.”
The doors close between them. Jeonghan looks at the defeated, forlorn expression on Mingyu’s face through the glass. The feeling of despair and helplessness engulfs him as the train pulls out of the station.
---------------------------------------------------------------
A little while later, Seungcheol comes and stands with him.
“Are you okay?”
“Hm? Yeah.”
“No really, Jeonghan, what’s going on? I asked Mingyu last night when I called him, but he too refused to talk about it. Did you guys break up or something?”
“…...Yeah. We broke up.”
“What? Why? What happened?”
Jeonghan thinks it over for a few moments, and then decides to tell Seungcheol everything. Seungcheol is his and Mingyu’s closest friend, and he of all people deserves to know the truth about them. Jeonghan hopes Mingyu won’t mind.
Seungcheol listens to the whole affair in shocked silence, jaw dropping when Jeonghan reveals the big secret. For a few moments after Jeonghan is finished, Seungcheol just stands there looking thunderstruck. Then he clears his throat and speaks.
“But it’s not one hundred percent confirmed though…”
“What other confirmation do we need? I think all that was proof enough.”
“Yeah, but…still, shouldn’t you guys get a DNA test done, just to be sure?”
“I wanted to avoid all that, it’ll just make more of a mess for Mingyu and his family.”
“But Jeonghan, there’s still a small chance it might not be what it looks like. You must do a DNA test! This is crazy, how can you just live without confirming it? Let’s just go now, actually.”
And Seungcheol pulls out his phone, looking up the nearest centre for it. He drags Jeonghan to the lab and Jeonghan submits a sample.
“I don’t know if Mingyu will agree to it. And I don’t want to force him.”
“Let’s just wait for yours first. When will you get the results?”
“She said by tomorrow afternoon.”
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mingyu feels miserable. He had gone to his room immediately after reaching home, and gotten under the covers.
Three days ago, he would not have been able to believe that he was going to experience the worst breakup of his life within the next few hours. This wasn’t his first heartbreak, but it certainly is the most painful one. The past few days had been tempestuous, and Mingyu can feel it breaking over him as he furiously blinks back tears. Jeonghan’s rejection had hurt him the most of it all. It washes over Mingyu, the fact that his relationship was over. Jeonghan wasn’t his anymore, and he wasn’t Jeonghan’s. He snivels and wipes more tears as they run down his face. Soon enough, he’s sobbing into his pillow, plagued by a thousand memories.
“Mingoo-yaaaaaa~”
“I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour, you punk!”
“Why are you so cute? You’re almost as cute as Subinnie.”
“Because I like you, you idiot!”
“Don’t stop…”
“I’ll buy it for you if you bring me breakfast tomorrow.”
“YAH, KIM MINGYU!”
Mingyu is drowning. He shuts his eyes, tossing and turning. There’s no relief, his brain playing loops of Jeonghan on repeat, mercilessly.
“Patience, baby boy.”
“I love you. I love you so much.”
“Mingyu, please. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t get you anything for your birthday? Silly.”
“Keep that up and I’ll show you heartless!”
“Just a friend? Then why did he back away from you so fast the moment he saw me, huh?!”
Jeonghan, Jeonghan, Jeonghan, Jeonghan. Jeonghan’s face and Jeonghan’s voice and Jeonghan’s touch won’t leave his head. Mingyu wishes Jeonghan would come and take away all the memories he has left behind with him.
“Does that feel good? Then beg for it. Go on. And make it good, Mingyu-yah.”
“Stop worrying so much, Mingoo-ya. The bike just slipped, there’s hardly a scratch on me.”
“It’s always my fault, isn’t it?!”
“Or what? Finders keepers, Kim Mingyu.”
“You think my boyfriend will get in a fight and I won’t hear about it? Tell me what happened.”
“I love you more.”
“You’ll find someone else, Mingyu.”
Mingyu cries harder. Find someone else? Where is he supposed to find another Yoon Jeonghan? What good would that even do?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mingyu does not come to university the next day. Jeonghan had expected it. The vibe around the university is excitable from the morning itself, the students preparing for the chairman’s visit. Jeonghan hangs around the clubhouse, supervising the students putting up the large welcome banner for the chairman. Late in the morning, he asks Seungcheol to call Mingyu and check up on him. Mingyu does not pick up. Jeonghan had contemplated calling Mingyu himself, but eventually decided against it. He feels conflicted, not sure whether the right decision would be to pull away and put some space between them, or go straight to acting like friends who never dated. The rumours going around of their breakup have already reached Jeonghan’s ears, but no one has dared to come up to him and question him about it so far.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mingyu wakes up late, very late. Even then, he cannot find the energy to get out of bed. His room is bright with the sunlight and cool breeze streaming in through the window, and the sky outside is a radiant blue. Mingyu feels a strange disconnect from reality. His stomach rumbles in hunger, but he continues to lie there, unable to get up. Jeonghan is still running through his mind. Mingyu wants to cry again.
“Better hold on tight, Kim Mingyu. I’m not a safe rider. Don’t blame me if you fall of!”
“Here, there’s a little step. And keep your eyes closed!”
“Fucking shut up and kiss me before I–”
“I never want to talk to you again!”
“Whatever are you going to do without me, you big baby?”
“You’ll be fine without me, Mingyu.”
Is it ever going to end? Jeonghan is all he can think about. Come on, just get up, he tells himself. After some minutes of telling himself to get up, Mingyu finally forces himself up. He spends almost half an hour in the shower.
When he goes downstairs, his mother is peeling and cutting up fruits, on a call with someone over the phone. She looks up at him with a warm smile when he enters, but her face immediately changes to one of concern. Mingyu turns away to face the kitchen counter, feeling embarrassed. Setting himself a plate, he brings it over to the table, sitting next to his mother. After a few minutes, she ends her call and puts her phone away. Turning her attention to Mingyu, she runs her hand down the back of his head and starts massaging his shoulders.
“Sweetheart, will you please tell me what’s wrong? You’re really worrying me.”
Mingyu chews down his food, turning to her hesitantly.
“It’s nothing, just school stress, I promise. You don’t need to worry.”
“Mingyu, darling, please. You haven’t been raising the flags. You look like you cried yourself to sleep last night. You’ve not been sleeping properly either.”
Mingyu just sits in silence, feeling guilty.
“Is it Jeonghan?”
Mingyu’s face crumbles, tears rushing to his eyes.
“Oh, baby…”
Mingyu breaks down and starts crying, again.
“We broke up, mom. It’s over, forever.”
He wraps himself around his mother, sobbing hard. She just rubs his back, saying comforting words.
“You know your father and I broke up once, too? It all seemed so hopeless back then. But we found each other again. Don’t be so disheartened, darling. Maybe he’ll come back to you.”
Mingyu just shook his head, looking at her. The mention of his father sends a hot flash of anger through him. His mother catches the expression.
“There’s something else, isn’t it?”
“………..”
“Tell me. Maybe I can help. Even if I can’t, it’ll at least make your heart feel lighter.”
Mingyu looks at her long, and he realizes he can’t keep it in anymore. When he speaks, his voice comes out hesitant and cautious.
“Did you ever see dad with a daisy necklace? Or any woman you knew with a daisy necklace?”
His mother’s eyebrows furrow deep, her eyes searching his face.
“Daisy necklace…how do you know..?”
Mingyu’s heart is about to beat out his chest.
“You know? You know about the other woman?!”
“The other woma– what? Mingyu–”
And then her eyes widen, realization dawning on her face.
“Jeonghan?! Your Jeonghan– he’s the same Jeonghan?”
Mingyu feels his heart shatter, all over again. The waterworks restart.
“How did you guys fi– wait, how much do you know?”
“I know everything. I know dad was unfaithful, and Jeonghan and I are brothers.”
“No! Oh my God. Mingyu, no. That’s not it, at all. You’ve got it all wrong. Oh, my goodness.”
Baffled, Mingyu’s tears stop. Confusion takes over.
“God. He’s not your brother, Mingyu.”
His mother proceeds to tell him the most peculiar tale. How his father had arrived home one stormy night from a week-long voyage with a heavily pregnant woman. The woman’s condition was frail and declining, and Mingyu’s mother had helped deliver her baby as the storm raged on outside. They hadn’t been able to save the woman, who succumbed to her afflictions. She’s buried in their hometown, Mingyu’s mother tells him.
“Jeonghan. His name’s Jeonghan.” She had managed to name her son, and had tried to tell them of Jeonghan’s birth father, but death had taken her before she could. All that she could get out of her about Jeonghan’s father was that he was in Japan. She hadn’t been able to tell them the man’s name, and Mingyu’s parents did not know what to do with the newborn.
“I was pregnant with you at the time, so we couldn’t keep him. We were also struggling financially, and so we decided to give him away for adoption. We knew we couldn’t take care of him. They don’t take in children without at least one parent’s information filled in, and we didn’t know either of Jeonghan’s parents’ names, so Hyunseok had registered him as his own son.”
Mingyu’s head is spinning, a million emotions running through him, and he feels dizzy. He sits there bewildered, until his mother snaps him out of it.
He excuses himself, hastily puts on his shoes, and dashes out the door.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeonghan and Seungcheol sit outside the clubhouse befuddled, bent over Jeonghan’s phone, zoomed in to the pdf of his test report.
“Half Japanese? How can your ancestry be half Japanese? And on your father’s side?”
“I have no idea. As far as I know, Mingyu’s father wasn’t of Japanese descent. Or maybe he was? Do you think Mingyu would know if we asked him? Should we even ask him?”
“Call him. He should know this, whether the outcome is something good or bad.”
Jeonghan dials his number, and receives no answer. When Seungcheol tries, he doesn’t get an answer either.
“Well, let’s just drop by his place later and ask him. We should go now; the chairman is about to arrive.”
They go and stand at the university gate, and enthusiastically greet the chairman when he arrives a few minutes later.
They escort him to the clubhouse, where a crowd of students are gathered inside, waiting to welcome him. Upon seeing the outer condition of the building, the chairman’s face already looks astonished. Jeonghan and Seungcheol exchange excited, hopeful looks behind his back. The chairman enters and a loud welcome rings out throughout the clubhouse, banner lowering and confetti falling through the air.
“Jeonghan hyung!”
As everyone makes their way inside, Jeonghan spins around on the steps of the clubhouse upon hearing Mingyu’s voice.
His eyes widen, seeing Mingyu run at full speed towards him, short hair pushed back in the breeze. Jeonghan sees Mingyu reach his arms out and he digs his heels into the ground, bracing for impact, knowing full well Mingyu was not going to be able to stop himself in time. But Mingyu instead grabs Jeonghan’s face in his hands and pulls him in, bringing their mouths together.
The breath is knocked out of Jeonghan and his eyes flutter close at the intensity with which Mingyu kisses him. The hands Jeonghan had held out to stabilize Mingyu twist around Mingyu’s jacket instead, and he instinctively reciprocates the passionate kiss.
Mingyu pulls his head back slowly, the afternoon sun in his eyes as he gazes down at Jeonghan. Jeonghan dazedly looks up at him for a few moments, and then he comes back to senses, pushing Mingyu away.
“Yah, Kim Mingyu! You nev–”
“Hyung, Jeonghan, just listen to me first, okay?”
Mingyu seizes Jeonghan’s hand and drags him away.
“I can explain. I told you there was some other explanation! I told you.”
They come to a stop when they reach their spot next to the university fountain. Mingyu turns to face him, his grin so big it almost splits his face. Jeonghan leans back and studies him, feeling apprehensive. Mingyu rolls his eyes and leans in and kisses him again.
“Yah, you said you’re going to explain! What’s going on?!”
“Okay, so. First of all, I need to say this: I told you so. You never listen to me, hyung. You always think you’re right about everything! But you were wrong. I was right, I had told you so.”
Jeonghan glares at Mingyu and spins on his heels.
Mingyu reaches out and grips his arm, spinning him back. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Gosh, your temper.” And he laughs lightly.
“So, I told my mom everything and–”
“You told your mom?!”
“Yes, Jeonghan. I told my mom everything, and guess what?! We are not brothers!”
Mingyu tells Jeonghan everything, watching as Jeonghan’s eyes get brighter and smile grows larger.
“Wow. We are both such big idiots,” Jeonghan laughs.
“Yes we are,” Mingyu replies, staring down at him.
Jeonghan stares back into his eyes, and then pulls Mingyu into the tightest hug. The reunited lovers embrace, not letting go for a long time.
Mingyu sniffles as they separate, and Jeonghan holds his boyfriend’s face in his hands.
“Hey, don’t cry now, baby.”
“I just…I thought I had lost you forever, you know? I didn’t think you’d come back to me ever again. I’m just so relieved and happy right now.”
Jeonghan gives him a sweet smile and wipes a tear off Mingyu’s face with his thumb, pulling his head down and pressing their lips together.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
They make their way back to the clubhouse, squeezing in behind the crowd near the door. Jeonghan tears his attention away from Mingyu’s face and tunes back just in time to hear the chairman announce that the building will not be demolished.
The clubhouse erupts into cheers and yells, and Mingyu and Jeonghan get pulled into hugs. The group hug becomes bigger and then they are all jumping around in a circle, hoots and laughs echoing all around. Mingyu and Jeonghan’s entwined hands are ripped apart, but their smiles don’t fall off. Their eyes meet across the distance, and they hold the contact, their arms around their friends and content smiles on their faces. Life was good.
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“What are you doing today evening?”
“Taking Subinnie and her friends to Bounce. Wanna come?”
“Hell yeah.”