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Jinhyeok paid for his things as quickly as possible the second he saw the messages flooding their group chat.
> hyung please come back
> coach is scary right now
> i think something’s wrong with jaeha hyung
> save us
Normally, he would’ve laughed.
But something about the messages made uneasiness settle heavily in his chest.
The drive back to the dorm felt longer than usual. His fingers tapped anxiously against the steering wheel while his thoughts kept circling back to Jaeha.
They hadn’t properly talked in almost a week.
Not really.
Between scrims, sponsor shoots, interviews, streams, and endless practice schedules, the most they managed lately were tired good mornings and quick late-night check-ins before passing out from exhaustion.
Jinhyeok knew Jaeha had been stressed too.
As the team’s coach, Jaeha carried responsibilities none of the players fully understood. He handled strategies, schedules, media pressure, and the players themselves all at once.
Maybe he was just tired.
Maybe something happened during practice.
Or maybe—
Jinhyeok tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly.
Maybe he had missed something important.
The moment he arrived at the dorm, he immediately spotted his teammates gathered awkwardly around the living room.
And somehow, all of them were unusually quiet.
Wooje was sitting stiffly on the couch while Geonwoo pretended to scroll through his phone despite clearly not reading anything. Hwanjoong looked seconds away from praying and Minhyung sat quietly beside Geonwoo.
At the far corner of the room sat Jaeha.
Laptop open.
Screen glowing against his face.
Expression unreadable.
Wooje immediately stood up the second he saw Jinhyeok walk in.
“Jinhyeok hyung,” he whispered dramatically, “thank god you’re back.”
Jinhyeok blinked. “What happened?”
Wooje looked toward Jaeha like he was scared the older man would hear him.
“Coach has been terrifying for the past two hours.”
“I was genuinely about to start praying,” Geonwoo added weakly.
Hwanjoong nodded quickly. “We think something’s wrong, hyung.”
Then his expression softened slightly.
“And honestly… you’re probably the only person he’ll actually talk to.” Minhyung added
Jinhyeok looked toward Jaeha again.
Even from a distance, he could already tell something was wrong.
Jaeha wasn’t even pretending to listen to the others anymore. His eyes stayed fixed on the laptop screen, jaw tense, shoulders stiff beneath his hoodie.
Jinhyeok sighed quietly.
“Go sleep,” he told them softly. “I’ll handle it.”
None of them argued.
Wooje patted Jinhyeok’s shoulder dramatically before whispering, “Good luck,” like he was sending him into battle.
Then one by one, the teammates disappeared back into their rooms, leaving the dorm unusually silent.
Now it was just the two of them.
Jinhyeok slowly walked closer.
“Jagi,” he called softly.
No response.
Jaeha’s fingers kept moving against the keyboard.
“Jagiya.”
Still nothing.
Jinhyeok stopped right beside him now.
“Jaeha hyung.”
Finally, Jaeha spoke.
“What.”
The answer came flat and cold without him even looking up.
Jinhyeok exhaled quietly.
Yeah.
Definitely angry.
He crouched slightly beside the chair, studying Jaeha’s expression carefully.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently. “The others said you kept glaring at everyone earlier. Did something happen?”
No answer.
Jinhyeok moved closer before carefully turning Jaeha’s chair toward him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Until they were finally facing each other.
Then Jinhyeok knelt down so they were eye-level.
Up close, Jaeha looked exhausted.
Not just physically.
Emotionally.
“Honey,” Jinhyeok said softly, “talk to me.”
Jaeha’s eyes flickered away immediately.
“You’ve been stressed lately, and now the others are worried too. I’m worried.” Jinhyeok’s voice softened even more. “You’re not usually like this. Is something bothering you? Are you tired? Did something happen today?”
For a moment, Jaeha stayed quiet.
Then finally—
“Why don’t you ask yourself?”
Jinhyeok frowned slightly. “What?”
Jaeha laughed humorlessly under his breath before finally looking at him properly.
“That’s exactly the problem.”
The younger blinked in confusion.
“You can’t even tell what’s wrong with me anymore,” Jaeha murmured quietly. “Because everything is fine with you”
Jinhyeok’s chest tightened immediately.
“Jaeha—”
“Be honest with me for once,” Jaeha interrupted softly, though the hurt in his voice made it worse than yelling ever could. “Do you really love me?”
The question hit Jinhyeok so hard he physically froze.
“What kind of question is that?” he asked almost immediately. “Of course I do.”
“Then why can’t I feel it sometimes?”
Silence filled the room.
Jinhyeok stared at him speechlessly while Jaeha looked away again.
“I know we have boundaries,” Jaeha continued quietly. “I know we’re both busy. I know we’re tired every day, and I understand why you’re careful about us.”
His fingers tightened slightly against the armrest.
“I understand you wanting to protect our relationship.”
His voice grew quieter.
“But sometimes it feels like you avoid me so much that I start wondering if you even still want this.”
Jinhyeok’s expression immediately fell.
“Jaeha…”
“It’s not about public affection,” Jaeha admitted honestly. “I’m not asking you to announce us to the world. But lately…”
He swallowed hard before finally meeting Jinhyeok’s eyes again.
“You barely look at me unless we’re alone.”
Every word felt heavier than the last.
“You pull away first whenever someone enters the room.”
“You stopped holding my hand.”
“And every time I try getting close to you lately, it feels like you’re already preparing to move away.”
Jinhyeok’s heart sank completely.
Because he didn’t even realize he’d been doing it.
Jaeha laughed weakly to himself again.
“I know you’re trying to protect us,” he whispered. “But sometimes it feels like you’re protecting yourself from me too.”
The words settled heavily between them.
Painfully.
Jinhyeok could only stare at Jaeha in silence, his chest tightening more and more with every second that passed.
Because the worst part was—
Jaeha wasn’t wrong.
Somewhere along the way, Jinhyeok had become so focused on protecting their relationship that he forgot relationships still needed to be felt too.
He forgot that loving someone quietly could still make them feel lonely.
“Jaeha…” he started softly, but the older only laughed weakly again.
“You know what the stupidest part is?” Jaeha murmured quietly.
His eyes stayed fixed somewhere past Jinhyeok’s shoulder.
“I kept trying to convince myself I was overthinking.”
Every word sounded exhausted.
“I told myself you were just tired. Busy. Stressed.” He smiled bitterly. “But then days kept passing.”
Jinhyeok felt sick hearing that.
“And suddenly I started noticing everything.”
Jaeha finally looked at him again.
“The way you move away first now.”
“The way you stop touching me the second someone walks into a room.”
“The way you hesitate before calling me anything affectionate outside your room.”
His voice cracked slightly near the end despite how calm he tried to sound.
And that hurt more than anger ever could.
Jinhyeok immediately reached for his hand instinctively.
But the moment his fingers brushed against Jaeha’s, the older flinched slightly.
Not away.
Just enough.
Still enough to make Jinhyeok’s chest ache sharply.
“Don’t,” Jaeha whispered tiredly. “Not if you’re only doing it because I brought it up.”
“I’m not—”
“You are.”
Silence.
Jinhyeok lowered his gaze immediately.
Because again—
Jaeha wasn’t wrong.
The dorm felt suffocatingly quiet now. Even the sound of rain outside somehow made everything feel heavier.
Jaeha rubbed one hand over his face tiredly before leaning back slightly against the chair.
“I know it’s complicated,” he admitted more softly this time. “I know we can’t act like normal couples.”
“You’re a player.”
“I’m your coach.”
“There are cameras everywhere.”
Rumors.
Fans.
Management.
One mistake could ruin everything they worked for.
Jinhyeok knew all of that.
That fear had been sitting inside him for months now.
“But I never asked you to stop loving me in private too,” Jaeha whispered.
That finally broke something inside Jinhyeok completely.
“Don’t say that,” he said immediately, voice cracking slightly. “Please don’t say it like that.”
“Then tell me I’m wrong.”
Jinhyeok opened his mouth—
And froze.
Because suddenly he realized he couldn’t remember the last time he actually sat down with Jaeha properly.
The last time he initiated affection first.
The last time he looked at him without immediately checking whether someone else was watching.
God.
Jaeha noticed all of it.
Of course he did.
Jinhyeok slowly lowered his head, one trembling hand tightening against his own knee.
“I didn’t realize,” he admitted quietly.
The confession sounded pathetic the second it left his mouth.
But it was true.
“I thought… if I became more careful, then we’d be safer.”
Jaeha stayed silent.
“So I kept pulling away without thinking.” Jinhyeok laughed weakly at himself. “I didn’t even notice I was doing it to you too.”
The younger finally looked back up again, eyes visibly guilty now.
“But I never stopped loving you.”
Not even for a second.
Jaeha’s expression faltered slightly for the first time tonight.
Jinhyeok swallowed hard before continuing.
“You asked why you can’t feel it sometimes?” His voice shook slightly. “It’s because I got scared.”
The older blinked slowly.
“I got scared that one wrong move would ruin everything for us.” Jinhyeok’s fingers curled tightly together. “So every time someone looked at us too long… every time fans made edits… every time management started asking weird questions…”
His voice softened.
“I panicked.”
Jaeha stared at him quietly now.
“I thought being careful meant protecting you,” Jinhyeok whispered. “But I didn’t realize I was hurting you at the same time.”
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then finally—
“You know what hurts the most?” Jaeha asked quietly.
Jinhyeok looked at him immediately.
Jaeha smiled faintly, though it looked tired.
“I still missed you anyway.”
That almost destroyed him.
Jinhyeok’s eyes stung instantly.
Because despite feeling lonely—
Despite feeling neglected—
Jaeha still waited for him every night.
Still checked if he ate.
Still stayed awake after scrims just to spend a few extra minutes beside him.
And Jinhyeok had been so consumed by fear that he failed to notice how lonely the person he loved was becoming right in front of him.
Slowly, carefully this time, Jinhyeok reached for Jaeha’s hand again.
Not rushed.
Not panicked.
Just honest.
When Jaeha didn’t pull away, Jinhyeok intertwined their fingers gently.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
The apology sounded small compared to everything else.
But it was real.
Jaeha looked down at their hands quietly.
Then finally—
Very quietly—
“I hate it when we fight.”
Jinhyeok let out a weak laugh through the tightness in his chest.
“We’re terrible at it.”
“You looked like you were about to cry five minutes ago.”
“I still might.”
That earned the faintest smile from Jaeha.
Tiny.
Exhausted.
But real.
And honestly, Jinhyeok almost broke down from relief just seeing it.
The tension in the room slowly faded after that.
Not completely.
There were still too many feelings left hanging between them, too many things both of them probably should’ve said earlier instead of letting exhaustion and distance build quietly over time.
But at least now they were finally talking again.
Honestly.
Jinhyeok stayed kneeling beside Jaeha’s chair, their fingers still loosely intertwined while silence settled comfortably between them for the first time that night.
Jaeha traced his thumb against the back of Jinhyeok’s hand.
A small gesture.
But enough to make Jinhyeok’s chest ache softly again.
“You know,” Jaeha murmured eventually, voice quieter now, “Wooje genuinely looked terrified earlier.”
That caught Jinhyeok off guard enough to laugh weakly.
“He told me you were glaring at everyone.”
“I wasn’t glaring.”
“You made Geonwoo almost apologize for breathing.”
Jaeha sighed dramatically. “That wasn’t intentional.”
“You scared the team.”
“Well maybe the team should stop being loud.”
Jinhyeok smiled faintly.
There he was.
His Jaeha.
Still tired. Still emotionally drained. But softer now.
More open.
Jinhyeok slowly rested his forehead against the side of Jaeha’s arm, exhaustion finally catching up to him too.
“I’m really sorry,” he whispered again. “I never wanted you to feel unloved.”
Immediately, Jaeha’s expression softened.
“I know.”
“But I still made you feel that way.”
“You were scared,” Jaeha answered quietly. “And honestly? I should’ve talked to you before letting it pile up like this.”
Jinhyeok lifted his head slightly. “You had every right to be upset.”
“Yeah, well.” Jaeha smiled weakly. “You had every right to be overwhelmed too.”
For a moment, they simply looked at each other quietly.
Then Jaeha reached up and brushed his fingers carefully through Jinhyeok’s hair.
The familiar affection nearly made Jinhyeok emotional all over again.
“I missed you,” Jaeha admitted softly.
God.
That stupid sentence really kept ruining him tonight.
Jinhyeok let out a quiet laugh while rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I literally live with you.”
“And somehow I still missed you.”
The younger’s chest tightened again.
Without thinking much anymore, Jinhyeok shifted closer until his arms slowly wrapped around Jaeha’s waist.
This time, he didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t overthink.
He just held him.
Properly.
Jaeha exhaled softly the second Jinhyeok relaxed against him. Almost instinctively, one of his arms wrapped securely around Jinhyeok’s shoulders while the other rested against the back of his neck.
Warm.
Safe.
Home.
For a while neither of them spoke.
They simply stayed there holding each other in the middle of the dim dorm living room while rain tapped softly against the windows outside.
“You know what your problem is?” Jaeha mumbled eventually against Jinhyeok’s hair.
Jinhyeok groaned quietly. “I thought we already finished fighting.”
“We did.”
“Then why am I being criticized again?”
Jaeha laughed softly under his breath before gently pinching the younger’s side.
“You keep trying to carry everything alone.”
Jinhyeok stayed quiet.
“And you think protecting people means pushing yourself away first.”
The younger tightened his hold around Jaeha slightly.
“…I just didn’t want us to get hurt.”
“I know.”
Jaeha’s voice softened immediately after.
“But next time, let me be scared with you too.”
That almost made Jinhyeok cry again.
Instead, he buried his face deeper against Jaeha’s shoulder dramatically.
“You’re making me emotional on purpose now.”
“Good.”
“You’re evil.”
“And yet you still love me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Jaeha laughed properly this time.
A real laugh.
The sound alone made the heaviness in Jinhyeok’s chest finally ease completely.
Then suddenly—
A loud creak echoed from the hallway.
Both of them froze.
Slowly, Jinhyeok lifted his head.
The hallway light was off, but four extremely familiar silhouettes were very visibly huddled together near the corner wall.
Silence.
Then Wooje whispered loudly:
“…are they hugging?”
“BRO OBVIOUSLY THEY’RE HUGGING,” Geonwoo whisper-yelled back.
“Wait wait I think they made up.”
“Thank god,” Hwanjoong sighed dramatically. “The dorm atmosphere was horrible.”
Minhyung nodded seriously. “I almost started job hunting.”
Jinhyeok closed his eyes immediately in embarrassment.
Meanwhile Jaeha looked genuinely exhausted again.
“How long have you four been standing there?” he asked flatly.
The teammates froze.
Then Wooje slowly stepped out first with both hands raised.
“In our defense,” he started carefully, “we were emotionally invested.”
Jaeha pointed toward the hallway without hesitation.
“Go to sleep.”
“Yes coach.”
None of them moved.
Jaeha narrowed his eyes.
“…now.”
The four scattered instantly like frightened cats.
Their footsteps thundered loudly down the hallway while Wooje’s voice echoed dramatically from a distance.
“LOVE WINS AGAIN—”
A pillow immediately flew down the hallway after him.