do you still love me? | minsung

021

loud chatters were heard in the whole barbecue restaurant they went to. eight men on one of the tables were exceptionally louder than the people on the other tables.

"remember when hyunjin almost got hit on the face with a soccer ball when the new member in your team kicked it too hard during practice?" seungmin laughed at the memory of the wide-eyed boy who got goosebumps from almost being hit.

"yeah! if it wasn't for jeongin blocking the ball from hitting hyunjin's face, hyunjin would have had his nose broken by now." minho cackled while hitting the table.

"hey! my wrist hurt that time, that guy really kicked it real hard!" jeongin exclaimed, all laughed except one certain squirrel boy who kept spacing out.

one of the waiters have went over to their table to hand over four menus for them to look at. the throuple sharing one of the menus, minho having one, the chanlix couple looking at one, while changbin and jisung shared a menu.

"what about you ji?" changbin called in which jisung just blinked at him to repeat.

"what about you?" changbin repeated.

"o-oh, i'll just have what you're having.." jisung said with no energy.

"are you okay? you seem a bit out of it."

"yeah, i'm fine bin, just thinking.. thank you for asking." jisung smiled reassuringly.

"well, tell me if you aren't feeling well, i'll bring us home." changbin said

jisung only nodded with a small smile. he passed his gaze around the table to look outside of the glass wall. catching a quick glimpse of minho looking away from his direction in the process of turning.

a few good minutes had passed, the waiters were now placing their food and preparing the telescopic exhaust pipe and charcoal grill built in the table. chan, minho, changbin, and hyunjin had took the tongs and started grilling.

jisung involuntarily handed each person eating utensils, bowls, and stainless cups.

"minho," he called out softly but enough for minho to hear. the older had turned his attention from the meat he was flipping to jisung who was handing him a cup, utensils, and a bowl.

"thank you.." he thanked and took what jisung handed out. the younger's breath hitched when he felt electricity when minho unknowingly brushed their fingers together.

jisung sat down, brushing off the sudden feeling of electricity. changbin took a slice of kimbap next to him using his chopsticks, raising it up to jisung's lips, jisung looked at the kimbap and gladly ate it.

"squirrel." changbin said, laughing when he received a light slap on the arm from jisung who laughed along with him.

jisung's mood lightened, occasionally jumping into conversations with his friends while changbin fed him at times. it was now minho who quietly sat at his place, focusing on his food and sometimes the conversations he would be added in. the others would think that he was just busy enjoying his food, when he was honestly just trying his best to ignore jisung and changbin.

why? it annoys him. why, again? he doesn't know.

as laughter continued at their table, coughing caught his attention. his gaze flickered on the coughing boy in front of him. quickly, he grabbed his cup after he filled it up with iced tea and reached it out to jisung who still coughed.

"juice?"

"water?"

minho looked at the other male who offered the younger a cup of water. the two of them looking at each other, while the other five halted their movements to look at the three and wore on the same weirded out looks.

"w-water," jisung said between coughs and took the cup changbin offered, gulping it down in hopes of getting rid of the piece of carrot from the kimchi that got caught in his throat. with a few tears forming in his eyes, he put the cup in front of changbin, thanking him.

he looked in front and widened his eyes at the cup in front of him. now he just realized that everyone had went quiet, only the sounds of other customers and sizzling meat was heard.

he looked at minho who had his gaze fixed on changbin, he cleared his throat and lightly pushed the cup minho held in front of him away, "i-im fine now, thank you.." he nervously said and looked away.

minho looked away from changbin and nodded at jisung, sitting down after. chan was the first to talk after the awkward incident.

"okay, who wants more meat?" he said and the other four said 'me' in unison.

—

minho walked behind from the group, hyunjin accompanying him. hyunjin wanted to ask him some questions regarding his behavior. just like now, he looks all gloomy while giving occasional glimpses at jisung's hand that was held by changbin in his jacket's pocket.

he figured it was that he was looking at since he would follow the direction of minho's gaze when he would catch him giving it a quick glimpse.

"are you alright?" he asked the older, only receiving a confused look and nod from the older.

"why do you ask?" minho tilted his head.

"nothing, nothing, it's just that earlier you looked fine but now.. you look like a little kid going home disappointed."

minho tsked and bumped hyunjin's shoulder. the younger just laughed as the other huffed. "what was that earlier?"

"what was what?"

"the iced tea and water incident."

"ah.." minho now understood what hyunjin was referring to, "i don't know.. i guess it's an instinct of mine?" minho shrugged.

"is freezing in place and staring at the person who talked at the same time as you an instinct too?"

"shut up, i don't know what happened to me earlier." minho squinted his eyes at him.

"hmm.." hyunjin raised a brow as he hummed, he rolled his eyes and then looked at the side.

seven guys had made an appearance just across the street. one specific person stood out among the others. he squinted his eyes to see the boy clearly, his eyes widening and gasping.

"isn't that jaemin?" hyunjin pointed at the other side of the street, minho turned to where hyunjin pointed.

"it is." he answered and stopped in his tracks, raising his arms up and waving them to get their attention.

"what the hell are you doi-" he got cut off when he heard running coming towards them.

"min!!" hyunjin walked backwards to avoid possibly colliding with the male who bumped into minho with a big grin.

he looked at the others who stopped and looked at the couple who were hugging.

"where are you off to, love?" minho asked jaemin who swung them side to side.

"we were just going to part ways, you?" sparkles visibly seen on the boy's eyes as he looked up at minho.

"going home, would you like to join us?" he asked and looked at jaemin's group who waved at minho and teasingly making hearts, he showed the six his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"can i? they were just accompanying me to get a cab."

"of course you can, say goodbye to your friends first." minho said and jaemin complied, facing his friends and waving them goodbye.

hyunjin looked behind him, eyes darted at jisung who watched minho and jaemin with an unreadable expression. he averted his gaze to the pocket where his and changbin's hands were.

he saw how their hands twitched inside the pocket. knowing damn well that jisung must have squeezed changbin's hand in insecurity at the sight of the couple. recalling everything he has observed between minho and jisung. he started putting all the pieces together, all of it fit perfectly. and—

bingo.

seems like hyunjin found out what's going on.