〈 I Wish You Were Mine ╱ MarkHyuck 〉 ✓

열여섯

The afternoon sun was cruel, too bright for the heaviness sitting in Minhyung's chest. He walked aimlessly for an hour after Donghyuck left, his feet carrying him across streets he didn't even register, until the weight in his chest became unbearable. There was only one place left to go.

Johnny's apartment.

He knocked once, then twice, harder than he meant to. By the time the door opened, Minhyung's face was pale, his jaw tight, eyes already stinging.

"Yo," Johnny started with his usual casual grin, but the smile faltered the instant he saw Minhyung's expression. "Hey. What's—"

"I—" Minhyung's voice broke on the first word. He swallowed, but it didn't come back. His lips trembled, his chest caved in, and before he could stop himself, the tears broke loose.

Johnny's eyes widened, panic flashing before instinct took over. He grabbed Minhyung's arm, pulling him inside. "Hey, hey, hey—what happened?"

The door shut behind them, muffling the world outside. In here, only Minhyung's ragged sobs filled the room.

Johnny guided him to the couch, hands steady, voice softer. "Talk to me, man. What's going on?"

But Minhyung couldn't talk yet. He collapsed forward, elbows braced on his knees, palms covering his face. His shoulders shook violently, every breath a fight. Years of holding back, of pretending, of swallowing words—it all poured out at once.

Johnny sat beside him, one arm draped carefully around his back, not pushing, just holding. "You're scaring me. Did something happen to Hyuck?"

The name cracked something sharper inside Minhyung. He shook his head hard, choking on a bitter laugh that turned into another sob.

"No, no—he's fine. He's—" His voice tore apart. "He's fine. I'm not."

Johnny's chest tightened. He'd never seen Minhyung like this. The kid who was always steady, dependable, calm under pressure—even when everything went to hell, Minhyung never broke. But now he looked shattered, raw and human in the most painful way.

"Tell me," Johnny urged, voice gentle.

Minhyung dragged in a breath, forcing words out between gasps. "He... he smiled at her today." His throat closed up. His hands clenched. "Nakyung. From the party. He smiled at her like—like I don't even exist."

Johnny froze, realization dawning. "Ah. Shit."

"I made him breakfast," Minhyung whispered, as if the memory itself burned. "I... I wanted to make sure he was okay. But he just... he just kept texting her, and laughing, and telling me they're gonna hang out. Just them."

His voice broke entirely. He pressed his hands to his face, rocking slightly, like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely. "I watched him get happy over someone else. Right in front of me."

Johnny shut his eyes, exhaling slowly. "And you—"

"I love him." The confession tore itself from Minhyung's chest like glass. Raw. Final. "God, Johnny hyung, I love him so much it's killing me."

Silence pressed against the walls. Johnny stared, the words heavy, but not surprising. He'd known, in pieces, in glances, in the way Minhyung always hovered closer to Donghyuck than anyone else. But hearing it out loud was different.

"Minhyung..."

"I can't tell him," Minhyung continued, voice shaking. "I can't. Because he doesn't feel the same. And I—I don't care if he doesn't. I just... I just want him safe. I just want him happy. But—" He gasped, clutching his chest like he could physically hold his breaking heart together.