the view | minsung

19

minho lay on his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought. jisung finally noticed his messages and replied with a simple "i'm at hyunjin's."

for some reason, minho's frown deepened at the reply. 'he left without even telling me he'd be at hyunjin's,' he thought.

he continued to contemplate his feelings for the younger, uncertain whether they were rooted in friendship or romantic attraction. he had never experienced falling in love before, so he wasn't familiar with the emotions that came with it.

his mind wandered through recent memories with jisung and the emotions that came with them. a smile graced his lips as he reminisced about those moments, yet a frown appeared when he recalled the time jisung had cried on the plane.

despite reliving those memories and the emotions that surged with them, minho remained unsure whether his feelings were driven by a simple desire for closeness with the younger or if they ran much deeper.

"i suppose i have to figure it out on my own," he mumbled, reaching for his phone and dialing a particular number.

the phone rang for a while before someone picked up on the other end.

"hello, minho?" the voice on the other end called.

"chan, are you in korea right now?" minho asked, his gaze still directed at the ceiling.

"yeah, i'm back. i was only in bangkok for a day due to the pleasant weather. how about you? i heard there's an approaching typhoon in japan," chan replied with concern evident in his tone.

"we've been instructed to stay here for three days. it's been two days already, and the weather doesn't seem to be improving. anyway, i have... something to ask you," minho stated, his voice trailing off as he hesitated.

"what is it, minho?"

"how do you know if you like someone... romantically?"

chan chuckled from the other end. "ooh, my minho is in love," he playfully teased before continuing, "well, i'm not an expert, but usually your heart races just with their presence. you find yourself looking for them when they're not around, and they constantly occupy your thoughts. though it can vary from person to person, i think those are some general signs."

minho fell silent, his thoughts engulfing him. 'i experience all of those things around him,' he realized.

"why are you asking, by the way? if you don't mind sharing," chan asked.

minho quickly fabricated a response, "oh, uh, a friend of mine is confused about his feelings for someone, and he asked me for advice. since i haven't experienced it myself, i wanted to get your perspective."

chan responded with a thoughtful hum, seemingly accepting minho's explanation.

"thanks, hyung. i have to go now. take care, and talk to you later," minho bid his farewell.

"you're welcome, min. stay safe and have a smooth return trip," chan wished before ending the call.

after the call, minho was left to grapple with his thoughts. chan's confirmation of his romantic feelings only added to his confusion. he wasn't sure how to address these emotions that were now swirling within him.

despite chan's words, a part of minho still doubted his feelings. 'it's too fast,' he thought to himself.

considering that he had only met jisung last week and their first impression hadn't been the best, with jisung calling him a "cold-hearted jerk," minho found himself taken aback by the intensity of his feelings for the younger.

initially, minho's interest in jisung had been driven by curiosity about his personality. however, he had found himself falling further down the rabbit hole of wanting to know him. he appreciated how jisung responded to his gestures with a mix of bashfulness and reciprocation, enjoyed witnessing his playful and cute side, and felt drawn to his boldness that had the power to make minho's knees weak. and when he saw jisung cry, he couldn't help but want to hold him in a comforting embrace and shield him from the world.

as minho lay there lost in his thoughts, he began to contemplate how he should address these newfound feelings. after a few more moments of contemplating, he finally decided on his next course of action. standing up from his bed, he muttered to himself, "i need to be sure. it's still early." determined, he left the room, ready to seek some clarity.

-----

minho found himself standing outside hyunjin's door, his hand having obtained the room number from him earlier. his intentions were not entirely clear, even to himself.

with a hesitant movement, he raised his fist and knocked on the door. in mere seconds, hyunjin swung the door open, revealing jisung in the background.

as the door opened, minho stepped in, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of jisung nibbling on a snack while sitting on hyunjin's couch.

thoughts flooded his mind at an alarming pace, each one causing his heart to flutter. and yet, he was equally quick in trying to suppress these thoughts, telling himself firmly, 'you don't like him,' as if trying to convince himself.

swiftly, he rearranged his expression into his usual stern and cold demeanor, then made his way over to one of the couches in the room.

minho had his own reasons for not wanting to acknowledge these feelings. he was afraid-afraid that the same might happen to him.

jisung stole a glance at minho and noticed the older looking serious and cold, prompting him to quickly shift his focus elsewhere.

"hyung, what brings you here?" hyunjin asked, offering minho some snacks he had brought with him for the flight.

"mhm, i wanted to ask if the airlines informed you about our stay being extended due to the typhoon," minho replied with his usual flat tone, politely declining hyunjin's offer.

"no, they haven't yet. but given the approaching typhoon, it's likely that we'll be stranded here," hyunjin replied.

jisung listened quietly to the conversation between the two captains. initially, he felt a tinge of happiness about the extended stay, but considering the impending typhoon, he realized he shouldn't be too cheerful.

"so, what were you and jisung doing?" minho asked, glancing at jisung, who perked up upon hearing his name.

"oh, we played uno and ate. we're planning to watch a movie next. want to join?" hyunjin invited, his voice laced with excitement.

"i defeated hyunjin in every uno round," jisung casually added, prompting hyunjin to grab a pillow from the couch and playfully hit him with it.

"you cheated!" hyunjin accused, continuing to hit jisung with the pillow as the younger protested, trying to escape the playful assault.

minho observed the playful interaction in silence, a mixture of sourness and a slight ache in his heart as he watched hyunjin and jisung happily engage with each other.

at that moment, minho finally acknowledged his feelings. he liked jisung, and the pang of jealousy he felt towards hyunjin was undeniable. yet, this realization also brought a sense of fear, fear of what might happen next.