colors • sh

s i x t y - f i v e

мιиgγυ ωαѕ ωοяяιє∂. So was Minghao. It's been hours since Jihoon had ran off to some place that god knows where. It already quarter to seven in the evening yet Jihoon still hasn't come home. It was dark already and it was starting to get into their nerves.

They were sitting closely by the kitchen, the television turned on yet none of them were having any plans to watching. All they did was stare into space with the dinner they prepared earlier cold on the dining table. They don't usually start unless the three of them are around the table.

Minghao bit his lip as he combed his hair back. Mingyu heard Minghao groan out of frustration beside him and he glanced over the other, his fingers fumbling together out of anxiety.

"Where do you think is he?" Mingyu broke the intense silence that's already digging through their skins and Minghao rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Where do you think is he?"

Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Outside?"

"No shit, Sherlock." Mingyu frowned.

"Hey." Minghao didn't turn.

"Hey, Minghao." Minghao still wouldn't turn to even look at him. Mingyu grew impatient and grabbed hold of Minghao's bicep before yanking him to turn and face him.

"Hey! Are you angry?" Minghao's nose scrunched as he snatched his arm away and stood up from sitting on the counter with the taller.

"Angry? Me? I'm furious!" he snapped, gritting his teeth as he turned his back towards the older and crossed his arms over his chest. Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows, mirroring the younger's expression.

"Then why are you furious with me?" Minghao huffed. "I'm not furious with you, I'm furious with me!"

"Then don't put your anger to me, dumbass!"

"I wasn't putting my anger to you, dumbass!"

"You're literally doing it right now!"

"Like you're not!"

"I wasn't—"

They continued to blabber to one another that they didn't notice the sound of keys jiggling and the lock unlocking before the door was swung open. They didn't even noticed when someone walked—no, trudged their way through the hall.

They only stopped when they heard a loud slam of a door (they flinched) and the sound of a click, indicating that the room was locked. They both turned to look at each other, the argument they had earlier thrown out of the window and they both have an equally worried expressions in their faces. They quickly rushed to Jihoon's room, stopping when they're in front of his door.

Mingyu gulped as he bit his lip and glanced over Minghao. Minghao glanced back and nodded towards him, understanding what Mingyu wanted and proceeded to knock on the wooden door, the soft knock echoing through the quiet house.

"H-Hyung?" he stuttered. No response.

"H-Hyung? Are you there?" he tried again and tried to twist the knob, only to remember that it was locked and cursed to himself. He had a spare key to Jihoon's room, but he didn't want to use it to refrain from angering their hyung. So he proceeded to knock.

"Hyung, are you alright?"

It was quiet for a moment. The two boys stood awkwardly in front of Jihoon's room as they waited (almost) patiently for their hyung to reply but to no avail. Minghao opened his mouth.

"H—" it was quiet that Minghao didn't catch it. He even planted his ear over the door to try and hear the words Jihoon mumbled better.

"W-What? What was that, hyung? Can you repea—"

"You knew..." Minghao's blood ran cold. He slowly pulled away from the door, biting his lip as he felt his heart shatter. Mingyu was still confused. Mingyu spoke up.

"Jihoon-hyun—"

"You knew and you didn't even bother to tell me? What kind of a friend does that?"

Mingyu shut his mouth, looking down in shame, clenching his fists.

"Why didn't you tell me? I-I thought—" a sob broke out and Mingyu couldn't help the tears from pooling in his eyes as he tried to blink them away, only resulting for them to roll down his cheeks and Mingyu tried to swipe the tears away.

Minghao wasn't any different. He was trying so hard not to cry as well. Because that sob was so broken and so sad that it was impossible not to feel the same. His hyung has never been like this. He was always the strong one. He always putted up a front. He always tried to hide his true feelings just to protect them. Just so they won't worry.

And now that Jihoon had let his feelings out, he now realized how hurt he was. How much he bottled up his feelings before he bursted that it was too much for them to handle. Jihoon was so fragile that he should be the one who's protected, not them. But they were just weak to even do so.

They were too weak to tell their hyung the truth. They were too weak to even try.

Now here Jihoon was, with nothing but a broken heart.

"I thought no secrets?"

Mingyu broke. The tears streamed down his face like they were a waterfall and he couldn't stop them from falling. He leaned on the wall in front of him as he bit his lip to refrain from sobbing loud, enough to break skin and blood was trickling down, the irony taste of his blood invading his mouth but he didn't care.

A small wound is nothing compared to a painful heart break. He couldn't even imagine how Jihoon was going through. He could only think of the worst and thought that no, I can't do this. I'm too weak for such thing.

Jihoon was indeed a strong man. Someone to look up to. And it was painful to see him fall down on his knees, for someone who's always been strong for them. For someone who's become their older brother who guided them through the hardships of life.

And he just wants it to stop. He wants to cease the pain already because he couldn't take it. It was too much.

He tugged Minghao by his shirt, whispering. "Let's give him some space..."

Minghao couldn't agree more.

"Hyung," he called one last time. "There's dinner waiting for you at the table." And they left, leaving Jihoon alone in his dark room, sobbing and crying his heart out as he remembered words. A promise left for Jihoon to hope, only to be broken in the end.

"Jihoon." The midget looked up into the other's eyes and found himself captivated to his intense gaze.

"I will never leave you, okay? I'll always be by your side. I'll always protect you. Got it?" Jihoon slowly nodded his head and let Soonyoung cup his face, caressing his cheeks that made him relax on his seat.

Jihoon knocked his head back into the wall he's leaning on and gritted his teeth as he looked up into the once bright color of his ceiling, now turned into dull.

"You said you'd never leave," he sniffed. "But where are you now when I needed your touch the most?"

A broken promise.

★彡

ι ℓονє γου, ℓιѕα. ι ωιℓℓ nєνєя ƒοяgєτ γου...

★彡

i am so sorry for not being active for the past weeks. i had a problem but now it's solved and i can update now lol

by the way, we're onto the angst ride now, huh? lol please tolerate my poor angst story...

i love y'all, unicorns! bye~