Ch 6

Minho listens to the sound of Haein's sleepy mumbles on the other end of the line, his heart swelling with affection. He can't make out any of the words, but the soft cadence of Haein's voice is soothing and comforting.

He lays there in his bed, just listening to the younger boy's rhythmic breathing and the faint sounds of his sleep talking. Minho could listen to it forever and not get tired. Hours pass, and the sun starts to peek through the curtains. Minho blinks awake, feeling oddly refreshed despite having been on the phone all night. He glances at his phone and sees that the call is still connected, and that Haein's sleep mumbling is still audible on the other end.

A soft smile spreads across his face as he imagines Haein asleep on the other end, blissfully unaware that they spent the night together on call. Haeins dad walks into his room to wake him up. He sounds quite mad. Something about Haein not having done his full best on an acting role? Minho's ears prick up at the sound of Haein's dad's voice, his tone harsh and agitated. The older man is obviously angry about something related to Haein's acting, and Minho wonders what could have caused such a reaction.

He can only hear snatches of the conversation, but he catches the words "dreadful night" and "not good enough." Minho's heart sinks at the thought that Haein is being criticized for his performance, especially since he knows firsthand how hard the younger boy worked on the film. He wants to speak up, to defend Haein and reassure him that he did a great job. But Minho is stuck on the phone, silently listening to the one-sided argument. He feels helpless and frustrated, wishing there was something he could do to help.

He can hear Haein's dad's voice getting louder and more demanding, his words barbed and cutting. Minho can only imagine how intimidated and vulnerable Haein must feel, being confronted so aggressively first thing in the morning.he eventually hears a slap noise. Haein's dad had hit him. But then. Haein noticed he was still on call and immedietly hung up. Haein hated how Minho had to hear this. Minho's heart nearly stops at the sound of the slap. He freezes for a moment, stunned and horrified at the violence he just heard.

Panic and worry wash over him as he realizes that Haein must have hung up the phone to hide what was happening. He knows that the younger boy has a difficult relationship with his dad, but he had no idea it was this bad.

Minho's brain races as he tries to process what just happened. He feels sick and helpless, unsure of what to do to help Haein. He can't stop thinking about the sound of the slap, replaying it over and over in his mind. He knows he has to do something, but he doesn't know what.

He's tempted to call Haein back, to try and check on him. But he knows that the younger boy is probably in a volatile and dangerous situation. He doesn't want to make things worse for him by potentially drawing even more attention.

Minho paces back and forth in his room, feeling like he's drowning in helplessness and despair. After an hour or so he texted Haein to check up on him. "Hey haein? Are you okay?" He waited and waited for a reply. Hours of waiting turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Eventually the 1 month mark of not talking hit. But then. The movie they filmes was officially put online. Everyone is shocked about how well the acting was. Especially from the main couple. Haein for once is proud of one of his works.The movie has become an instant hit, with viewers praising the chemistry between the main couple and the overall acting quality. Haein is elated to receive such positive feedback, especially considering his past experiences with his dad's critiques.

He scrolls through social media, reading comments about the film and watching fan-made edits of highlights from the movie. It's surreal to see his own face and voice plastered all over the internet, but he can't deny that it feels good.