chapter 16

The first thing Min-ho noticed was warmth.

His bed felt unusually comfortable, like he had fallen asleep wrapped in something—someone—soft. His face was pressed against warmth, the steady rise and fall of slow breathing tickling his skin.

Min-ho blinked groggily. His limbs felt heavy, the haze of sleep still clinging to his mind, but something didn't feel… normal.

Then he opened his eyes.

And saw Ju-woon sleeping beside him.

Min-ho froze.

What the—?

Then, like a dam breaking, last night's memories rushed back, slamming into him all at once.

Oh.

A slow smirk curled at his lips.

He turned onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow as he stared at Ju-woon, who was still deep in sleep. His messy black hair fell over his forehead, lips slightly parted, his usually sharp face softened by sleep. His breathing was quiet and steady, completely unaware of Min-ho's gaze.

Min-ho's smirk widened. This was perfect.

Ju-woon would definitely lose his mind when he woke up and realized where he was. And, of course, Min-ho had to make sure he was awake to witness every second of it.

But first—entertainment.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, Min-ho unlocked it and opened his social media. The post he had uploaded last night—the one where he and Ju-woon had been way too close—had blown up overnight. Hundreds of likes, dozens of comments. He clicked the notification tab, scrolling through.

"Hmm… maybe they're dating!"

"Aw, friendship or dating, they're cute either way! <3"

"I SHIP, I SHIP, I SHIP!!!!"

"There's no way these two are 'just friends.' Look how close they are!!"

Min-ho stared at the comments. Dating?

He snorted. No way.

That was the dumbest thing he'd ever read. He and Ju-woon were the furthest thing from a couple. They hated each other. They argued constantly. Ju-woon looked like he wanted to stab him half the time.

And yet...

Min-ho's gaze drifted back to the sleeping figure beside him.

The fact that they had ended up here—again—wasn't exactly helping his argument.

Shaking his head, he decided to focus on something far more important—waking Ju-woon up in the most annoying way possible.

He scrolled through his videos until he found gold.

A recording from last night, when Ju-woon had been completely wasted and whining like a spoiled brat.

"Min-ho~ oh Min-ho~ can you give me some apples…? I'm kinda hungry… Actually, be a good friend and pass me my cigarettes… Hey, Min-ho… can you actually do my laundry? I don't wanna wear this kitty shirt… and I'm lazy…"

Min-ho grinned.

This was perfect.

Turning the volume up to full blast, he hit play.

The sound of drunken, whiny Ju-woon echoed through the room.

At first, there was no reaction. Then, slowly, Ju-woon stirred. His eyebrows furrowed, his face scrunching up in confusion as he groggily opened his eyes. He blinked blearily at the ceiling, still half-asleep.

And then—

"MIN-HO! TURN THAT SHIT OFF! I WAS DRUNK!"

Ju-woon shot up, his voice hoarse from sleep as he launched a pillow at Min-ho's head.

Min-ho barely dodged in time, laughing as Ju-woon groaned and ran a hand through his hair, muttering curses under his breath.

"Morning, sunshine," Min-ho teased. "Sleep well?"

Ju-woon scowled, rubbing his face. "Go to hell."

Min-ho chuckled, watching as Ju-woon dragged himself out of bed and stumbled toward the kitchen. His steps were sluggish, like he still wasn't fully awake, and Min-ho smirked as he stretched lazily before following him.

Ju-woon reached the sink and poured himself a glass of water, gulping it down in silence. But then he suddenly froze.

Min-ho could practically see the exact moment it hit him.

The way his grip on the glass tightened, the way his shoulders stiffened slightly, how his head tilted forward just a bit as if trying to block out the realization that was creeping into his brain.

He had remembered.

Min-ho bit back a laugh, waiting.

Ju-woon squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his temple as flashes of last night flooded his memory.

Shit.

He had promised himself it wouldn't happen again.

But this was the second time.

His fingers gripped the counter, heart pounding in frustration. How had he let it happen again?

Ju-woon exhaled sharply, staring blankly at his reflection in the window. He needed an excuse. Something to make Min-ho leave before this got any more awkward. Maybe he had class—

Wait.

It was Saturday.

Shit.

Just then, Min-ho strolled into the kitchen, leaning casually against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. His smirk was too smug, his eyes practically glowing with amusement.

Ju-woon scowled. "...What?"

Min-ho hummed. "You're thinking of an excuse to kick me out, aren't you?"

Ju-woon scoffed. "What? No."

Min-ho's smirk widened. "Good, then I'll stay."

Ju-woon opened his mouth, probably to tell him to go to hell, but Min-ho chuckled before he could.

"I'm just kidding, hyung," he said, stretching. "I've got places to be."

Ju-woon exhaled, visibly relieved. "Hm. Bye."

Min-ho pouted dramatically. "Aww, that's it? No goodbye kiss?"

"Shut up."

Min-ho laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "So mean~ but alright, I'm going."

He turned to leave but hesitated at the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder. Ju-woon wasn't looking at him, but there was a tension in his shoulders, like he was forcing himself to stay still.

Min-ho smirked.

"Do whatever you want."

That's what Ju-woon had said last night, hadn't he?

His eyes flickered to Ju-woon's bare neck—his marks still faintly visible from last night.

Yeah. Min-ho wasn't letting this go.

But for now—

He walked out.

Ju-woon let out a breath the moment he was gone.

He leaned against the counter, squeezing his eyes shut. What the hell was wrong with him?

His skin still felt too hot, like the ghost of Min-ho's touch was lingering there, refusing to fade. He rubbed his face, exhaling sharply, before stepping onto the balcony.

The air was crisp, fresh. The sun had risen higher now, bright but not overwhelming. It was a beautiful day—perfect for a walk, perfect for anything that didn't involve thinking about Min-ho.

He needed to clear his head.

And, more importantly—

He needed to stop letting this happen.

But deep down, even as he tried to convince himself, he wasn't sure if he really meant it.

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