Chapter 17

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ju-woon had tried to go for a walk to clear his head, but he couldnt quite walk in peace. . His heart ached, he didnt know why that was, and it felt like he didnt want to either. He couldn't shake it, no matter how far he walked or no matter what he did.

By the time he returned to his apartment, the sun was sinking low in the sky, casting long shadows in the corners of his room. He sat down at his desk, his sketchbook open in front of him, but the blank pages mocked him. He couldn't focus. He didn't know what to draw. His mind kept drifting back to Min-ho.

Why couldn't he stop thinking about him? Ju-woon rubbed his head, trying to push the thoughts away, but they refused to be ignored. He thought about the look in Min-ho's eyes last night, , the way his heart had thudded in his chest when Min-ho's lips brushed his skin, wait wait what was he thinking about.. His fingers twitched involuntarily, and he glanced down at his neck.

The marks.

Ju-woon stared at his reflection in the mirror across from him. The bruises were still faint, but visible—red and purple marks where Min-ho had kissed. His heart beat raised. He had told himself he'd forget. He had told himself it was just a moment, just something that happened in the heat of the moment, something that would fade away in time. But it hadn't. And now, it was all he could think about.

Ju-woon closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the anxiety building in his chest. He reached for his phone, but he didn't feel like calling anyone, didn't feel like texting. The silence of his apartment was suffocating, but it was also the only thing that made sense. He couldn't even focus enough to draw.

Sighing, Ju-woon closed the sketchbook and tossed it to the side. Maybe a nap would help clear his head. But just as he pulled the covers back and was about to slip into bed, a sudden knock on the door jolted him out of his thoughts. His brow furrowed, irritation creeping in immediately. Who could be knocking on his door at this hour?

He swung the door open with more force than necessary, fully prepared to snap at whoever it was. But instead of some annoying neighbor or unexpected guest, he was met with the sight of Min-ho standing in the hallway. The younger boy looked disoriented, his body swaying slightly as if he could barely keep himself upright. His eyes were half-lidded, glazed over with drunkenness. His lips parted in a lazy grin when he saw Ju-woon.

"Hm~ hey, darling. Missed me?" Min-ho slurred, his voice thick with alcohol.

Ju-woon's irritation flared instantly, and for a split second, he considered slamming the door in Min-ho's face. But before he could even think about doing it, Min-ho managed to stumble into the apartment, sliding past him with little effort.

Ju-woon blinked, momentarily taken aback by the suddenness of it all. Min-ho seemed entirely unbothered, plopping down on the floor near the door as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"What? What do you need at this hour? No—why are you even here?" Ju-woon demanded, standing in the doorway, watching him with suspicion.

"Uh… I just got drunk again. Not a big deal," Min-ho replied with a carefree shrug, as though being utterly wasted was a perfectly normal reason to show up at someone's house uninvited at 2 a.m.

Ju-woon frowned deeply, his gaze hardening. He had to admit, there was something worrying about the way Min-ho had been drinking. Every day at school, he showed signs of a hangover. It wasn't just occasional partying anymore; it was an everyday occurrence. And now, he was here—drunk, in his apartment, like it was no big deal.

"Min-ho, you need to stop drinking. It's not good for you," Ju-woon said, his voice softer than he intended, but the concern still clear.

Min-ho merely waved him off, clearly not interested in hearing any of it. "I don't care. Now, give me a hand, will you?" he asked, reaching his hand out toward Ju-woon, probably expecting him to help him up from the floor.

"No. Get up yourself," Ju-woon snapped back, his voice cool, a sharp edge to it.

Min-ho pouted exaggeratedly, but he didn't seem to care much. "So mean…" he muttered, though he finally pushed himself up off the floor.

Without missing a beat, Min-ho wandered toward Ju-woon's bedroom, moving as if he were in his own home. Ju-woon stared after him, not entirely sure what to do. Part of him wanted to tell him to leave, to kick him out before things got any more ridiculous. But something kept him rooted to the spot.

Min-ho flopped down onto the bed, pulling his phone from his pocket as if everything was normal. Ju-woon stood at the doorway for a moment, unsure whether he should be the one to leave or stay, when Min-ho gave him a smirk.

"Come on, sit down. Don't act like you don't want to," Min-ho teased, patting the spot next to him.

Ju-woon hesitated but eventually gave in. There was no real harm in sitting next to him for a moment, right? It wasn't like he was going to do anything stupid. At least, that's what he told himself. So, he sat down on the edge of the bed, his body stiff, trying to put distance between them mentally and physically.

But Min-ho, ever the unpredictable one, had other ideas. Without warning, he flopped his head into Ju-woon's lap, looking up at him with that familiar smirk.

"Are you serious?" Ju-woon's voice came out more incredulous than he intended.

Min-ho's laugh rumbled deep in his chest. "It's not a big deal. Calm down. We've done worse things," he said, his voice muffled against Ju-woon's thigh.

Ju-woon's breath caught at the mention of their previous encounters. Yes, they had done worse things—things that he still couldn't quite make sense of. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, the silence between them felt almost too heavy. He didn't know what to say, so he simply stared at Min-ho.

There was a strange pull in his chest. He wanted to push Min-ho away, but at the same time, something inside him felt drawn to him. He didn't understand it. He didn't understand any of it.

Before he could think too hard about it, his hand moved almost without his permission. His fingers brushed through Min-ho's hair, and he immediately felt the softness beneath his touch. It was surprising, the feel of it—gentle, smooth, not at all what he had expected.

Min-ho looked up at him, clearly surprised. "Well, that's unexpected of you," he remarked, his voice soft and slightly breathless.

Ju-woon's fingers froze mid-motion. He wasn't sure why he was doing it, why he couldn't seem to stop himself from touching Min-ho like that. He quickly pulled his hand back, but the damage was done. The atmosphere had shifted. The air between them had become charged, heavier with unspoken things neither of them were willing to acknowledge.

Min-ho's voice broke the silence again, raspy and uneven, as though he was struggling to stay awake. "What's the matter? Don't stop now…"

For a moment, Ju-woon didn't know what to do. He couldn't bring himself to say anything more. There were no more words that could make sense of the situation, and he knew it

The two of them stayed like that, the room silent except for the occasional rustle of fabric as Min-ho shifted to get more comfortable. After a while, Ju-woon began to feel sleepy, 

"I'm going to bed," Ju-woon murmured, his voice thick with exhaustion.

Min-ho groaned, and without warning, shifted closer, wrapping his arm around Ju-woon's waist, pulling him into his body.

"Min-ho, let go…" Ju-woon's words were faint, but Min-ho didn't respond. Instead, he buried his face in Ju-woon's shoulder, his breath warm and steady against his skin.

"Good night to you too," Min-ho murmured, his voice soft, almost affectionate

Ju-woon's body was pressed up against Min-ho's in a way that should have felt wrong, but for some strange reason, it didn't. Min-ho's hand was over his waist, his leg across Ju-woon's. Ju-woon could barely move, but there was a strange comfort in the closeness, a strange peace. for once, Ju-woon didn't feel the need to push him away.

The warmth between them felt nice, and before Ju-woon knew it, he had drifted off, the sound of the passing trains and Min-ho's soft breathing calming him down

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