Chapter 36

Ju-woon sat on the edge of his bed, the soft hum of the city outside almost drowned by the weight in his chest. His phone lay on the table, the screen lighting up with notifications he had no intention of reading. His mom's calls kept coming, but he was done with the back-and-forth. He had enough of the guilt trips and forced conversations, and the more he thought about it, the clearer it became: he needed space. Space from her, space to figure things out without her shadow hanging over him.

Without a second thought, he opened his messages and hit block on his mother's number. It wasn't a decision he made lightly, but it felt necessary. For once, he was choosing himself. The last thing he needed was more pressure, more expectations. His relationship with Min-ho, how it had changed in the last few days, was already complicated enough without adding more baggage to the mix.

He leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't know what the future held—didn't know how things with Min-ho would play out. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could actually breathe. He didn't have to live for anyone else's approval. Not his mom's. Not anyone's.

A knock at the door broke his train of thought.

"Ju-woon? You awake?" Min-ho's voice came through, soft and almost hesitant. It was strange to hear him so subdued, but Ju-woon knew that there was always something different in Min-ho when he really wanted to talk.

"Yeah, come in," Ju-woon called, sitting up.

Min-ho pushed the door open, eyes darting around before landing on Ju-woon. His face was calm, but there was a certain softness to it—almost as if he had been reading Ju-woon's thoughts.

"Is everything okay?" Min-ho asked, taking a step closer, his expression more serious than usual.

Ju-woon sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah… I think I just needed some time to think."

Min-ho nodded, understanding without the need for more words. He crossed the room, sitting next to Ju-woon on the bed, the space between them barely there. He didn't push, didn't ask, just let Ju-woon breathe.

"You know," Ju-woon started, his voice a little shaky, "I blocked her. My mom. I... I just can't keep going with all the pressure. I need to see where things go, you know? I'm tired of being her backup plan. I need to figure this out, but on my own terms."

Min-ho didn't hesitate. He reached over, placing a hand gently on Ju-woon's shoulder. "I get it, hyung. You deserve peace."

Ju-woon looked at him, his heart swelling with a mix of relief and something deeper, something he wasn't ready to define just yet. "Thanks... I don't know what I'd do without you."

Min-ho smirked, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. "You'd probably be a mess."

Ju-woon chuckled, the tension easing between them. Min-ho was right, though. He probably would have been a mess. But with him, things felt different. More solid. More real. They didn't need to have it all figured out right now.

They didn't need to rush anything.

The future was uncertain, but for the first time in ages, Ju-woon wasn't afraid of it.

"I'm glad you're here, Min-ho."

Min-ho's smirk softened into something more tender, his eyes locking with Ju-woon's. "Always will be."

And as they sat there, side by side, the future seemed a little less daunting. No matter what came next, they had each other. And that, for now, was enough.

The next few days would be similar to that one, just calm talks, Juwoon had to admit it was really nice.

On the following day the two decided to go to the beach, no one else, just them, no worries and no distractions.

It wasn't often that Ju-woon found himself at peace, not with everything that had been going on lately. But today was different. Min-ho had somehow convinced him to leave the confines of their usual hangout spots and take a drive to the beach.

The sound of crashing waves filled the air as the sun began its slow descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange, pink, and purple. It was a picture-perfect evening.

Min-ho pulled the car to a stop near the sand, the engine's hum fading as he turned it off. Ju-woon didn't move at first, just staring out at the calm sea. He could feel the tension in his shoulders slowly unraveling, the cool breeze carrying away the last of his worries.

"Come on, let's go," Min-ho's voice broke through his thoughts, warm and inviting. He was already out of the car, walking toward the shoreline with his hands in his pockets, looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

Ju-woon followed him, his feet sinking into the soft sand with each step. The air was salty, the sound of waves crashing soothing. It felt like they were the only two people in the world at that moment.

Min-ho stopped at the water's edge, turning to look at him. "It's nice, isn't it? No crowds, no drama. Just... us."

Ju-woon smiled, nodding. "Yeah, it is. I needed this." He let the peacefulness of the moment wash over him, his earlier stress melting away.

Min-ho raised an eyebrow, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "We should come here more often, huh?"

Ju-woon chuckled. "I'm not sure I trust you in places like this, though. What if you drag me into some ridiculous beach game and I get sunburned?"

"I promise," Min-ho grinned, walking closer to him, "no ridiculous beach games. Just the two of us, enjoying the sunset."

Ju-woon rolled his eyes but couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Fine. But only because it's peaceful here."

Min-ho took a step closer, his hand brushing against Ju-woon's. It wasn't anything overt, just the softest of touches, but it still made Ju-woon's heart skip a beat. The distance between them felt like it was shrinking with every second, as if all the unspoken things between them were finally coming to the surface.

"So," Min-ho said casually, glancing at Ju-woon, "how's everything going with your mom? Still no calls?"

Ju-woon hesitated, but the weight of his decision felt lighter now. He looked out at the horizon, taking in the fading sun. "I blocked her for now. I don't know if it's the right choice, but it feels like the only one."

Min-ho nodded, understanding. He didn't press further, just let the silence linger between them for a moment.

"You're doing what's best for you, Ju-woon. That's all that matters." Min-ho's voice was quiet, his words carrying more sincerity than usual.

Ju-woon glanced at him, catching the serious look in his eyes. "Thanks, Min-ho. I didn't think I could do that until... well, until I realized I don't have to keep putting myself in that situation."

Min-ho smiled, a warmth in his expression that made Ju-woon feel like everything would be okay. "You're strong, you know that?"

Before Ju-woon could respond, Min-ho grabbed his hand, pulling him into the water with him. Ju-woon yelped, but Min-ho's grip was firm, and they both stumbled into the cool waves together, laughing as the water splashed around them.

They spent the next hour just being there, no drama, no distractions. They walked along the shore, occasionally stopping to pick up seashells or just sit and watch the waves. It was simple, but it felt right.

As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting the world in a soft twilight, Min-ho turned to Ju-woon, his voice quieter now. "You know, this... it's really nice. Just us. No expectations."

Ju-woon looked at him, something flickering in his chest. It wasn't love, not yet, but it was something close. Something he hadn't expected.

"Yeah," Ju-woon agreed, his voice softer than he intended. "It is. I'm glad we did this."

Min-ho smirked, his playful side making an appearance again. "I'm glad I dragged you out here, then. I'll make it a regular thing if you want."

Ju-woon shook his head, laughing. "Yeah, yeah, just don't make it your new obsession."

Min-ho chuckled, pulling Ju-woon closer, wrapping his arm around his shoulders as they walked back toward the car. The night air was cooler now, but the warmth between them made it feel like nothing else mattered.

And for that moment, that peaceful moment at the beach, Ju-woon let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to fall into place.

Ju-woon would often wonder how the two got here, it was confusing, but it didnt matter now.

Past him would never be like this, all he used to worry about was college, nothing else, now thinking back at it he found it strange, how did he go without..Min-ho.

He was glad he found Min-ho.

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-Author

Hey people, just wanted to give a little context—this is the final chapter! I know this story was on the shorter side, and I'm sorry about that, but I promise my next novel will be longer and hopefully better too. Here's a sneak peek for what's to come: it'll be a magical fantasy with a BL romance, set at a magic school.

anyways thank you so much if you have read to here, it really does mean a lot<3

(Im sorry the ending is rushed but if i continued it would just be written lazily since theres not much too add)