He drove to his apartment and there he called BaekHyeon, after getting a call from his brother Hyeon put his feelings away and rushed to his brothers side.
Once he got there he found Jihoon sitting on the couch his watery and red to cry. Once he saw BaekHyeon he bursted out crying, they hugged each other and the crying got even louder. "Minji, broke up with me!" He cried.
———————
This was the very first time in years that I've seen Hoon cry this hard, growing up he has never been The crying type. I've ever only seen Hoon cry once and that was when I was diagnosed with a stomach tumor, that day Jihoon cried so much that no on could stop his crying. Now here we're are hand in hand hearing his cries hurts me, his my twin brother so his pain is my pain so the pain he was feeling I was feeling.
But I couldn't cry at this moment, I had to comfort him. He has always been there for me now it's my turn to be here for him.
—————-
BaekHyeon held Jihoon tightly, feeling his twin's pain deeply. He rubbed Jihoon's back soothingly, whispering words of comfort. "It's going to be okay, Hoon. We'll get through this together."
Jihoon continued to sob, clinging to BaekHyeon as if he were a lifeline. "I love him so much, Baek. I can't lose him. I just can't."
BaekHyeon nodded, his own heart breaking for his brother. "I know, Hoon. I know. But you have to give him time. Let him process everything. If he loves you as much as you love him, he'll come back."
Jihoon nodded weakly, though his tears continued to flow. "I hope so. I really hope so."
They sat like that for a long time, Jihoon pouring out his heartbreak while BaekHyeon listened and comforted him. Finally, Jihoon tears began to slow, and he pulled back, wiping his eyes.
"Thanks, Baek," he said, his voice hoarse. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
BaekHyeon smiled gently. "You'll never have to find out. I'm always here for you."
Meanwhile, back at Minji's apartment, Minji sat on the couch, the ring box still in his hand. He turned it over and over, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He loved Hoon , but the betrayal he felt was overwhelming. He knew he needed to make a decision, but his heart and mind were at war.
Minji decided to call his best friend, Yuna. She picked up on the first ring, her voice full of concern. "Minji? What's wrong?"
Minji took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "Yuna, can you come over? I really need to talk."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," Yuna replied without hesitation.
True to her word, Yuna arrived quickly. She found Minji still on the couch, the ring box in his hand. She sat down beside him, taking his hand in hers.
"Tell me everything," she said gently.
Minji poured out the whole story, from TaeHyun's unwanted kiss to Jihoon's desperate explanation. Yuna listened carefully, nodding occasionally but not interrupting.
When Minji finished, Yuna sighed. "Minji, I understand why you're hurt and angry. But I also know how much Jihoon loves you. This situation with TaeHyun... it sounds like he was trying to manipulate things to break you two apart."
Minji nodded slowly. "I know. But it's so hard to get past the image of them kissing. It just... it broke something inside me."
Yuna squeezed his hand. "I get that. But you need to ask yourself if you can forgive him and move forward. Do you believe Jihoon when he says he didn't want the kiss?"
Minji looked down at the ring box, tears welling up in his eyes again. "I want to believe him. I really do. But I'm scared, Yuna. What if it happens again?"
Yuna hugged him tightly. "You need to talk to him, Minji. Really talk. Lay everything out. If you love each other enough, you'll find a way to rebuild that trust."
Minji took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I need to talk to him."
————————————
It had been a week since the awkward Christmas dinner, and the once comfortable rhythm between Minji and Jihoon had dissolved into silence. They hadn't spoken much, and the unspoken tension hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Jihoon buried himself in his workload, finding refuge in the endless tasks and deadlines. His office had practically become his home, as if drowning in work could numb the uncomfortable emotions lingering inside him.
Meanwhile, Minji sought solace elsewhere, staying with Yuna and avoiding the house he shared with Jihoon. Unlike Jihoon, he didn't overwork himself, but he kept busy enough to avoid thinking about the distance between them. Yuna had noticed his quiet demeanor, but she knew better than to pry—Minji would open up when he was ready.
Late one evening, after another long day at the office, Jihoon found himself sitting at his desk, staring blankly at his computer screen.
His mind wandered back to Minji, the way they'd been avoiding each other, the way they hadn't spoken about what had happened with TaeHyun at Christmas. He hated this silence between them, but he didn't know how to fix it. He'd messed up in the past, and now, he feared he was messing up again.
Just as he was about to pack up and leave, his phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Yuna.
Yuna: "Minji misses you, you know that, right?"
Jihoon stared at the message for a moment, his heart sinking. He knew. But did Minji still want to be with him after everything that had happened? He hadn't given him a reason to.
With a sigh, Jihoon grabbed his things and left the office, heading back to the house. The silence between them couldn't continue.
They needed to talk, to figure out where they stood.
When Jihoon finally got home, the house felt colder, emptier without Minji there. He stood in the doorway for a moment, hesitating, before pulling out his phone to send a message.
Jihoon: "Can we talk?"
There was a long pause, and for a second, Jihoon thought Minji might ignore him. But then, his phone buzzed.
Minji: "I'll come by tomorrow."
Jihoon sighed in relief, though the weight in his chest remained. Tomorrow. They'd have to face each other tomorrow, and whatever happened, Jihoon knew they couldn't keep avoiding each other. It was time to figure things out.
The next day, Jihoon woke up feeling uneasy. His stomach churned as he thought about seeing Minji again after a week of silence. He tried to distract himself with small tasks around the house—cleaning up the living room, tidying the kitchen—but nothing could keep his mind off the conversation they were about to have.
Around noon, there was a knock at the door. Jihoon's heart raced as he walked over and opened it, revealing Minji standing there. He looked tired, but still beautiful in that effortless way Jihoon always admired. Minji hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Hey," Minji said softly, his voice almost too quiet.
"Hey," Jihoon replied, closing the door behind him. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither knowing where to start.
"I'm sorry," Jihoon blurted out, the words spilling from his mouth before he could stop them. "For everything—Christmas, the way I've been avoiding you. I just... I didn't know how to handle it."
Minji nodded, his expression unreadable. "I know," he said, his voice steady. "But I don't want us to keep avoiding things like this. It's exhausting, Jihoon."
"I know. I hate it too," Jihoon admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to push you away, but after everything with TaeHyun... I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was losing control."
Minji sighed, sitting down on the couch. "It wasn't just about TaeHyun. It's about us, Jihoon. We haven't been communicating. We've been so caught up in our own worlds, and I feel like we've been drifting apart."
Jihoon sat down next to him, his chest tightening at Minji's words. "I don't want to lose you, Minji. "
"That night was supposed to be our night, a night we got to celebrate our love. But once that break out that night my heart crashed, you're words broke me." Jihoon said.
"Im sorry you had to see that, I'm sorry for making you think everything I told you that day was all bluff. But I was also hurt by the lack of trust in me, I did anything and everything to secure your happiness in our relationship but that night when you broke things off like that it broke me."
Minji took a deep breath, his eyes welling up with emotion as he listened to Jihoon's words. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he said quietly. "I never wanted to break us. But in that moment, I felt like I was losing you to something I couldn't control. Seeing you with TaeHyun, even for just a second, brought back all these insecurities. It wasn't about trust... it was fear."
Jihoon reached out, gently placing a hand on Minji's knee. "I didn't realize how much it affected you. I should've been more aware, more careful with how I handled things. But Minji, TaeHyun means nothing to me anymore. You're the one I want. You're the one I love."
Minji's lip trembled as he looked down at Jihoon's hand, then up at his face. "I know that now. But that night, everything just felt so overwhelming. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I pushed you away, thinking that would protect me. But it didn't. It just hurt us both."
Jihoon nodded, his heart aching at Minji's vulnerability. "I should've reassured you more. I should've been there for you, instead of letting the situation spiral out of control. I don't want us to break apart like that again."
Minji wiped at his eyes, trying to hold back the tears. "Neither do I. I love you, Jihoon. I've never loved anyone like this. But we have to work on our communication. We can't keep bottling things up until they explode."
Jihoon squeezed his hand gently. "You're right. I'm willing to work through this, to make sure we never get to that point again. I'm not perfect, but I'll try my hardest to be better for you. For us."
Minji leaned into Jihoon, resting his head on his shoulder as the weight of their conversation began to lift. "I don't want to lose you either. Let's just... take it slow, figure things out together."
Jihoon wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. "We'll take it one step at a time. No more running, no more hiding from what we feel."
Minji closed his eyes, feeling safe in Jihoon's embrace. "I'm ready for that," he whispered.
As they sat together in the quiet, it felt like a new beginning for them—a chance to rebuild what had been strained and find their way back to each other. One step at a time, they would heal together.
TBC