Minho sat staring at his phone. His homework was done, and he wanted to talk to Jonghyun. He wasn’t sure what was going on with his boyfriend lately, but he knew it wasn’t good. There was a photo on his phone screen that he couldn’t take his eyes off of. Jonghyun and Taemin, curled up in what he assumed was Key’s bed, sleeping peacefully. There were several things that bothered him about that image, but he wasn’t sure what unsettled him the most.

He was jealous - he always was when it came to anyone else being able to do something with Jonghyun that he couldn’t do himself - so seeing Taemin cuddling with his boyfriend created a small ache in his chest. More than that, though, was the fact that it was clearly daylight in the photo, as it was where he was - four hours south of home. And why was Jonghyun clinging to Taemin like that? Something really ate at Minho about that, and it was different from the jealousy. It was more to do with the fact that Jonghyun felt the need to hold on to someone like that.

Like he was afraid.

And then, there was the bags under Jonghyun’s eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t been sleeping well. He knew that Jonghyun was close with all of them, and cared very much about them all, but he also knew that he knew Jonghyun the best. Maybe they couldn’t get it out of him what he was going through, but if Minho was there, he would have been able to. He knew that for a fact, and he wanted to go home.

When he had presented this argument to his appa, however, it had fallen on deaf ears. Even as he brought up how Jonghyun was avoiding talking to him suddenly, and he knew that meant Jonghyun was hiding more than they realized, Jinki had said no. It wasn’t that the appa was being mean - in fact he had sounded almost as upset as Minho when he gently refused the boys request time and time again. He was doing what he thought was best for all of them. Minho knew that, but he also disagreed.

He tried calling Jonghyun’s phone once again, but it went right to voicemail as it had been doing for days. Jinki, Key, and Taemin all gave him daily updates, but it wasn’t the same as actually speaking to him - hearing his voice, or seeing the words only meant for him. No, the only thing that would calm Minho down would be for Jonghyun to talk to him, and prove to him that everything was going to be ok. Minho may have had a stronger shell when dealing with people, may have seemed like he wasn’t easily upset, but it wasn’t true.

He was just as broken as Jonghyun, and Taemin and Key. They forgot that, though, because he hid it so well, and now he found himself curled up in his bed. His roommates had tried to get him to go out and play soccer, or basketball, or anything with them, but he refused. He wanted nothing to do with any of them. He only wanted Jonghyun, and it was killing him inside that Jonghyun wouldn’t talk to him.

Sure, they had gone for weeks without talking before, but that was different. They had no choice. It hurt more now, because they did have the choice, but Jonghyun was opting out of it. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had done something to upset him, or hurt him in some way, even though he was sure he hadn’t. It was fun to get out of town and meet new people for maybe the first...four days? But now he had had enough.

He was wrapped tightly in his blanket when the nurse came in to check on him. Several of the boys had mentioned to her that he had been acting strange, and he refused to get out of bed for anything but class. It didn’t seem right to her...she had met Minho a few times, usually helping someone else into her office, but he had always been lively and happy. Right now he was displaying serious symptoms of illness, and she gently pulled the blanket down off his face.

Minho blinked up at her in surprise. He had been sleeping until she removed the blanket, and he really had no idea what was going on. She smiled softly as she pressed the back of her hand against his forehead, and he stared at her with his wide eyes. She looked a bit confused, and pulled her hand back after a moment. She pulled a thermometer out of her back, then swiped it across his forehead and pressed it behind his ear before looking at it, and even then she looked stumped.

“You’re not sick at all, are you?” She asked. Minho shook his head.

“I never said I was.” Minho pointed out, reaching automatically for his cell phone. Her eyebrows went up as she watched him check for new messages. His eyes lit up when he saw he had one, but his face fell again when he realized it was just a text from the appa, apologizing for not letting him have his way. He shoved it under his pillow and sighed. “I just said I wanted to be left alone.”

“Do you...often struggle with depression?” She asked. Minho’s eyebrows shot up.

“I’m not depressed.” He said, seeming a bit offended at the implication. “I just want to go home.”

“You’re certainly displaying a lot of symptoms of depression.” She said softly. Minho sighed.

“I have separation anxiety.” He said, shaking his head. “I’m not depressed. I just want to go home.”

“Who told you that? If you had separation anxiety you would’ve displayed symptoms a lot sooner into your stay.” She said, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s what it is.”

“My therapist diagnosed me when I was ten.” Minho said, a bit of frustration bleeding into his tone. “It’s not bad like most peoples, where I can’t be away from home ever. It’s more specific to communication.”

“And what? No one’s talking to you?” She asked. Minho sighed.

“It’s not that no one’s talking to me. It’s that Jonghyun isn’t talking to me.” He said, shaking his head. She raised a brow.

“Is he your brother?” She asked. He grabbed his phone, wanting to throw it at her, but instead dialed his appa’s number. When he answered, Minho shoved the phone at her. “Oh, uh y-yoboseyo.”

Minho stayed quiet as she spoke to Jiki, watching understanding dawn on her face as she stumbled through the awkward start to the conversation. Minho knew Jinki would explain everything a lot better than he himself could ever dream of, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t hoping that the nurse’s explanation would somehow changed Jinki’s mind. In the end, though, the nurse handed him the phone, and he pressed it to his ear.

“De?” He said quietly.

“Try not to let it get to you, ok? If you need to take time to yourself, then that’s fine, but try to have some fun.” Jinki said softly. Minho’s hope of going home vanished in a second, and his face fell.

“De, appa...” He said, sadness clear in his voice. He heard Jinki sigh.

“I feel like a bad person for doing this.” Jinki admitted. “But I know you need to get your education.”

“Appa, I can just keep going to school. It’s not like I’m here to catch up. I’m way ahead of everyone else.” Minho pleaded. Jinki sighed.

“I know. That’s why I can’t let you give up.” Jinki said, his tone apologetic. “I know it’s not just about Jonghyun anymore. I know you’re just sick of being there. But it’s like when Jonghyun went to the rehab place to gain his weight - you’ll be better off if you just stay where you are until it’s time to come back.”

“I don’t care.” Minho whispered. “Jonghyun won’t even talk to me, and you guys are busy with your own stuff. I should have never come here. He needs me just as much as I need him.”

“I know, Minho. I know. Mianhaeyo.” Jinki said, sounding like he was close to tears.

“Appa...” Minho said, his tone pleading.

“Ani.” Jinki said. “I’m sorry, but no. You’ll be home in four days.”

Minho pulled the phone away from his ear, hanging up and stuffing his phone under his pillow. He pulled it back out a moment later, and he called Jonghyun again, frustration bleeding through his entire being as he once again got Jonghyun’s voicemail. Why was Jonghyun avoiding him? What was going on with him lately? Minho felt like screaming, but instead he dialed Key’s phone. The diva answered on the second ring.

“Kibum!” Minho all but shouted before Key even finished his greeting.

“What!” Key practically shouted back, and Minho could almost see him jumping.

“Are you with Jonghyun?” Minho asked. Key sighed.

“He’s sleeping right now.” Key said. Minho groaned.

“Can you just tell him I love him? Please...I don’t know what’s going on...but something’s wrong and...I don’t...I don’t want anything to happen. I don’t want him to think...” Minho struggled with his words. Key sighed again.

“Minho. He’s not going to break up with you, if that’s what you think.” Key said.

“It’s...it’s not that.” Minho said, though he did feel some relief. “You know him. Since we met..we’ve been inseperable. Now he’s not even talking to me. Something’s wrong, Kibum.”

“Ok, I’m issuing an official decree that no one is allowed to call me Kibum anymore. Is Key. Key. Arasso?” Key said sharply. It was Minho’s turn to sigh.

“A decree? Fine princess. Just pass the message along.” Minho said, hanging up. The nurse raised a brow at him, and he shook his head. “I want to go to sleep. Can you...please leave?”

“Ne.” She said, standing up and heading out. Minho curled up on his bed, frustration coursing through his veins. He didn’t want to deal with anything anymore.

He just wanted his boyfriend.