Hearing the sudden confession, Jinki didn’t know how to react, or if he was supposed to react at all to those words. It seemed he didn’t have to move or react, as Minho climbed over Jinki to get onto his feet, clearing his throat.

“I’ll see you in school tomorrow, then.” Minho said calmly, turning back for a moment and then walking to the door.

“Wait!” Jinki’s mouth moved without Jinki thinking it through, but as Minho looked like he hadn’t heard it, Jinki jumped off the bed and ran to the door, slamming his body into it as he kept it shut.

“Jinki, are you alright?” Minho asked turning the elder male around carefully, with the elder’s eyes glued to his chest.

Jinki had no idea what he was supposed to say, because his throat felt dry all of a sudden. For moments, he wondered to himself about if he should confess that he liked the male in return, but his foolish mouth had other questions. “Why do you like me, Minho? You never even talked to me much before recently...”

Minho looked at Jinki and his eyes held an expression that told Jinki that he himself didn’t know why he was so attached with the elder. “You were the first person to talk to me and see me as something more than a pretty face. When you didn’t make a move on me, and when I saw your bright smile, I just became so curious about you. I must have driven Jonghyun crazy, asking about you every day for a year.”

“A year?” Jinki’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he shook his head. “But you were… you know-”

“Bouncing a lot during that time?” Minho asked, and when Jinki didn’t answer, he took the silence as confirmation, his shoulders deflating as he looked away from Jinki. “Because to me, meeting you was like meeting a ghost; someone that’s there yet you can’t believe their existence because they’re just so far from you. I guess that’s why Jonghyun and Kibum were bullying you all this time, because they both knew about what I felt, and Jonghyun told me this would be the only way to get your attention.”

“By bullying me?” Jinki was starting to get frustrated at the taller male. It was the first time he’d ever heard of a male bullying the person he liked, and it sounded absolutely ridiculous.

“I guess I was being one of those children that showed he liked a person by teasing them constantly.” Minho shrugged, looking like he was ashamed of his own actions, “I regret it now, though. I regret not knowing how else to get your attention. I’m sorry, Jinki, but my feelings are sincere.”

Jinki’s walls weakened, and he knew it, as Minho’s sincerity pierced through him, leaving him feeling a bit guilty for not giving the taller male a chance. Shaking his head again, Jinki looked up at Minho with tearful eyes, “What if you don’t like me anymore later, like you didn’t like anyone else you’ve been with?”

Minho took a step forward and cupped the elder male’s face in his hands, gently wiping his tears away with his thumbs, a soft, breathy, chuckle escaping his lips, “Because you’re like everyone else, right? Jinki, you’re too precious for me to ever want to let go of you, you know.”

“I’m scared.” His voice was coming out as a mere whisper, his hands reaching up and taking Minho’s hands, lacing their fingers together, looking straight into the young male’s eyes, “Minho-ah, I don’t know what love is. I’ve lived by myself for so long I don’t remember what it’s like to show love for another person. Plus, I’m clumsy and awkward, so I might just keep pulling you b