Jeongmin is a worrisome person, Donghyun thinks. Too worrisome and he’s not sure what to do with the man. He’s loud, yet quiet. He’s open with his feelings and yet he’s also so closed off from the rest of them. He’s warm, yet cold. He hides his thoughts and emotions behind a painfully bright smile and too loud laughter. He hides it behind the false confidence he manages to convince everyone with. There isn’t a day where his loud voice isn’t heard, where his laughter bounces off the walls.

But sometimes there is.

The worry will begin to pile when Jeongmin suddenly falls into silence for hours—speaking to no one and staring at a blank piece of paper, pen gripped tightly within his hand. That’s when he worries Donghyun the most. His laughter doesn’t accompany Hyunseong’s, his voice is heard nowhere when Minwoo is conversing with the twins.

He’s completely silent. Not a single word comes from him. Nothing. Not even the usual singing he’ll hear. It’s complete silence.

Sometimes he disappears and doesn’t return until it’s late, when everyone is asleep except for him. He’ll stumble into the dorm, cursing under his breath before breaking out into a large grin at the sight of Donghyun. He would lean against his body for support, cling to his side. He seems fine, but Donghyun notices how his breath reeks of alcohol and his eyes are puffy, brimmed with red. His voice is hoarse and he’ll break out into a dry laughter. He begins to babble about nonsense—sentences rarely connect and it’s impossible to make any sense out it. It tells him nothing about his worries, about what’s bothering the man.

“I was karaoking by myself, Donghyunnie-hyung. Don’t worry about it~” he would sing out. It would only make his frown deepen. “All my worries go away when I pour my heart out into the songs!” He hiccups, throwing an arm into the air. “Worries all gone~” A grin. “Yup.”

He presses his face into Donghyun’s chest and becomes quiet, his grip loosens and his weight shifts. He assumes he’s asleep, but he isn’t. He’s still mumbling words. Mumbling them into his chest.

“It hurts,” he says.

He peers down at the man, brows furrowed in. “What hurts?”

There’s a pause. He feels his shirt being soaked with tears.

“Loving you.”

Silence. Donghyun bitterly smiles and runs a hand through Jeongmin’s hair.

“I know.”