the final step

“How could she?” Minji sobbed into Jongin’s shoulder. A damp spot was quickly forming on his shirt but he didn’t mind, running a hand through her hair. He hadn’t seen her break down like this since the day he found out about her engagement to Lay.

Lay, on the other side of Minji, looked just as distraught, nursing one of her hands on his lap with subtle of his thumb. Even Jongin knew he wouldn’t be enough, Lay’s presence providing something different to her that he couldn’t fulfil.

“It’s okay, baby,” he let her head tuck under his chin. “Just let it out.”

An hour might’ve passed since they sat on the floor in Lay’s living room until she calmed down. must be raw from all the sobs because now she fell mute, staring into the distance. It was Lay moving that got her attention. He was getting up and Minji almost knocked Jongin’s chin to pull him back.

“I’m just going to get you some water,” he said softly. When she didn’t let go, he nodded at Jongin. “It’s okay, Kai’s there. It’ll only take a second.”

Lay’s gaze told him to pull his girlfriend back so he did, untangling her grip on Lay’s arm.

“He’s right. I’m here.”

Minji curled back at his side as Lay left. With a protective arm, Jongin tucked her back into position. He couldn’t help it after the confrontation he witnessed today.

“Look at you,” he spoke up. “Can’t even keep Lay away from you, huh?”

He was only joking, though of all things he had to use Lay whom he had yet to make up with.

“They know, Jongin,” the fists that clung to his shirt tightened. “They know he’s no longer on their side and I don’t want to lose any of you.”

“You won’t,” came Lay’s response. He was quick, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle in another. “The engagement’s still too important for them.”

Jongin frowned as Lay took his position back next to Minji and offered her the glass.

“It’s better this way,” He continued as he helped Minji drink. He flickered his eyes to Jongin. “I can’t imagine what they’ll do but one thing’s for sure—they’ll come for your family as well.”

“Over my dead body,” Minji cut in after wiping . “I won’t let them.”

Lay put the glass of water away and replaced it with the bottle in his other hand. He then removed a cork that Jongin and Minji didn’t notice before and took a generous swig. They realised it was wine.

The older male let out a sigh. “Me too. I won’t stand still either.”

Jongin was moved by Minji’s input and astonished at Lay’s. To think he had been the one threatening with his family before. He must’ve been desperate then because as he now the wine from his lips, he clearly didn’t give a anymore.

He gestured for the bottle to Lay’s surprise. Handing it to him, he felt eyes on him as he also drank from the bottle. The burn was rich and pleasant down his throat.

“Damn,” he exhaled. “This ’s expensive isn’t it? I don’t even drink wine.”

That earned him a chuckle from Lay while Minji looked neglected. She snatched the bottle. Jongin’s reprimanding “hey!” mixed with Lay’s burst of laughter as she took her own gulp.

“You’re lightweight!” Jongin scolded. Lay took it from her hands as Minji glared at him, her tear-stained cheeks blooming red.

“I’m nineteen!”

“But you’re still in high school!”

“Technically not anymore!”

The night dragged on, the ruckus they made steadily quietening by the hour. It was likely way past midnight now and Jongin was tired. In no state to go home, it was probably for the best when he knew Minji was staying.

The wine had certainly done its job at numbing his mind. Minji was passed out, unsurprisingly, against him while Lay from her other side was still taking one more sip from the bottle. Or tried.

Jongin found him eyeing the bottle with disdain.

“Empty.”

The lack of response that followed made him realise it was just the two of them. All this time had been spent comforting the girl since she ran up to Jongin in tears, a worried Lay not too far behind her.

A clang jolted him out of his musings, the bottle back on the table. Lay collapsed back on the sofa that they were leaning on. A minute later, he glanced at girl curled between them.

“How is she?”

Jongin looked at his girlfriend though he already knew the answer.

“Sleeping.”

“Really lightweight, isn’t she?” Lay noted. “You didn’t even let her have much and chugged the bottle down yourself. It got me worried I’d see that violent drunk again.”

His cheeks flamed. He hadn’t been in that kind of state since…

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” said Lay.

Whatever awkwardness locked into Jongin’s muscles slackened. It had been a while since he rescued Jongin from that party he attended with Taemin and Krystal.

“Never again,” he muttered. “I told myself I’d never drink myself stupid again. Not even because of heartbreak.”

Lay nodded at that, head lolling back onto the sofa. He stared at the ceiling.

“Not even if Minji were to be taken away from you?”

Just the thought made feel him empty inside. He couldn’t imagine life without her anymore.

He pressed his cheek against the crown of her head. “She wouldn’t like that,” was all he could say.

Lay didn’t say anything. He just continued staring upwards; an emotion Jongin couldn’t understand filming over his eyes.

“You love her that much, huh?”

Jongin didn’t bother to respond because he knew his past actions had already spoken for him. Obviously, he did but the real question was—did Lay?

“Of course,” Lay answered when Jongin found the courage to ask. Reaching over, he moved a lock of Minji’s hair away from her cheek. “After everything she did for me, how could I not?”

The way he said it made it sound natural. Like Jongin shouldn’t have bothered asking and perhaps, he really shouldn’t have. There was no anger or shock. He just understood.

“If I just didn’t reach out for something I shouldn’t have,” Jongin found himself saying. “If I didn’t fall in love with her…”

Lay shook his head. “You know her mother told me something once. She said fate bought Minji and I together, but what she didn’t know was what if I didn’t go into that studio looking for you, I wouldn’t have given the great Gong Minji a second glance. So what if we were going to be engaged later? It wouldn’t have been the same.”

Jongin drew his brows together. “Yixing…”

“Look, I’m sorry, Kai. I’m sorry for telling you I’m sorry that you fell in love with her.”

Something was burning behind Jongin’s eyes but he blinked it away. Lay’s stare was to gentle again but thick with so many emotions that it was hard to understand it altogether.

Nonetheless, he readied his own apology on the tip of his tongue when the fingers that caressed Minji’s cheek moved to his.

“Just promise me,” Lay said. “That you’ll love her and fight for her and you won’t blame yourself anymore. That’s all I want.”

Despite Lay's intimate touch, it was the return of that mysterious pain in his eyes that really threw Jongin off guard. Along with it, a dimpled smile so imploring and earnest, that it silenced whatever protest he had.

Jongin did the only thing he could do in that moment.

He gave Lay his word.

The curtains were drawn, enclosing the room in darkness. It had been hours and the breakfast tray outside the door remained untouched. Maids who have dared to knock had been chased away by the muffled threats through the door. It had been like this ever since Minji stormed out.

Instead of chasing after her, Minyoung had locked herself in her room with only the sound of her own thoughts for company. But that was a lie too because she hadn’t stopped that habit; watching those recordings like a masochist.

She couldn’t stop. She didn’t know why.

“Minyoung?” Her bedroom door creaked open. “What is this?” The door closed again and somewhere in the dark, she heard heels until the curtains were pulled back and light flooded the room. “Judging from terrified maids and the lack of light in here, I’m guessing something happened.”

Minyoung’s heart made its first undead beat in hours, unable to believe that she was right there. After all this time.

“Bom?” Her voice was hoarse from lack of use. “Aren’t you mad at me? You’ve been ignoring my messages.”

“You look awful. Where’s your mother? I heard she’s flying back tonight—”

“You were mad, weren’t you?”

Bom was dodging her questions and two could play at that game. Bom realised this with a sigh.

“Maybe. Our last conversation left a bad taste in my mouth.”

Minyoung shrunk back. The hours spent in the dark had eaten away at her mentality. There was nothing left but remnants of the woman she was. And only Bom, not even Minji, had seen this side of her.

“You knew, didn’t you? You said Minji was an adult now. You knew something was going on.”

Bom folded her arms. “I don’t get it. Did you honestly expect your sister to not fall in love? The chances of Minji giving into this engagement is more unrealistic than her rebelling against it. You, of all people, should know that.”

Minyoung dug the heel of her hand into her temple. No. Minji had always been different from the start.

“She isn’t like us. She was never like us. You knew that back then and even more after her accident. That’s why you never argued against it before.”

There was a sharp inhale.

“Sure,” came Bom’s tight reply. “I believed that too. But you weren’t there. You weren’t there to see how sad she was when she told me I was lucky to be with who I wanted. It’s not fair and I was stupid to let this go on.”

A dip on the bed turned Minyoung’s attention from her lap to Bom sitting at the edge, her gaze astray. She was a reflection of the torment that plagued every crevice in Minyoung's body.

“She told you that?”

Bom nodded. “That’s when I found out she liked someone.”

So Minyoung was right. Bom had known this whole time and Minji had never once tried to tell her. What a fool they really made of her.

“She was supposed to be stronger than that.” Minyoung felt the sparks of her anger return. “She’s not a naïve teenager with a crush!”

“Damn it, just stop, Minyoung,” Bom growled. “Stop with that perfect daughter image you’ve been forcing on her! It never fitted us and it’s clearly the same for her!”

“No,” Minyoung said. “I know my baby sister. That guy messed with her head, okay?”

Bom must’ve had enough as she rose from the bed. “You’re right,” her voice had gone eerily calm. “You’d know because you’ve been in her position before. Out of anyone, only you would know what she’s going through and yet here you are, the most selfish person there is.”

Her friend started for the door. Minyoung couldn’t tell whether she was going to sob or heave that swelling lump out of . Bom was leaving again and she had no one. She could run to Daesung, the condominium but something was keeping her in this room.

As if knowing this, Bom halted by the door, the lines in her face softer.

“I know you love her, that’s why it hurts, but this—this thing you’re doing. It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough.”

By the time the door closed again, the sun resumed to rain through the windows and still Minyoung couldn’t seem to feel its warmth. Unsure how to go on, she just let the recordings resume; restarting the unhealthy obsession.

But this time it was different.

That look in his eyes. It didn’t disgust her as it used to. Instead as they danced, holding her sister like she was the most precious thing in the world, it became clear as day. Minyoung must’ve always seen it but chose to ignore it.

That expression. It was the same way Daesung looked at her.

There was only a day left before showcase and Minji was adamant to spend it at Lay’s.

Her mother had already called up her fiancé in question but didn’t argue when Lay charmed her to agree. It was relieving but confirmed that Minyoung had yet to spill about Lay’s defiance which was strange. Why hadn’t she gone after them in the fury that possessed her before? The answer came from Park Bom, who appeared at Lay’s door the next morning. Minji couldn’t refuse her text to see her.

“Minyoung is…” She had been her usual merry self until now. “She’ll come around. Your sister cares. The fact she hasn’t told your parents what happened is the proof of it.”

Bom was right. Minyoung had all the cards in her hand right now and she could end it all in one move—but she hasn’t. Still, her sister could change her mind anytime. It kept Minji on her toes and it seemed Bom noticed. The woman reached out for her, replacing her own look of distraught with an optimistic one.

“I know the future is uncertain but relax. You have a performance tomorrow, don’t you?”

Minji yielded to the sweet pat on her cheek. Bom had always been something like a sister that Minji couldn’t help but nod. Even it reminded her just how much she missed having a sister to rely on.

“So,” Bom picked up a cookie from the platter that Lay set out. Her eyes glittered and Minji watched on fondly. “Isn’t it a little too much for you to be staying with two guys?”

“Tell that to my mother. A few words from Yixing and she consented. Of course, they don’t know about Jongin.”

“They really like your fiancé, huh?”

“I don’t exactly blame them,” Minji replied with a shrug. “He takes care of me. Both of them do.”

“Oh, Mingkki,” Bom broke into a grin. “You’re quite the catcher, aren’t you? To think I was just complaining about the fact you didn’t have a boyfriend and now you have two. A fiancé and a boyfriend.”

Minji rolled her eyes playfully. “Please. You know that’s not how it is.”

Speaking of those two, it seemed they finally had that talk because, little by little, conversations were happening again. Minji noticed it when Lay attempted to make hangover soup and Jongin offered to help him. They were still a little awkward but it was better than nothing.

“A love triangle then? No,” Bom gasped. “Polyamory?”

“Poly-what?”

“You know!” She snickered. “Being in a relationship with more than one person but with the consent of the parties involved. I wouldn’t be surprised. The three of you seem tightly-knit.”

After what they went through, the last part was only right. In fact, it stretched a smile across Minji’s face because that was all she ever wanted, what she had been fighting for—even if that was not what Bom meant.

Minji gave an amused shake of her head. “Oh, unni. You always know how to cheer me up. You didn’t even have to come to see me today.”

“What? Of course, I did. I care about you and your sister so much and I knew this was going to blow up anyway. Though I am just as guilty as her for not s