Chapter Two~Yixing

           After being kicked out of the practice room, Yixing, Sehun, and Luhan decided to go to the cafe that was across the street. The bubble tea was good enough to keep Sehun and Luhan coming back after almost every practice. Minseok also tagged along because he didn’t want to “leave his adorable, defenseless boyfriend alone with the evil hunhan”.

            Yixing and Minseok found a table of their own to share so that they could have some alone time before having to deal with their ten other roommates. Yixing was extremely glad to finally have some alone time with Minseok. It’s hard trying to find space to be alone within their dorm. The first few moments were spent enjoying their coffees and scrolling through their SNS accounts. Yixing had never thought of silences as comfortable until he met Minseok.

             The silence was broken, however when Minseok looked up and smiled, prompting Yixing to laugh quietly. He wondered when the day would come that Minseok’s smiles would cease to turn him into a giggling mess. He hoped that the day would never come.

            “Doesn’t it feel great to finally get away from the members? I mean I love them, trust me I do, but sometimes I just want to spend some time alone with my boyfriend,” Minseok smiled again and Yixing had to hide his blush my pretend to be interested in his coffee. He loved that Minseok had basically just read his mind.

            “I get what you mean. Ever since SM decided to permanently have us as twelve and we switched rooms, I feel like I barely get you to myself anymore. I liked rooming with my Baozi,” Yixing pouted. What he said was true. He really did miss rooming with Minseok. And the blush that painted Minseok’s face from the use of the nickname was definitely appreciated.

         “Do you think we could try and get one of them to switch? I’ve been going through some serious Yixing withdrawals. I’ve been needing my fix.” The seriousness in Minseok’s voice was so adorable that Yixing couldn’t help but stare for a few seconds.

           “I miss this. Just hanging out with you. Regardless of what the 92 liners say, I still think you’re fun to hang out with.” Yixing always enjoyed a little bit of teasing. It was just so fun to make Minseok blush. Yixing couldn’t remember, but he knew that there was something that he wanted to say. He hated that he was so forgetful at times.

           “Are you okay over there?”, Minseok looked a little concerned, but also amused.Yixing frowned as he watched Minseok grin at him. His boyfriend was enjoying his inner turmoil. “Oh.”, Yixing finally remembered, “I finished that new choreography that I was working on. I was wondering of you wanted to see it. I mean, you don’t have to. I just wanted to show you. It’s not even that good. It’s okay if you-” Yixing’s rambling was cut of by Minseok’s quiet reassurances. “Yixing-ah, I’d love to see it. You’ve been working on this choreography for weeks now, and on the song for even longer than that. When can I see it?”

            Just when Yixing was about to answer, he and Minseok were pulled out of their little bubble by Minseok’s ringtone. Smiling sheepishly, Minseok answered the call. “Hello? Eomma, I missed you,” if anything, Yixing could never doubt the fact that Minseok was on the phone with his mom. Especially since Minseok’s excitement was equally matched a second later with his mom yelling, “Hi Minnie! We miss you too!”

             Yixing tuned out their conversation by scrolling through his SNS accounts again. He saw that EXO was trending a lot, be decided to ignore them. He always felt a little weird reading about him and s online. He knew the real stuff, and that’s all that mattered.

             “Okay. Yes, I understand,” Minseok didn’t sound happy, which was what caught Yixing’s attention, but it was what he heard next that almost stopped his heart. “I know Eomma. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen. I’ll fix it. I promise. I have to go now. Goodbye.” Yixing’s heart nearly broke at the devastated look in Minseok’s eyes. He looks as if someone at taken his entire world from him.

            “Are you okay?”, Yixing asked tentatively. Almost like he was afraid of scaring the other away. Yixing just wanted to help. He just wanted to replace that look of utter despair on his boyfriend’s face and replace it with a smile. But it seemed that the simple question didn’t do anything but bring tears instead.

          Yixing looked around the cafe to make sure that they weren’t being watched. The people who worked there were used to idols stopping by, the cafe was right across the street from the main building. Since Yixing had a feeling that Minseok might start crying soon, he had to make sure that there were no people watching. He couldn’t risk that.

          Yixing left the money for their coffees on the table and stood up. Minseok stood too, still in shock over the phone call he’d had. Yixing put his arm around Minseok’s shoulders and led him outside.

          Both of them walked silently down the street as they tried to think of ways to rid the air of the heaviness it held. Unknowingly, they walked to the park that wasn’t too far from the studio. Yixing, who was still more or less leading Minseok around, proceeded to walk towards one of the many benches that outlined the playground. But he was stopped by Minseok, who then ignored the questioning look he got from Yixing, but then lead them over to the swings. It took a few seconds for one of them to speak, but that was enough time for Yixing to begin worrying about whatever it was that was troubling his Minseok.

           “I never asked you but I kind of need to now. How do you feel,” Minseok paused,”How do you feel about us?” This question sent Yixing into a flurry of worry and panic and he knew that Minseok noticed because had always been able to read Yixing very easily. “No,no,no. I’m not breaking up with you. I could never do that. I only asked because my mom, she-my mom-,” Minseok ducked his head down as he finally allowed his tears to fall, but he refused to let that stop him. It’s like he didn’t think he would say it again if he didn’t say it then.

           “Minseok, please. If you’re not up for talking, don’t force yourself.” It was hurting Yixing to see Minseok like this.

           “I have to say it. Okay. You remember Valentine’s Day, right?”, Yixing nodded,”Right. It was kind of hard to forget. Anyway, after we all had drinks and we split off and did our own thing. I remember that you went to go take a shower because Jongin had accidentally spilt his drink all over you. While you were in the shower, I was texting my sister. We were catching up and she asked me about you. I told her about how we always have to sneak off to go on dates and she ended up asking for details. We talked up until you got out of the shower, because then we had a chance to finally be alone,” Yixing was paying attention to the story, but he didn’t understand the problem yet. Minseok absolutely adored his sister.

           “That call that I got today was from my mom. She’s read the messages from that conversation. All this time, she’s had no idea that I like boys and she was upset that I never told her. I’d only told my sister, since I didn’t really know I was gay until I met you. It wasn’t my mom I was worried about, though. It was my dad. All my life, he’s implanted this idea that since I’m the only son, I’m supposed to be the one to give them grandchildren. My dad was raised with a very strict upbringing and he was taught that being gay was wrong. I’m just afraid of what will happen when he finds out.”Yixing guessed that that was all Minseok had to say because Minseok proceeded to cry his eyes out.

           Yixing pulled Minseok off the swings and into his arms. Minseok let himself be pulled into the embrace as he clung onto Yixing’s shirt. They stood there for a few minutes, seeking comfort in the other’s warmth. Neither knew what to do in that moment. So, they settled for wrapping their arms around each other to seek comfort.

           Their reverie was broken by yet another phone call. Yixing was seriously thinking of destroying his phone. It was Yixing’s phone this time. Reluctantly, he untangled himself from Minseok and answered his phone. It was Yifan this time.

             “Hello? What is it? I’m a little busy right now.” Yixing definitely did not have time for something stupid right now. So, this had better be important.

             “Are you still with Minseok-hyung?”, Yixing’s annoyance faded a little at the desperation in Yifan’s voice, “I need you both to go back to the practice studio. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are calling a family meeting. It sounds important, so hurry.”

             If Chanyeol and Baekhyun were calling a family meeting, then that means it was serious. We only called them “Family Meetings” when we were in a really serious situation. It was kind of like a code name.

              “Yeah, we’re together. We’ll be there in a second. We’re not that far, but there’s something we have to do first.”

              “Yixing, whatever it is better be important,” Yixing’s irritation doubled back on him. Did Yifan honestly think that Yifan didn’t know the importance of a ‘Family Meeting’?

              “Hyung, I know the drill. It won’t take long.” The only thing they had to do was calm down Minseok.

              “What’s wrong?”, Yixing had almost forgotten about the problem he and Minseok had at hand. Worry tended to do that to him. He was already worried about Minseok, and now he was also worried about Chanyeol and Baekhyun. “Yifan-hyung called to tell me that we need to head back to the studio for a family meeting. Baekhyun and Chanyeol called it, so I’m sure it’s serious,” as Yixing explained the phone call, he noticed that Minseok had pulled his sleeves over his hands and balled them up. It was something that he only did when he was extremely upset.

            They both knew that they didn’t want the others finding out about their-because there was no way that Yixing was letting his boyfriend go through this alone-situation just yet. They sat together as they attempted to fix the rumples in their clothes and make it seem as if they hadn’t been crying. Though they both knew that they wouldn’t be able to hide it well.

            Together, they began their trek back to the studio.