When Minhyun arrived back at the dorm, the manager screamed and yelled at him, and Minhyun just accepted the scolding with polite apologies.

In reality, the manager’s words went straight over Minhyun’s head, as his heart felt numb from what had just taken place with JR. His precious Jonghyunnie. That’s all he could think of, even as the manager spewed various insults in his direction.

When the manager finally stopped yelling, Daniel and Jisung came to him in well-meaning attempts to make him feel better, but Minhyun just wanted to be alone, so he went to the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

Minhyun sat against the bathroom door, face in his hands. He was dead tired, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Minutes later he heard a soft knock on the door.

“Minhyun,” came Seongwoo’s voice, “are you in there?”

Ever since that encounter in Seongwoo’s hotel room, the two haven’t spoken. Seongwoo had understandably been angry with Minhyun for leaving him hanging like that and humiliating him, and he had been planning on giving Minhyun the silent treatment for a while, but he dropped that plan when Jisung told him that Minhyun looked miserable.

“Talk to him,” Jisung asked Seongwoo. “I know you two are close, so make sure he’s alright. Manager was too harsh with him.”

The thought of Minhyun being hurt and upset enough to lock himself in the bathroom was all the incentive that Seongwoo needed to forget his anger.

“Minhyunnie, let me in,” Seongwoo bade softly.

Minhyun eventually caved at Seongwoo’s soft calls and opened the door.

One look at Minhyun told Seongwoo that there was something wrong with him, and it had nothing to do with the manager.

“It’s now completely over between me and Jonghyunnie,” Minhyun said, eyes downcast. “I told you I’d make it right.”

Seongwoo didn’t know what to say or feel. Minhyun was saying that he ‘made it right,’ but there was something very wrong about the way Minhyun looked right now: pale, pursed lips, and wet eyes as if Minhyun was about to burst into tears.

“I… I’m sorry,” Seongwoo told him, and he opened his arms to embrace his friend. Minhyun immediately buried his face in Seongwoo’s shoulders.

-

Aron sighed. He hated what was happening. Ren and Baekho were angry at Minhyun, JR was heartbroken, and Aron was the only one who was neutral enough to reach out to Minhyun in the following days after the official “break-up.”

Aron couldn’t be angry at Minhyun for ending things like Ren and Baekho were. He trusted Minhyun to make the right decision for himself, whatever it was. Yes, it that their leader’s heart was broken, but Aron thought that this was a good chance for both JR and Minhyun to finally explore other possibilities.

Minhyun never dated anyone besides JR, and JR had not dated anyone but Minhyun in seven years. The only experience either one of them had with a serious relationship had been with each other, and Aron felt that they both needed to break out of their shell.

Aron really wanted JR to try dating a girl. He encouraged JR to ask out Jooeun of DIA, but JR was obviously reluctant about going out in the field again. However, Aron knew that it was not only JR.

“So is that Ong fellow your boyfriend now?” Aron asked Minhyun.

“I… I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it,” Minhyun answered.

“Are you going to talk about it?”

“I don’t know. Not sure I even want to. It feels strange to move on. I don’t want to move on.”

After talking to him more, Aron learned that Minhyun was still contemplating whether or not it was a mistake to end things with JR.

“Please do one thing for me,” Minhyun added. “Please encourage JR to date someone else. I think I would feel so much better if he does.”

-

It didn’t help JR that Wanna One was literally everywhere in Korea. Going into a store, you hear Wanna One songs. Turn on the TV, you see Wanna One in a reality show. Walk around in the streets, you see life-size Wanna One cutouts.

Especially when he saw Seongwoo, JR’s heart would feel crushed.

Why couldn’t have Minhyun just agreed to the open relationship arrangement? It would have saved JR this heartache. It would have been so much easier to deal with the fact that Minhyun had someone else in his life.

“Go ask her out. Now,” Aron demanded when NU’EST W and DIA had the same schedule again. “You’ll never be able to get over Minhyun if you don’t at least try, JR. And you like her; I know you do.”

“Hyung, I’m not ready for that.”

“Then when will you be ready? It’s been two weeks since you guys broke up, and months since you two were on a ‘break.’”

“But I…”

“… You still love Minhyun; I get it. All the more reason you need to open your heart to other possibilities.”

“I don’t know,” JR mumbled, still unconvinced.

“Do it for Minhyun,” Aron said in a final attempt to convince him. “Minhyun wants you to date so that he can comfortably move on too. He told me that he’ll feel so much better if you start dating too.”

“Oh,” JR drawled. “In that case…”

-

“JR’s going on a date next week,” Minhyun read the message from Aron.

As much as Minhyun had told himself that he was happy for JR, deep in his heart, he knew he wasn’t. The thought of JR with someone else made Minhyun feel numb and useless, jealous and frustrated.

“Really? That’s a relief,” Minhyun replied, but that was a lie. It was anything but a relief.

“So… is Ong your boyfriend now?” Aron asked and supplemented the message with a smirking emoji.

“No. Not yet,” Minhyun replied. And it was true: since that night in fiery make-out session in Hong Kong, they had stopped playing games and kept a distance from one another.

Minhyun wasn’t planning for it stay that way. He really did like Seongwoo, but he didn’t want to rush into anything. To be fair to Seongwoo, Minhyun needed to make sure that his heart was completely open, and right now, it wasn’t. Right now, Minhyun was still hung up on his Jonghyunnie with the sweet smile and glistening eyes.

-

The following week, Minhyun found another message from Aron: “JR just got back from his date! He had that cute shy smile on his face, and he told me he had fun, and he’s taking her out tomorrow too!”

Aron probably thought that he was making Minhyun feel better, but in reality, Minhyun felt like he was suffocating. JR having that “cute shy smile” for a girl… the image drove him crazy.

“I’m so glad!” Minhyun replied. It was a lie, of course.

“So, is Ong your boyfriend NOW?” Aron asked

“Soon.”

-

“JR’s happy with this girl. They’re very compatible. Turns out she loves anime too!”

Minhyun had never liked anime. As much as JR had begged to watch just one show with him when they were together, Minhyun always laughed and said he wouldn’t waste any time watching cartoons. But this girl loved anime. This girl would sit in his arms and watch it with him.

Right now, there was nothing that Minhyun would rather do.

Minhyun was tempted to mute Aron when he read that message. He didn’t want to know all of this; he didn’t want to know how happy JR was with that girl, and how perfect she was for him.

Minhyun considered asking Aron not to send him any more updates about JR’s shining love life, but he didn’t want to appear petty.

“JR has moved on. What about you? Is Ong your boyfriend yet, or is he still ‘pending’?”

When Aron said it like that, Minhyun felt bad. He was being unfair to Seongwoo, who was waiting for him to be ready, while Minhyun was still hurting over JR’s new girlfriend. Minhyun needed to get a grip and accept that it was the end. He needed to move on.

“I think he will be tonight,” Minhyun answered.

-

Minhyun chickened out that night and the night after that.  He told himself it was because it was hard to get Seongwoo alone or because their schedules were too packed, but he subconsciously knew it was because he was afraid of moving on. If he moved on, it would be final. That’s it– no more Jonghyun. No going back after this.

It was only four days later when the opportunity opened itself, and Seongwoo and Minhyun were alone in the living room with the others in their rooms. Seongwoo was on his phone texting friends while Minhyun was tidying up.

There was no excuse; it was now or never.

“Seongwoo, can we talk?” Minhyun asked, hesitantly setting himself on the sofa beside him.

Seongwoo put his phone to the side, giving his full, undivided attention to Minhyun.

“I… I like you, and I’m very attracted to you. I think I’m ready to make this more than just a game,” he managed.

Seongwoo narrowed his eyes at Minhyun. He did not expect this. Since that night in Hong Kong, Seongwoo had decided to give up on Minhyun, because even after breaking up with Jonghyun, Minhyun was clearly hung up on him and wanted him back, and Seongwoo wanted Minhyun to stop pretending that he didn’t.

“You don’t seem very sure about that offer,” Seongwoo managed.

“I am sure.”

“No, you’re not,” Seongwoo said. “I’m not stupid, Minhyun. I know you think about him every day, and I know I’m just a side character in this story. I don’t want to be just a side character that you dump to be with the person you really want to be with.”

“Seongwoo…”

“And I didn’t tell you this, because I don’t like admitting when I’m hurt, but that night in Hong Kong, when you left after kissing me like that, I was hurt. I don’t want to feel like that again, so unless you’re sure, I’m going to respectfully decline.”

Minhyun was at a loss for words; he hadn’t realized how much he hurt Ong that night. As he struggled to reply, Seongwoo stood up and went to his room.

Seongwoo sighed as he climbed into his bed. The others were sleeping peacefully (except Jaehwan, whose loud snores could be heard from all throughout the dorm), and so no one heard him groan as he buried his face in his pillow.

Falling in love with Minhyun had changed Seongwoo so much. It made him mushy, soft, and stupid. It also made him weak, made him feel hurt when he rarely ever felt hurt before. Seongwoo was a strong-hearted person, but not when it came to Minhyun.

Rejecting Minhyun was the hardest thing Seongwoo had ever done, but he knew that it was for the better for everyone if Seongwoo put an end to it before it even had the chance to begin.

Shortly after he heard lights footsteps (the sound of which was muffled by Jaehwan’s snores), he felt someone get in the bed with him, and from the height of the shadow, Seongwoo knew it was Minhyun.

He moved to give Minhyun space, and Minhyun made himself comfortable as he lay beside him.

“I am serious about you, Seongwoo,” Minhyun whispered. “I wouldn’t have ended things with Jonghyunnie if I weren’t.”

Seongwoo didn’t reply, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t tell if Minhyun were serious or if he were just saying that; it was too dark to make out the expression on his face.

Minhyun leaned forward to close the distance between their lips, kissing him softly. For the first time, this was not a game. After the brief kiss, Minhyun leaned in to kiss him again, and Seongwoo’s initial convictions shattered. He deepened the kiss and indulged in his new lover’s lips.

And so, along the soundtrack of Jaehwan’s snores, Minhyun and Seongwoo became boyfriends.

-

The other Wanna One members found out in the next Truth or Dare game, when Minhyun was chosen and Jisung asked him: “what kind of relationship do you have with Seongwoo?”

Minhyun eyed Jisung curiously; that guy was a lot more observant than he let on. But the question didn’t make Minhyun nervous at all. He trusted his other members enough to tell them the actual truth; they were all bound to find out one day anyways.

Minhyun looked at Seongwoo, who just smiled, which Minhyun took as the okay to come out with it: “Me and Seongwoo are more than friends. Recently, we’re actually… together.” Minhyun was reluctant to say it, and Seongwoo just rolled his eyes and clarified: “Minhyun, we’re boyfriends.”

All the other members (besides Jisung) initially thought it was a joke, and laughed saying that this was a prank and began searching for the cameras.

“You’re right, it’s a joke,” Seongwoo told everyone, but then he hovered over Minhyun, grabbed his chin and kissed him, making everyone widen their eyes as they watched Minhyun and Seongwoo kiss in a way that told them it was definitely not a joke.

It was in that moment that Minhyun felt like it was official. Him and Jonghyun were really over, and him and Seongwoo were really getting started. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing that something that was so precious was replaced, but Minhyun had faith that Seongwoo would become just as precious with time.

As the other Wanna One members laughed, and smiled and congratulated them on their newfound relationship, Minhyun felt so happy for all the support. He felt like this was the right decision, and this was the right way to go.

But it was only eight members who were celebrating the new revelation today. Daniel could not find it in himself to celebrate, so he just sat in place and processed.

-

“JR and his new girlfriend are so cute together! They had their first kiss yesterday!” Aron wrote to Minhyun.

“Good for him!” was Minhyun’s reply.

“So… about Ong?” Aron asked.

“Yes, hyung. Seongwoo is now my boyfriend.”

Aron replied with a bunch of happy and celebratory emojis, but in reality, he was very upset by that message. JR would not be happy if he found out.

He hesitated about whether or not he should tell JR, but he had promised the leader that he would if Minhyun told him, and so he did.

When JR found out, he just nodded, concealing his pain with a smile. “I’m glad.”

“Are you?” Aron asked uncertainly.

“Of course,” JR affirmed, and then quickly changed the subject. “Thank you for helping me.”

“I still think we shouldn’t have lied,” Aron mumbled guiltily. “It’ll come back to bite us in the end, you know? What if Minhyun finds out that you and her never actually went out?”

“Then we’ll tell him the truth,” JR said. “But for now, let him believe that I’ve moved on, so that he can move on comfortably too.”

JR had never actually gone on a date like Aron had claimed; he just made Aron lie for him to give Minhyun the illusion that JR was happy with someone else. According to JR, only then could Minhyun feel confident enough to give in to his desires with Seongwoo, as JR really wanted him to.

But the actual truth was that JR did not and could not move on.

A/N: *hides from the tomatoes that all the 2hyun shippers are preparing to throw at me*