Mino and Seungyoon both froze.

“Go ahead. You should go out first.. maybe he wouldn’t notice-” Seungyoon said quietly.

“He knows Mino and Jaebum had a fight, everybody outside is talking about it.” Jinu said.

“Where’s Jaebum?” Seungyoon knows Jaebum and Jiho are friends, one words from him and it’s all over.

“He left before Jiho got here. Listen, I’ll give you a few minutes to talk about what you wanna do about this. But I’m not going to help cover up an affair.” Jinu looked at them both before leaving.

The two of them watched him leave. Seungyoon looking at the floor. Mino walked to stand in front of him. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll tell him.” Mino determinedly told Seungyoon.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“Don’t talk to him about us.” Seungyoon was still not looking at Mino.

Mino gently held Seungyoon’s face so he could look in his eyes. “Why? I can do this.”

Seungyoon finally looked at him and Mino can’t read his face. He looked pained and sad. “At least..not tonight. You’re being too rash-“

“No I’m not, I’ve thought about this a lot. I just didn’t have the courage to face it.”

“Mino. Please. You can’t make this big of a decision this fast. Jaebum riled you up, you’re emotional and I..”

Mino slowly let go of Yoon’s face and dropped his hands to his sides. “You’re not sure about this? About us?”

“I need to think about this. Everything’s happening too fast and…just.. let’s think about this.” Seungyoon looked at him and Mino’s heart wanted to break into a million pieces. Was he too late?

“Seungyoon-“

“Do you really think, you can walk out there and break Jiho’s heart, just like that?”

Mino opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. He knows in his heart that he needs to end it  but he doesn’t know how. Jiho has been with him ever since he can remember. They’ve had traditions of their own, they had hopes and dreams together. How do you tell someone who used to be your everything that you’re done? Mino felt awful, he’s a terrible person. Both to Jiho and Seungyoon.

When Mino didn’t answer, Seungyoon walked towards the door. “That’s what I thought. I’ll come out first. There’s a way to the backstage from here.”

Mino still can’t form any words. What does he tell Jiho. How can he continue being with him after this.

“Hey.” Yoon gently said. Mino slowly looked at him, confusion and uncertainty in his eyes.

Seungyoon gave a sad smile. “It’s going to be alright.” He said before leaving Mino behind.

Opening the door, Mino peered down the hall. He sighed and left the room. His eyes instinctively went over the band’s table as he reentered the bar, of course Seungyoon wasn’t there. He saw Jiho approaching him, a little cautiously.

“Mino?” Jiho asked when he finally got to him. “Everything okay? The whole bar has been going on and on about you hitting Jaebum.”

Walking by him, Mino led him over to the bar, stalling for time. What should he tell him? Seungyoon never told him what to say. He wanted to tell the truth, to get this over with. “Hyung, I need to talk to you-“

“I know what happened.” Jiho said as he sat at the bar stool beside Mino.

“You..do?”

“Jaebum called me to apologize. He said he was drunk and he started pissing you off.”

“Oh.” Mino realized that Jaebum saved his . What the hell is going on with that guy. “Yeah, I had quite a few drinks myself. It was stupid.” Mino didn’t know if he sounded believable or not. He doesn’t know if he wants Jiho to believe him anymore.

“Oh..” Was all Jiho said. Mino knows he can tell that something is not right but he didn’t push it.

“I thought you’d be late tonight?” Mino changed the subject.

“Yeah..we wrapped up earlier than I thought.” Jiho just said.

Mino heard the band setting up on stage but he didn’t look. He doesn’t know what to feel now that he finally knows what he wanted to do. Who he wanted to choose.

“I want to head home.” He says to Jiho.

“Yoon’s set is starting, you don’t wanna watch?” Jiho asks him.

“Maybe another time, I’m pretty tired.” He says while standing up and heading to the exit without glancing at the stage. Jiho looks at him oddly but follows him outside anyway.

As soon as he got to his apartment, he grabbed a towel and got some ice from the fridge. Mino got him pretty good and his jaw is starting to hurt. He looked at the mirror to see the extent of the damage. Yup, that’s going to bruise, and the corner of his lip had dried blood all over it. Good thing he didn’t have any schedule for the rest of the week or else his manager would kill him. He was about to hop on the shower when his door bell rang. He wondered who could it be, there’s no way in hell that it could be..

“Yoon.” He said, slightly surprised. Jaebum hated the feeling of hope in his chest. He did what he had to to make him happy, now what the hell is he doing here.

“Hey.” Seungyoon smiled at him and then wobbled inside while taking off his jacket, the scent of alcohol all over him.

Jaebum closed the door and followed him in the living room sitting beside him in the large sofa. Seungyoon finally noticed that he was ice-ing his face.

“Oh no. Is it bad?” He reached for Jaebum’s face with a worried expression on his face but Jaebum leaned away, surprising Seungyoon.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Seungyoon asked, confused.

“Act like you care.” Jaebum wanted to say that with humor but his voice came out hurt.

“I’m not acting. I do care, you .” Seungyoon gently held the side of his jaw to look at the damage, he even grabbed the towel from Jaebum and gently wiped the dried blood at the corner of his mouth.

Jaebum sighed. He wished his heart wasn’t hammering in his chest to have Seungyoon this close. It’s not even the proximity that’s getting to him, they’ve ed before. It’s the feeling that Seungyoon cares for him, he knows it’s nothing more than friendship and he hates that deep inside he’s still hoping when Seungyoon has made it clear from the beginning that this isn’t going anywhere. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked with an edge to his voice that he didn’t mean.

“Jiho-hyung came.” Seungyoon simply said after he was satisfied that all the dried blood has been wiped off.

Jaebum actually saw Jiho’s car while he was driving off which is why he called him. He hope it didn’t make the situation worse. Or whatever, why does he even care. “I called him. Told him I was drunk and I pissed Mino off.”  

“What really happened though?” Seungyoon asked seriously.

“Mino saw me kissing a girl by the bar.” Jaebum shrugged.

“And then?” Seungyoon prodded, he knows there’s something more to it than just that.

“He might’ve heard me tell the girl that you were just a random -“

“Oh..kay..” Seungyoon winced.

“..and that you weren’t someone people really choose to be with.”

“Ouch.”

“Sorry.” He poked Seungyoon’s cheek and Seungyoon swatted his hand away.

“I know you did that on purpose. You wanted to get a reaction from him. The question is why?”

Seungyoon is seated beside him on the couch and Jaebum wanted nothing more than to pin him down and kiss him so he wouldn’t have to have this conversation. But he knows that’s not gonna happen. Probably ever.

“I was curious on how he would react. You know he’s in love with you right?”

The sadness in Seungyoon’s eyes that he’s been trying to mask ever since he got there started to show. “He’s in love with Jiho-hyung too.”

Jaebum wonders if Mino actually chose Jiho again, that stupid bastard. He was starting to feel bad about what he did. He thought it would help, that it would make Mino realize his feelings.

“Mino told me he’ll tell him. But I was afraid he’d do it rashly. Just because he missed me. But they’ve got a long history. I can never compete with that. He might resent me afterwards if he leaves him, once the novelty of being with me wears off. He might love me but I don’t think it’s enough for him to leave Jiho-hyung. And I can’t share him. You’re right, I’m not someone people usually choose to be with.”

Jaebum wonders why Seungyoon thinks that of himself. That he’s not worthy to be loved. He wonders what could’ve happened to him in the past to have that mindset. “I didn’t mean what I said.” He reaches for Seungyoon’s hand.

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” Seungyoon brushed him off.

“I’d choose you.” It just slipped out of him. But he had an overwhelming urge to assure him that he’s wanted.

“No need to make me feel better-“

Seungyoon was cut mid sentence as Jaebum gently pulled his hand and kissed his mouth. His other hand at the back of Seungyoon’s neck. He gently kissed him, which he never does. Normally they’re always just fire and clashing mouths and teeth. Seungyoon didn’t kiss back, probably surprised at his sudden change of pace, but he slowly parted his mouth and allowed himself to be kisse