It took Minsoo two weeks to eat anything at all. He drank lots of coffee, and smoked lots of weed, but he did not eat a single thing until he passed out at school and his math teacher made him eat a banana. She sent him to the school counselor to talk about his "eating disorder," that he lied about having. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone about this. Not yet. 

 

Six months after Travis died, Minsoo was eating more than before, but still only one small meal a day. Always coffee and weed, though. He roamed through his days with a fogged and buzzing brain; his mind hummed a thousand miles a minute with the caffeine coursing through his body and his senses were dulled by the sweet lull of mary jane. He lost twenty pounds, and Jonghyun's mom called Minsoo's parents and said she was worried about the way he looked, and that maybe he should see a therapist or something. Minsoo insisted he was fine, but they sent him anyway, and for the first six sessions he wouldn't tell the doctor anything. He was prescribed a multitude of anxiety medications and anti-depressants, that he took infrequently because he often forgot them. 

 

Eight months after Travis died, Minsoo had the dream for the first time. He still had the letter Travis had written, in a wrinkled envelope sitting on his dresser. Travis' parents had found it on his bed, and in his pristine script it read:

 

 

Minsoo had cried when he saw it, shocked that Travis' letter wouldn't have been to his parents. He looked at Travis' father's hand for a very long time when he held it out to him, insisting for him to read it. Minsoo couldn't even look the man in the eye when he took the letter from him, and barely choked out that he needed to be alone when he looked at it. Travis' mother understood, assuring him he should take as much time as he needed. 

Still though, eight months after his death and Minsoo still hadn't opened the letter. He still didn't know what the last thing was that Travis had thought before he left this world. He didn't know what was so important to him that he wanted Minsoo to be the one that read his final thoughts. He was afraid that if he broke the seal of the envelope, there would be nothing left of Travis in the world, and he would be reduced to Minsoo's memories and the last words he ever wrote on a piece of paper. 

 

It took Minsoo an hour of staring at the letter on his dresser to open it. He wasn't sure what made today the day he decided to confront this; it was like any other day Minsoo had experienced these eight months. Today he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that getting home and reading the letter today was very important. So, he approached it with trepidation as if it were going to wake up and bite him any moment. After an hour of staring he reached for it with a hammering heart, tore off the side, and slid the paper from the crisp folds of the envelope. It was folded in threes, with My Minsoo written on the outside. He stared at this for another fifteen minutes before he opened it,  and when he finally unfolded the paper, his eyes were flooded with tears before he even read a single word. He scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. 

Minsoo, please don't be mad at me, I miss you so much. 

 

 

 

I'm sorry I couldn't be strong, and I'm sorry you had to be involved in all my screaming matches with my parents. If I had it my way we could just run away from them and hitchhike wherever we wanted to go. I'm going insane, they only let me out of my room to eat and they took away all my music, told me it was poisoning my mind and making me unholy. There's no way I'm going to let myself get my beat every day at this ed up correctional camp. I've got to get out of here and there's only one way. 
 

 

 

 Your Travis.

Minsoo clutched the letter and sobbed for an hour after that, his breath leaving his chest in broken wheezes and his face buried in his hands. He called Trav's parents that day and told them to go themselves, that he would never let them see this letter as long as they lived. It was their fault and he wanted them to know it. 

 

After he had cried until he was dehydrated and exhausted, he dozed off on his bed. He was lying uncomfortably and his neck was sore, but he couldn't shake himself from the paralysis of sleep the first time he ever dreamed himself through that jungle, the first time he ever fell down that black pit. He was stabbed awake by the demon's red hot poker sinking into his eyes, and he screamed so loudly that his parents came rushing into his room and a neighbor even came over to see if everyone was alright. The next day, Minsoo folded that letter up as small as he could and bought a plain, ovular fashion locket at some ty jewelry store at the mall. He stuffed the letter in there and super-glued it shut, and wore it around his neck every single day. 

He wore Trav's letter around his neck throughout the rest of high school. He only took it off to shower. Despite sleeping with it on, he still had that dream at least once a week. Sometimes he would dream of other things; not always nightmares. He would sometimes dream that he and Changhyun were playing on the lacrosse team together, or that he was late for school and forgot his books. Sometimes he dreamed that he was running from some nameless, faceless entity that was trying to catch him and drag him into the dark depths of its lair and devour him. On the days he didn't dream the jungle the night before, he felt okay. On the days he did dream it, he forced himself to feel okay. He started training for lacrosse again, brought his grades up, ate three meals a day, never forgot to brush his teeth. He did it for Travis because Travis couldn't do it for himself. Travis wanted Minsoo to keep going, so Minsoo did. At least once a week, though, he would fall down the black pit and hear those words; YOU WILL ALWAYS END UP HERE. He dreamed it the day before prom, graduation, his cousin's wedding, and his parents' anniversary party.

 

It took Minsoo four years to shake the dream. By his first year of University, he had stopped dreaming of the jungle. He made it through three more years getting his Bachelor's in mechanics without dreaming it once. The first day he moved from his parents' house and into his apartment with Byung, he dreamed that Travis came over and they smoked a fat joint together and ate pizza with the guys. Minsoo wasn't sure how he felt when he woke up from it, but he considered it an improvement. He hung Trav's letter locket on a nail in the wall next to his bed. 

For three years he'd lived in this apartment building with Byunghun next door to his bedroom and the rest of his friends two floors below him. He dreamed of the jungle maybe once a month. He made excellent money at the garage, he was popular in the local amateur rap scene, and girls fell at his feet left and right. He figured since he was so popular with the ladies he may as well accept it, but he always felt a stabbing emptiness after sleeping with them and he found it impossible to see the same girl more than twice. He thought his luck might be changing when he met Ella, but she turned out to be the same as him. She got bored and moved on to the next just as he always did, but Minsoo did not like himself being one the 'nexts' that someone was moving on from. 

Everything was fine, really, save for his frequent club visits and overdue bar tabs. After Ella, he withdrew a bit from the growth he had achieved, which led him to get slapped in the face at the mall by a stranger with minimal effort a year after he stopped seeing her. At that point he'd been having the dream again steadily every night for three weeks, the most frequently he had ever experienced. He was appalled that it was still the exact same after all these years, that every detail was just as sharp and the demon's poker was still as scalding. Minsoo bought an extra big bag of weed and pretended he didn't need to sleep. 

The night he spent with Niel was the first night in a month he had not dreamed at all. Not when they were sleeping on the couch together and not when they made out and took that peaceful afternoon nap. Minsoo reflected upon this as he looked at Trav's locket hanging next to his bed. He touched it and smiled. Niel made him happy, and Travis would be happy. He'd be proud. 

It was two in the afternoon on Sunday, and Minsoo had just woken up. He'd wasted the rest of his Saturday afternoon playing video games with the guys, except Chanhee. He'd texted him to see if he was alright, and had been assured that he was just fine but couldn't be around Byunghun right now. Minsoo just told him he understood and that he'd smoke a blunt with him later. So they ordered take out and hit the bong until three in the morning, when Minsoo decided it was time for him to crash. He had smoked himself stupid and his eyes were blurring at the game displayed on their plasma screen television. He gave Byunghun a clap on the shoulder and bid goodnight to Jonghyun and Changhyun, who were both very absorbed in the match of Halo that they were playing. Minsoo contentedly dragged himself to his bed, and as exhausted as he was, the last thought on his mind as he succumbed to sleep was the way Niel's hands had felt gliding up and down his torso. 

 

Now he sat on the edge of his bed, looking at Trav's locket and smiling, assuring himself that he was doing the right thing. He tried not to think of how things would have been if Trav were still alive. Would it be him he was rooming with instead of Byung? What would their relationship have been like, had it been allowed to blossom? Minsoo shook his head to clear away those questions. There's no such thing as what might have been, he reminded himself, it will only drive you crazy. There is no other possible reality other than the one that already happened. Travis had loved Minsoo, and Minsoo had loved Travis, truly. He was the first person Minsoo ever wanted to keep and never let go. He never thought he would meet anyone else like that. Trav had understood him, accepted him. But Travis was dead now, and now he wanted to keep Niel and never let him go. Minsoo figured that was important, and had to remind himself that this was the best way to keep his promise. He needed to be himself. He needed to be brave.

 

Scratching the back of his head and yawning Minsoo reached for his phone, only to remind himself that he had never actually gotten Niel's number. He silently cursed himself because he knew if he popped across the hall only to ask what time they were going out tonight, it would be awkward and he might look like a desperate loser who had nothing else to do. Which, Minsoo reminded himself once more, was exactly what he was. 

 

He sighed and dragged himself out of bed, stretching his back and cracking his neck as he went along. He didn't bother with a shirt and was idly scratching his chest as he ambled into the living room in his baggy sweatpants. Byunghun was on the couch with a smoking blunt stub between his lips and his phone in his hands, a forgotten reality show playing on the television at half volume. He muttered a half-hearted "Sup," at Minsoo as his fingers nimbly jabbed at the touch screen keyboard. 

 

Minsoo took a seat next to his friend, who habitually passed him the remains of the blunt. "You typing a memoir?" Minsoo teased. 

 

Byunghun scoffed. "I'm texting Chanhee. He hasn't responded to me since yesterday afternoon." 

 

"So your plan is to go crazy girlfriend on him? How romantic." Minsoo took a long pull from the resin-soaked wrap. "You know how he can be, Byung, just leave him alone for now." He let the flavored smoke seep out from between his full lips and float angelically toward the ceiling. 

 

Byunghun sighed and tossed his phone onto the coffee table. He scrubbed a hand over his face and groaned. "This ing ." 

 

Minsoo cocked an eyebrow. "What exactly? Chanhee ing you out, or the fact that he's probably facedown underneath Jackson Wang right now?" He elbowed Byunghun's arm and smirked, trying to make him crack a smile. 

 

Byunghun glared at him. "I mean him ing me out, you . You know I hate having my friends angry with me. It's like that party last Halloween all over again." He slumped down on the couch and covered his face. 

 

"You mean at Nam's place last year? When the kitchen caught on fire and those chicks beat each other's asses?" Minsoo handed the slowly dying blunt back to his room mate. "I was at that party, you guys weren't fighting then." 

 

Byunghun accepted the last of the blunt and inhaled deeply before snuffing it out. "Yeah, well...it's wasn't so much a fight so much as..." He averted his eyes and his voice trailed off as he let out a heavy cough.

 

Minsoo's interest was piqued. "So much as what, exactly? What's the opposite of a fight? A 'not fight'?"

 

Byunghun scrunched up his face. "I ing swore to myself I was never going to tell a soul about it." 

 

Minsoo gave a derisive laugh. "Well you can't bring a subject up like that and expect me not to bug the out of you until you tell me. How bad could it be?"

 

Byunghun glared at Minsoo, his face devoid of color. He gulped and took a deep breath. "Well, you know I got really smashed at that party." 

 

"So?" Minsoo prompted. "We all did. That's nothing to be ashamed of and I don't see what it has to do with Chanhee being mad at you." 

 

Byunghun looked positively tortured. He groaned once more. "Well, Chanhee was pretty smashed too." Minsoo said nothing, just waited to his friend to continue with what he hoped was a non-judgemental look on his face. Byunghun dropped his voice even though they were the only two in the apartment. "I swear to god, Minsoo,. if you ever say anything about this to anyone, then it's me who'll be ting in your laundry basket, and worse. You got me?"

 

"Yeah, alright Byung. I promise, okay? What is it that's so terrible?"

 

Byunghun sighed deeply and dropped his gaze to his hands twisting together in his lap. "It was sort of cold outside, you know, and Chanhee likes cold weather so we were on Nam's back porch smoking a joint and sharing this bottle of Jack. It was super dark because the porch light wasn't on, and everyone else was inside." He glanced tentatively at Minsoo, who just waved a hand at him to continue. He drew in yet another shaky breath and resumed.

 

"Right, so, we were laying on these lawn chairs and he moved to lay on mine with me because he was cold or something, and we were laughing about some stupid , and he said something like he was glad he was with me instead of inside with everyone else. I said, you know, he's a good friend and I'm glad to chill with him too. I didn't think much of it, you know? Then all of a sudden he was super close to me and he started rubbing my chest and whispering all this into my ear. Like how y I am and how he's jealous that I get so many girls, and how he'd take better care of me than them." 

 

Minsoo was beginning to realize where this was going. Trying not to let his face betray it, he rested his chin on his fist. "And?" was all he probed. Byunghun covered his eyes with his hand. "And, we were so smashed, Minsoo. Like, this is the drunkest I've ever been. I knew he was smashed too, but I wasn't as ed up as him."

 

"Tell me you didn't do what I think you did," Minsoo pleaded. 

 

"It's not what I did, Min, it's more like what Chan did. You know, uh, to me. What he did to me." Byunghun gritted his teeth as Minsoo's eyes went wide with realization.

 

"I knew what he wanted to do, Minsoo--I knew he wanted to do it, and I let it happen. He was so hammered and I took advantage of him." Byunghun's head was in his hands. 

 

"How is this the first I'm hearing of this?" Minsoo asked incredulously. "How could that happen without Chanhee at least telling Changhyun about it? And why did Chan say you were too busy chasing skirt to notice he likes guys?"

 

"Because," Byunghun said miserably," The next day I acted like I didn't remember anything." 

 

Minsoo was dumbfounded. "You what?!"

 

"I know, I know. I'm the tiest person on the planet. I woke up on that lawn chair with him next to me and my pants ped, and I made a ty joke about finding the girl who me off by comparing lipstick colors of the girls passed out inside, like a erted version of Cinderella's slipper. And I saw the look on his face, Minsoo, I knew he remembered but he thought I didn't, so he didn't ing say anything." Byunghun's voice broke as he finished, "I looked him right in the eye and made a joke about it. I am going to hell." 

 

Minsoo was reluctant to offer his opinion. Of course Byung had to tell Chanhee, but when he thought of the turmoil that would rip through their group if Byung brought it up, he shuddered. Although, there was already turmoil brewing between Byunghun and Chanhee anyway. Right now was the calm before the storm, but Minsoo knew that eventually the two would need to confront each other. 

 

He in a deep breath. "You know what I'm going to say, Byung. You need to talk to him for 's sake. He obviously has feelings for you and if you're going to let him your then you at least owe it to him to acknowledge it." Minsoo felt like he was scolding a son. "It's probably killing him inside. You gave him what he wanted most but he knows he still doesn't have a chance." 

 

Byunghun looked confused. "Why would he think that?" He asked thickly. Minsoo could have slapped him. "Because you flirt with every girl you see and talk nonstop about it whenever you get laid. You're straight, you idiot." 

 

Byunghun just rubbed at his temples. "What the am I going to tell him? 'Sorry I came in your mouth, I'm not gay though, hope we can still be friends'?"

 

Minsoo had to stifle a chortle; it shouldn't have been funny to him, he needed to be a good friend to Byunghun right now. The idiot just made it hard to defend him. 

 

"First of all that's way too much information. And second, I'm not sure you can use 'not gay' as a term to describe yourself anymore, Byung." Minsoo teased through muffled laughter as he made quotation gestures into the air. "Once you come in your friend's mouth, as you so elegantly put it, I don't think you're allowed to say you're straight." 

 

"Oh, so, just because a dude gives me a , that means I'm gay now?" Byunghun wailed, throwing his hands into the air. "Is there no gray area here?" 

 

Jonghyun gave them a puzzled look at he stepped through the door at the exact moment Byunghun uttered his questions. "Depends on if you liked it or not Byung, and remind never to enter this apartment without knocking ever again. What the hell are you guys talking about?" He looked from Byunghun to Minsoo with an arched eyebrow. 

 

"Sit down, Jong," Minsoo suggested with a weary smile, "And pack the bong." 

 

"You're right, Byung. You're definitely going to hell," Jonghyun snickered at Byunghun after he re-told his story, and Minsoo tried to hide his own laughter. "But honestly, I kind of noticed something was up with you two. Have you ever really thought about how Chan is always sitting next to you, putting his legs on your lap, borrowing your clothes, you know, that none of the rest of us do?"

 

"That doesn't mean we like each other, we're just close," Byunghun defended. "He's never borrowed clothes from either of you guys?" He looked shocked as Jonghyun and Minsoo both shook their heads."Well this is an awesome storm of I've gotten myself into," he griped. "He's been so weird towards me for months and I know it's because of this." 

 

"Don't worry too much," Jonghyun began, "I woke up this morning and Chan was in his boxers, cooking eggs." 

 

Byunghun stiffened. "Who was he making eggs for?" He asked quietly through clenched teeth.

 

"I assume Jackson, because he winked at me and then took the plate into his bedroom," Jonghyun informed them. "They were, um, well I heard a lot of giggling." 

 

Minsoo swore that Byunghun's jaw hit the floor. "He's cooking eggs for that er? For Jackson ing Wang?" He grabbed his phone from the coffee table, stood up, and whisked off to his bedroom muttering something under his breath. Minsoo and Jonghyun stared after him, bewildered at his sudden meanderings. 

 

"Jong, call Changhyun and get him up here. Make sure Byung talks to Chan, okay? I have somewhere I need to be tonight," Minsoo instructed his youngest friend and stood up from the couch to go get dressed. "Call me if Chanhee is about to murder Byung." 

 

"Yah, Minsoo," Jonghyun's voice was serious now. "Byung isn't the only one who needs to talk to someone." Minsoo sighed and turned back to his friend. For the youngest of the group, he picked up other's emotions surprisingly well and was never judgmental. 

 

"You can't keep Trav's name a secret forever. Niel is a really good guy." 

 

Minsoo clapped Jonghyun on the shoulder. "I'm getting there, okay?" He smiled sweetly at his young friend. "I know you're right. But I just met him and I don't want to dump my baggage on him so soon." 

 

Jonghyun nodded, then smiled and said "Make sure you wash your balls," before he gave Minsoo a light smack on the cheek and went after Byunghun. 

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Minsoo made his way down the crowded street with his headphones in his hears. He was trying to memorize a particularly tongue-twisting rap segment for this month's challenge night and he figured playing it while he did mundane activities would help him drill it into his brain. Not that this task was mundane. Well, maybe it was. He was going to the flower store. He had never bought flowers for a single person before, not even Ella. Somewhere in his mind, tonight was presenting itself as his first date with Niel. First official date, anyway. Minsoo didn't exactly know how to categorize the events of Namjoon's party. Had he swept Niel off his feet, or had Niel been the one doing the sweeping? It was hard to tell. Minsoo just smiled to himself as he checked his phone. Nothing from Jonghyun yet, a good sign. He pocketed his phone and ducked into the tiny flower shop, the bell clanging overhead. A short old woman with wispy white hair and a cane hobbled to the front counter, greeting him with a low bow. 

"I need flowers for someone I just met, who is very special," Minsoo informed her. "I haven't dated in a while and I want to let them know I'm serious." 

 

The old woman nodded wisely and touched a finger to her nose. "You have a reputation, I see." Minsoo stammered, aghast. "I--what? I mean yeah, I guess I sort of do. How did--do I know you?" 

 

"Miss Aida knows these things," was all she said, and Minsoo had to assume that she herself was Miss Aida. "Just you wait, I'll fix you up." She shuffled behind the counter and disappeared into the back room, leaving Minsoo alone in the dimly lit shop with only the hum of the yellowed florescent lights to accompany him.  He looked around nervously, it was a little creepy in here. Was this really the only flower shop within walking distance of the apartments? Minsoo was musing that he should have googled it when Miss Aida returned to the front, clutching a lush bouquet. She held it out to Minsoo expectantly. 

 

"Aster and Bouvardia," she informed him, "For Protection and Enthusiasm. Carnation is for adoration. These will let him know you are very excited to be with him!" Miss Aida rubbed her hands together joyously. "Lovely flowers for your lovely young man." 

 

"Thank you," Minsoo graciously accepted the arrangement. "How...how did you know they were for another guy?" 

 

"Miss Aida just knows this," she repeated with a wink. She wagged a finger at him. "You go now or he'll think you've forgotten! Shoo!" She waved her hands at him. Minsoo started for the door, mumbling a weak "Okay," before he realized. "How much do I owe you?" he asked as she shoved him toward the exit. "No charge for turning over new leaf, that is specialty of florist," she advised. "Make sure your young man stays warm tonight! Very important." She shut the door of the shop abruptly, leaving Minsoo standing puzzled on the street corner as pedestrians bustled past. 

Minsoo blinked and looked around, slightly disoriented at being ousted onto the street so quickly. He shrugged and tucked the bouquet into his arm and headed back toward the apartments. He took the elevator back up to his place and placed the flowers on the dining room table before heading across the hall to Niel's door and knocking three times. He realized it was dumb, knocking on a guy's door in the middle of the afternoon to confirm a dinner date for later in the same evening. What was he supposed to do? He didn't have his number. At first he thought Niel wasn't home, he waited a few minutes in silence outside the apartment. Just as he was turning to go back across the hall, the door opened and there was Niel--dripping wet with a blue towel around his waist. "M--Minsoo! I'm sorry, I was um..."

 

"In the shower, obviously," Minsoo chuckled as his eyes involuntarily trailed down Niel's toned body. He became immensely distracted by a droplet of water arching its way down the groove of Niel's abs. He was brought back sharply to reality by the realization that he hadn't spoken for several seconds and was staring at Niel dripping wet in his doorway. 

 

"Um...Minsoo? Did you need something? I'm sort of, you know..." Niel's hair was soaked and he was clutching the towel tightly to his waist but smiling. 

 

"I--er, well, I asked you to dinner tonight but I remembered I never got your number, so I couldn't ask when you wanted to go. Sorry..." Minsoo stammered. His face was feeling flushed and dropped his gaze to his feet to try and avoid stepping into Niel's apartment and every drop of water from his body. 

 

Niel's face brightened. "Good thing you were in the neighborhood then," he drawled, leaning against the doorway. "What time is it now?" 

 

"Almost six," Minsoo answered, bringing his eyes back up to focus on Niel's flirty gaze. "I...I can come back, or you know if you're busy we don't have to..." His chest began to feel tight again. When had it become this difficult to talk to someone?

 

"I'm a single teacher on a Sunday night, do you think I have something better to do than go to dinner with a handsome mechanic?" Niel had lost some of his grip on the towel as he changed his stance to lean against the doorway. The fabric was riding low on his shapely hips and Minsoo caught a glimpse of soft brown hairs and sharp hipbones. He gulped and tried to look relaxed.

 

"Can you come back in an hour?" Niel asked. "Unless you want me to go to dinner looking like this." He smirked and gestured to his moist and toweled body. Minsoo wanted to tell him that he didn't care what he wore, that it wasn't dinner he was hungry for, that after he was done with him, Niel would need another shower. Instead he settled for a "Sure," and a wink before Niel giggled and closed the door. Minsoo wiped sweat from his brow and rubbed at the back of his neck. He hoped he could make it through tonight without coming in his pants. He needed to keep his composure. He ambled back across the hall with the intent of taking a shower himself; maybe it was seeing Niel dripping and clean or maybe it was the echo of Jonghyun's "Wash your balls," in his head. He entered his apartment to see Changhyun, Jonghyun, and Byunghun on the couch passing the bong back and forth. 

 

"I see you lot have been productive," Minsoo chided. "Has anyone seen Chanhee?" 

 

Byunghun seemed to cringe at the name. Changhyun spoke up. "He's um...out with Jackson. He left about an hour ago." 

 

"So naturally, lovesick Byung over here needs to smoke himself senseless to forget the pain," Jonghyun snickered, earning a smack on the shoulder from Byung. "I am not lovesick," he defended. Jonghyun just continued to giggle. "What would you call it then?" Byunghun glowered at his youngest friend. "I feel guilty," he concluded. 

 

"Or jealous," Changhyun obviously couldn't resist joining in on poking fun at Byunghun. He tried to conceal his laughter by hitting the bong. "I'm not jealous either!" Byunghun hollered. "I can't help it if Chan wants to hang out with a ty douche like Jackson Wang." 

 

"Byung, if you were any more transparent, you'd be a ." Minsoo tacked on. "But everything in your own time, I guess." He dragged a playful hand through Byunghun's hair as he passed the couch and headed to the bathroom. "Where are you going?" Byunghun asked. 

 

"And who are those flowers for?" Changhyun piped up. Minsoo confidently called his answers to his friends as he strode toward the bathroom. "Dinner, and they're for Niel." 

"Whoa...for Niel?" Changhyun excalimed. "So, let me get this straight...you brought him home from Nam's party, he slept in your bed, and now you're seeing him again tonight?" 

 

"Looks that way," Minsoo replied. "Why is that so weird?"

 

"Well..." Changhyun began with a slight grin, "You know, it's just, it's not like you to see the same person two nights in a row...especially a guy. Not since...." He seemed afraid to continue, as if he were going to upset Minsoo. 

 

Minsoo wasn't bothered though, instead he just dreamily offered "Yeah, I guess it's not," and made his way to the bathroom. Before he closed the door, he finished, "But I like Niel." 

Niel, the name fell naturally and elegantly from his lips. It left an electric buzz in his mouth. He his lips and smiled to himself as he turned the hot water on, with no inkling of the shocked and surprised looks his friends were exchanging at his words.