The days following the party felt like an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn't seem to get off. I kept replaying the brief encounter with Minho over and over in my head. His words echoed in my mind, his presence lingered like a shadow at the edge of my consciousness, and no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn't shake the way he made me feel.
It had been a week since the party, and I still hadn't fully processed everything. I had tried to distract myself with schoolwork and club activities, but whenever I found a moment of peace, the memory of Minho's quiet presence crept back in.
I was at the library, trying to focus on my notes for the upcoming exams, when I felt the familiar, almost magnetic pull of someone entering my space. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. Minho's presence was unmistakable.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice soft but still enough to make my heart flutter in my chest.
I glanced up from my textbook, surprised to find him standing there with that infuriating yet somehow charming grin of his. He didn't wait for an answer, sliding into the seat across from me and setting his bag down with a quiet thud.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral, though I was more than a little thrown off. I hadn't expected to see him here, of all places.
"I'm studying," he replied, not bothering to look at the pile of textbooks on the table in front of me. "What about you?"
I raised an eyebrow, trying to read him. "Studying."
"Hmm." He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on me. "Seems like you're avoiding me again."
I let out a sharp breath, irritation rising in my chest. "I'm not avoiding you, Minho. You just keep popping up at the most inconvenient times."
He smirked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Maybe I like being inconvenient."
"Maybe you should stop," I muttered, returning my focus to my notes. But it was hard to concentrate with him sitting across from me, his gaze never wavering from my face.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said simply, as if that was all there was to it.
I shifted uncomfortably, aware of how close he was now. His presence was impossible to ignore. "I don't know what you want from me," I admitted, the words escaping before I could stop them. "One moment you're pushing me away, the next you're acting like we're... something else."
Minho leaned forward, his expression serious for the first time. "I want you to be honest with me, Sunbae. You can't keep running from this. I know you're confused. I know you don't want to admit it, but I see it. I can see it in the way you look at me."
I froze, unsure of how to respond. I had been trying so hard to push him away, to keep things between us casual, but it was getting harder to ignore what was happening. His words made my heart beat faster, even as my mind told me to retreat, to shut him out before things got too complicated.
"You don't know what you're talking about," I said quietly, trying to sound convincing, but the tremor in my voice betrayed me.
"Yeah, I do," Minho said softly, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "I know exactly what's going on. You don't want to admit it, but you're falling for me."
I shook my head quickly, unable to fully comprehend what he was saying. "No. I'm not."
Minho smiled faintly, as though he could see through the mask I was trying so hard to keep in place. "You don't have to lie to me, Haru sunbae. I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait until you're ready to face it."
I didn't know what to say. The weight of his words hung between us, and I could feel my resolve crumbling. I wanted to argue, to tell him that he was wrong, that I wasn't falling for him. But the truth was, I wasn't sure anymore.
Later that day, I found myself back at my dorm room, pacing back and forth as the words from our conversation replayed in my mind. How could he know what was going on inside me? How could he see through the walls I'd built up so carefully?
I hated that he was right.
I hated how easily he saw past the layers I'd put up, how he seemed to understand me better than anyone else ever had.
I hated how much I wanted to let him in.
My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced down to see a message from Seojin.
"You're coming to the café later, right? I'm meeting a few people. Don't bail on me."
I sighed, knowing I couldn't avoid Seojin's insistence. He was one of the few people who could always drag me out when I needed it most, and right now, I needed a distraction from everything I was feeling.
"Fine. I'll be there," I replied, setting my phone down before running my hands through my hair in frustration.
I wasn't ready to face Minho, and yet, I couldn't keep running from him either. The pull between us was becoming too strong, and I had no idea how to fight it.
The café was busy, bustling with the chatter of students and the hum of conversation. Seojin waved me over as soon as he spotted me, his usual grin on his face.
"There you are!" he said, pulling out the chair across from him. "I was starting to think you'd ditched me."
"Sorry," I said, taking a seat and trying to push the thoughts of Minho out of my mind. "I just needed some space to think."
"About what?" Seojin asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been kind of distant lately. Is something going on?"
I hesitated, unsure of how much to tell him. Seojin was one of my closest friends, but he didn't know the whole story. He didn't know about the growing tension between me and Minho, or how complicated everything had become.
"I've just been... distracted," I said vaguely, not wanting to dive into it. "School, stuff like that."
Seojin eyed me carefully, as though he didn't believe a word I was saying. "You sure it's just school?"
I shifted uncomfortably, my eyes wandering around the café. "Yeah. Just school."
Seojin didn't push it, though I could tell he wasn't convinced. He took a sip of his coffee, and for a moment, we sat in silence. But it wasn't a comfortable silence. It was thick with the unspoken words I wasn't ready to say out loud.
After a few minutes, the door to the café opened, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw who walked in.
Minho.
He spotted me immediately, and for a moment, I felt like everyone in the room disappeared. His gaze was fixed on me, and it felt like the world around us paused.
I quickly turned away, pretending not to see him, but I could feel his eyes on me as he made his way over to our table.
"Mind if I join you guys?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't just sent my heart into overdrive with that single glance.
Seojin looked between the two of us, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Sure, why not? The more the merrier."
Minho sat down without waiting for a response, his presence once again filling the space between us. I felt the tension rise, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him to leave. Not yet.
Seojin didn't miss a beat. "So, what's been going on between you two? You guys are acting like you're in some kind of secret war."
I choked on my drink, coughing as I tried to recover. "What? No. There's no war."
Minho chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "It's not a war, Sunbae. It's just... complicated."
Seojin raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Complicated? What's complicated about it?"
I shot Minho a warning look, hoping he'd leave it at that. But Minho being Minho, he wasn't about to let the conversation die so easily.
"I think Haru sunbae is still figuring things out," Minho said, his voice soft but pointed. "He's just not ready to admit what he feels yet."
I felt my face flush, and I quickly stood up. "I need to go."
But before I could make it out the door, Minho was by my side, his hand resting lightly on my arm. "Sunbae, wait."
I stopped, my heart pounding in my chest. The café felt too small, too close, and I couldn't escape him, no matter how hard I tried. "Let me go, Minho," I whispered, my voice trembling.
He didn't say anything at first, just stood there, his eyes locked onto mine. And then, with a sigh, he let go.
"Fine," he said quietly. "But I'm not giving up on you."
I left the café without another word, my heart in turmoil. I didn't know how much longer I could keep running from this.