Tension || Minsung

14

Jisung slowly opens his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light in his room. After he passed out he didn't wake up until the next day. As his vision clears, he notices his arm tightly wrapped in bandages. Panic starts to rise within him, causing him to hyperventilate.

Gasping for breath, he starts spiraling into an overthinking mess. "What happened? Why is my arm bandaged? I don't remember taking care of it." He thinks to himself. Felix hears Jisung's distressed breathing and rushes into the room, concern etched on his face.

"Hey, hey. You're alright. Don't worry, I took care of you." Felix said rubbing Jisung's back.

Jisung looks at his bandaged arm, with a look of sadness on his face. He knew Felix probably already saw everything, but he didn't want to come clean. Not like this. It wasn't even Felix's place to do anything so who was he to... help?

Just his luck, Hyunjin walks in. "Hey guys! I-" He pauses for a moment and looks at Jisung, then Felix, then Jisung again. But this time his gaze travels to Jisung's bandaged arm, noticing the dark red spots on them. His eyes dull and his heart stops in disbelief.

"Jisung. What did you do.?" Hyunjin said.

Jisung's heart sank deeper into his stomach hearing Hyunjin use such a disappointed tone. He'd never even thought of hearing Hyunjin use it as cheerful as he seems.

"Jisung. Did you...?"

Jisung looks down, tears welling up in his eyes. "Hyunjin... I didn't mean to... I just... Please forgive me."

To say that Hyunjin was shocked was an understatement. Jisung and Hyunjin were always close friends who had always been there for each other. Even before Felix came along. Hyunjin knew he was struggling with personal issues and had mental disorders, but Hyunjin felt hurt by Jisung's decision and wondered why he hadn't reached out for help or confided in their friendship. He felt like he could have prevented all of this if Jisung just told him.

Jisung, noticing Hyunjin's disappointment, felt a pang of guilt and regret. He didn't want to hide his struggles and cause any pain to his best friend. The tears streaming down Jisung's face were a reflection of his emotional pain for Hyunjin. Jisung realized that he needed to apologize and explain himself to Hyunjin. But before Jisung could even get up, Hyunjin walked out. He didn't know whether to follow him or to leave him be. So he just sat there, feeling even more guilty.

Felix didn't let this go unannounced. "Jisung, listen to me. You didn't cause any trouble. Hyunjin and I here to support each you, no matter what. We understand that everyone has their moments.

But if I'm being honest with you, Hyunjin said he feels left out of things. And the fact that you only tell me and Jeongin things and whatnot, hurts his feelings. He loves you Jisung. He's upset because he cares. You are his first friend. Very first friend. I'll talk to him, but you need to make things right." Felix said as he pulled Jisung into a warm embrace.

Jisung, overwhelmed by his emotions, couldn't hold back the flood of tears that streamed down his face. Each sob was a release of pent-up pain, anger, and sadness, but Felix held him tighter, providing a safe space for him to let it all out. With every tear that fell, Jisung felt even worse. He felt as if he made not one, but two of the very few people who cared for him leave.

Felix got up and started to walk out, but paused. "Even if you're going through hell, you're very strong for making it this far Ji. I'm proud of you." Felix said with a smile as he walked out.

"Strong? Me? As if." Jisung thought to himself as he hoisted himself off his bed. He stopped and looked at his phone for a second. Feeling a mixture of uncertainty and longing, he found himself hesitating as he debated whether to reach out to Minho. He couldn't deny the connection they shared, the memories and experiences that had woven themselves into the fabric of his being. As he stood by his bed, staring at his phone, he weighed the possibilities, wondering if bringing Minho back would lead to apologies and kisses or resurface last night's wounds. In the end, Jisung made a decision to follow his heart, dialing the familiar number.

Jisung's confidence quickly fades away as soon as Minho answers the phone. The moment Minho's voice resonates through the receiver, Jisung's nerves get the best of him, causing his words to stumble and his mind to go blank.

"Hello? Jisung are you okay?"

Overwhelmed by self-doubt and fear of potential rejection or disappointment, Jisung hastily ends the call, his heart heavy with regret. From that point on, he resolves to avoid any interactions with Minho, whether it be in person or online.

-

-

-

Minho's frustration grew with each passing second as he stared at his phone in disbelief. His conversation with Jisung had come to an abrupt end, leaving him feeling puzzled and hurt. Without uttering a single word, Jisung had hung up, leaving Minho in the midst of confusion and anger. What was the point of calling if you were just gonna sit there and hang up.

Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Minho stormed outside, desperately needing the solace of a smoke to calm his racing mind. The bitter taste of the cigarette lingered on his lips as he exhaled, trying to find some semblance of peace in the cool breeze outside. As the smoke dissipated into the air, Minho made a silent promise to himself that he would never let this get the best of him. There are far more better things to worry about like... her.

Taking deep breaths, trying to clear his head, he took another drag but longer. The bitter taste of the cigarette on his lips reminded him of other times he had smoked and felt a sense of comfort in it.

Either way, he wasn't planning on letting any of his or Jisung's problems get to him.

-

-

-

As he was walking through the halls of a prison, his steps heavy with anxiety as he made his way through the dimly lit passages. He felt a sense of dread as he approached a familiar cell, where the anonymous person who had abused him was locked in. He hesitated in front of the cell, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

Even now, after so many years, he was still afraid to face his abuser. With a shiver down his spine, he mustered every bit of courage he could find and stepped inside the cell.

As he stepped inside the cell, his throat felt tight and he was trembling with fear, trying his best to keep it together. His abuser was sitting in the corner of the cell, a dark figure in the shadows. He could barely make out his face, but he felt a sense of familiarity with it. After a few moments, the figure spoke up,

"Hello, Jisung."

Jisung jumped in surprise at the sound of his name being called. The figure in the shadows slowly emerged and stood in the light, Jisung recognized those eyes and realized who he was facing. It was the same person who had physically and mentally abused him as a child. Jisung froze in terror, as he stared at his abuser with wide eyes, feeling all the pain and trauma from his past rush back to him. He remained frozen in that moment, unable to speak.

"Do you remember me?" The man's voice was cold and harsh, as if he had not changed one bit from his abusive past. Jisung nodded slightly, his voice trembling with fear, "I do...," he could barely get the words out.

"Hello, father..."

———————————————————
(A/N: CLIFFHANGER LOL! Also hello! How was everyone's Christmas?? I got a quokka and SKZ photo cards. I'm starting to gain motivation again!)