Chapter Text
Minhyun narrowed his eyes at his reflection, and his reflection did it back. Unsurprisingly, that clarified nothing.
It was one of those days where he genuinely couldn’t tell if he looked stupid or if he was overanalyzing. Two months ago, he’d come to terms with how his dancing looked slightly different during old Nu’est choreography—and no surprise there—but now Minhyun couldn’t tell if it was that or if he was straight-up doing it wrong.
“Minhyun, move over,” Minki called.
“Huh?”
Minki had one arm around Jonghyun and the other held his phone aloft for a photo, at an angle that caught Minhyun in the background. Rather than moving off, Minhyun came up behind them, and a smile split across his face. He’d hoped they’d do this soon but hadn’t wanted to initiate it.
“Really?” Minki asked. “What are you—”
“I want to be in our Jonghyun’s-practicing-again photo.”
Jonghyun’s shoulders tightened. Maybe he hadn’t realized what this was.
Or maybe Minhyun was wrong, but Minki’s lack of surprise made it seem like he’d hit the nail on the head. Jonghyun’s lips slowly turned up into a smile, and Minhyun rested a hand on their shoulders.
He shouted for Dongho and Aaron’s attention from right beside Minki’s ear.
“We’re taking a photo?” Dongho asked.
“No, we’re just standing here,” Minhyun said, at the same time Minki grumbled out that he guessed they were.
“Don’t be mean,” Dongho said. He stepped on Minhyun’s foot.
“Hey—”
“Would you stop? My arm hurts,” Minki said. He still had the phone aimed at all of them.
“You could lower it.”
“Do you want us to take this without you?"
“I’m not even doing anything!”
“Guys, be quiet,” Jonghyun said, and if asked, Minhyun would definitely deny how quickly that shut them up. He leaned down further, so he didn’t cover as much of Dongho’s head, and forced Jonghyun and Minki to bear the extra weight.
Jonghyun had done well today. Not exactly like before, but Minhyun bet he’d get there within a couple more weeks. This was far from his first practice with them since the surgery, but it was still somewhat new for him to make it through without extra breaks.
Minki snapped a couple photos. “Like it?” He showed it first to Jonghyun, then flashed it at the rest of them. Minhyun didn’t get a real look, but if Jonghyun gave the okay, it would be fine.
The caption took a few seconds of thought, then Minki posted it.
“Really, hyung?” Minki raised an eyebrow at Aaron. He had his phone out and had probably liked the photo already. Minhyun would do the same later. Jonghyun had been mostly silent on social media for the past two months, even after his disease became old news. It was a big deal for them to post a photo together—especially in a practice room.
“What?” Aaron asked. “I’m showing my love.”
“You come off as desperate,” Dongho said.
“For what?” Aaron’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Friends? At least everyone knows I hang out with mine.”
“Hey,” Jonghyun said. He pouted, just a little. “Leave me and my one friend alone.”
“One friend?” Minki echoed. “Do we not count?”
Jonghyun held out both hands and waved them as he shook with laughter. He knew as well as they did that none of them believed that, and Minhyun had to laugh at his over-the-top attempt to take it back.
“Now we know why hyung’s desperate,” Minhyun said. “We’re actually not friends.”
“Why would we be?” Minki asked, and he’d been a bit of a thorn in Minhyun’s side recently, but Minhyun was glad he was here and that they were all together. "Don't worry, hyung. You're my favorite coworker."
“Whatever,” Aaron said. “I’m going to get lunch.” They’d brought boxed lunches with them, figuring they’d eat as a break, then get back to work. Originally, they had stopped for that; they’d just gotten distracted.
As usual, food trumped any bickering, and Dongho followed him out. Minhyun went to follow, then caught sight of Jonghyun, who was still frozen.
He blinked a few extra times, then noticed Minhyun’s eyes on him. Jonghyun raised an eyebrow, but Minhyun didn’t say anything.
“Don’t be weird,” Jonghyun said. He pushed Minhyun lightly, his fingertips against the middle of Minhyun’s chest, not even enough to make him take a step back but enough for Minhyun’s heart to skip a beat.
Right. That had been happening for a while now. He’d first thought it was because their relationship was improving, and he was searching for normal again, but then it hadn’t gone away.
Minhyun had thought about that a lot recently.
“That’s basically asking him to not exist,” Minki said. Minhyun hadn’t realized he was still in the room.
“You’re one to talk,” he said. Minki didn’t answer, and the tell-tale sound of the door opening and closing signaled his departure.
“Are you planning on going to eat?” Jonghyun asked. “Or are you just gonna stand there?”
Minhyun looked behind him. Right. They had somewhere to go. “Maybe they’ll bring ours?”
Jonghyun scoffed. “Fat chance of that.”
Dongho opened the door, lunch box in hand. Minhyun’s mouth watered, even though he couldn’t smell or see any of the food.
“Is there a reason you two decided to starve?” Dongho asked.
“We’re not,” Jonghyun said. “C’mon.” Minhyun followed him.
The trip to where they’d left their stuff took only a couple of minutes. Their arms brushed together as they walked.
“You are moving slow,” Jonghyun said. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Kimchi pancakes are the only thing I’ve thought about for the past hour,” Minhyun said. His heart still hadn’t quieted.
He’d never paid so much attention to Jonghyun before, not like the past couple months. It was supposed to be so Minhyun could help him recover, but Jonghyun had long since reached a point where he didn’t need such constant attention.
That hadn’t stopped Minhyun, until eventually he asked himself whether there was something more to it.
Jonghyun laughed. “You sure about that? You were watching yourself pretty intensely.”
Minhyun had always been bad at accepting failure, preferring to work harder and harder and harder as he chased success. The last thing any of them needed was for him to pursue Jonghyun in a wrongful attempt to set things right.
But Minhyun liked to think he knew himself well, and he couldn’t accept that his feelings stemmed from that. Which was terrifying. He’d meant for them to fade, but Jonghyun had worked so hard and somehow continued being kind and selfless and everything that Minhyun lost whenever something frustrated him.
“Watching myself waste away,” Minhyun said. “I’m excited for lunch.”
“You know you’re doing well though, right?” Jonghyun asked, and he really was something else, wasn’t he? Minhyun had never met anyone else like him.
Every time Minhyun feared Jonghyun had run out of strength, he always seemed to stretch another centimeter. Even at the worst of his recovery, when even Minhyun experienced silent, repressed questions about what they’d do if Jonghyun never reached where he used to be, Jonghyun had never once blamed Minhyun for anything.
“I’m working on it,” Minhyun said. “It’s stupid how much I’ve forgotten.” Minhyun had picked up the new choreographies quickly enough and remembered their old title tracks, but now they’d moved onto songs they'd performed less frequently, and Minhyun only recalled half the words, let alone the choreography.
“Don’t act like it’s just you,” Jonghyun said. “None of us remember them that good.”
That was true, and Minhyun had relearned them about as well as the others. “You’re doing well too,” he said.
Jonghyun smiled. “Yeah?”
Minhyun nudged him. “Don’t push for compliments. Bet Minki told you the same thing.”
“He did,” Jonghyun admitted. “That’s why he wanted to take the picture.”
“I’m glad we did that,” Minhyun said. “It was overdue, you know?”
Jonghyun didn't answer, brow furrowed, and Minhyun’s heart sank.
“If you even think of apologizing, I’ll eat your lunch.”
Jonghyun fake-gasped, and they both laughed.
“I wasn’t going to.” Jonghyun’s voice was soft, and Minhyun only smiled in response. They’d talked about that before. Jonghyun had been apologetic since they were children, and it was endearing to a fault, but it wasn’t always good for him.
They slipped back into the practice room and joined Minki, Dongho, and Aaron on the ground. Their half-finished lunches made Minhyun’s mouth water.
Aaron set down his chopsticks. “I’m either a dumbass or—”
“You’re a dumbass,” Minki said. “What kind of a starter is that?”
“Or,” Aaron repeated, “I’m just too old for multiple versions of dances.”
“I agree with Minki,” Dongho said. “What’s the difference between this and a remix?”
“That’s a question I don’t have an answer to.”
“Maybe you’re both, hyung,” Jonghyun said. “At least you—no, never mind.”
“What was that?” Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Say it.”
Jonghyun failed to suppress a playful grin. “I was gonna say at least you remembered the lyrics but, uh.” Aaron flipped Jonghyun off.
Minhyun laughed first, and the others joined in.
He took his last bite of rice, then set his chopsticks down and shifted to sit with his legs out in front of him. Even now, moments like these sometimes hit him. Minhyun didn’t know how long it would be until he took them for granted again.
The last time Minhyun had performed with Jonghyun was during Produce 101. The last time all five of them had performed together was even longer ago.
He stole a look to his left, and Jonghyun’s gaze was intent but distant. He was thinking about something.
Maybe the same thing, considering the small, awed smile on his lips.
--
NU’EST is the Group That Overcomes all Hardships – 25 April, 2019
By: Song Jieun
Nearly a year ago, NU’EST W claimed they wouldn’t fall victim to the seven-year curse, and despite fans’ more recent worries, they were correct! Once again reunited with ex-Wanna One member Hwang Minhyun, NU’EST announced at their concert that they’ve all resigned their contracts with Pledis Entertainment. Previously, it was speculated that they had resigned due to the date of their concert, but the confirmation set fans’ hearts at ease.
It’s no secret by now that NU’EST’s path to success wasn’t easy, but even after reaching unprecedented new heights as the subgroup NU’EST W, they faced more adversities. Leader JR didn’t participate in NU’EST W’s final comeback promotions, and instead went on hiatus after contracting Hanahaki disease. He underwent surgery and has been recovering since late 2018.
Despite speculation that either Minhyun or JR wouldn’t return to the group, all five members participated in their concert. There, JR thanked his fans and members for supporting him during his hiatus. In a similar way, Minhyun thanked LOVES for accepting him back with open arms and said he looks forward to meeting them all in the future.
They didn’t talk much about their past hardships, instead focusing on future plans, like a Japan tour and an upcoming album; however, Ren did say that he believes they’ve proven they can overcome any difficulties they may face in the future. This prompted Baekho to chide him and say that sounds like he’s inviting hardships!
During JR’s solo ‘I Hate You,’ LOVES held special slogans with support for JR. In a tear-jerking moment, Minhyun also spoke about JR, saying he is a great leader and a good friend, but he struggles to take care of himself. Minhyun asked fans to continue supporting and loving JR in the future.
JR ended the concert by saying they look forward to the coming years and seeing how much they can accomplish. He promised they will do their best to continue being a group fans are proud to support!
Comments (16):
#HIKIKOMORI
Good for them. Im not their fan but its clear theyve worked hard and deserve success! Fighting!
#HIKIKOMORI
us 2012 group fans have to stick together
nuesTTurtle
Seungcheol and woozi came to the concert TT i love supportive friends
Onibugi-i-choose-u
Im so proud of them
Onibugi-i-choose-u
theyve come so far
[show more comments]
--
Jonghyun was still wearing the big sweater he’d filmed in. He’d have to shower once he got in, and maybe he’d sneak in a few episodes of something to unwind.
His fingers stumbled when plugging in the code to their apartment, and he had to start it over. Jonghyun was tired enough that he might not need something to help him transition from work to rest, but it was only a little past ten. If he fell asleep now, he'd likely wake much too early. Maybe he'd hang out with Minki or see if Taeyong was free to play something.
The dorm appeared empty, except for music—Minki’s—blasting from his and Minhyun’s room. Jonghyun wasn’t surprised.
Aaron was probably out with his friends, Dongho with Bumzu and maybe Woozi, and Minki was in his room. Jonghyun couldn’t totally guess where Minhyun had gone—or if he was gone, though Minki was playing music awfully loud if Minhyun was also in there.
He’d joined Dongho in the studio more often, not to mention Minhyun had a crazy number of friends nowadays. It was impossible to keep up with all of them, but he did his best.
Jonghyun went straight to the bathroom for a shower. Product residue from his hair got into his mouth, and he grimaced, but soon enough, the warm water relaxed his muscles.
Today could’ve been worse. Much worse. Of all the things that could’ve happened, an increase in general public interest wasn’t bad at all, even if a misconception that he was secretly romantic caused it. Plus, he’d handled it well, with an unfailing smile. Jonghyun was proud of that.
He wrapped his towel around his waist and returned to his room. The door was open, as per usual, but it seemed he’d left his light on. Jonghyun frowned. Normally, the others would’ve turned that off for him.
Minhyun was seated at his computer, playing Rimworld, of all things.
“I swear if everyone’s dead—”
“Some of them lived.” Minhyun didn’t even jump, still facing the computer. Jonghyun rolled his eyes and dressed, then sat behind him. The side of the screen notified them of three major medical emergencies. Minhyun only had three characters.
Gaming skills aside, he still looked very right in this room. Jonghyun had never really imagined that he’d end up in Minhyun’s room, but they’d thought the change might help him find a fresh start.
Jonghyun couldn’t deny that he’d had fewer nightmares since the move. He’d expected Minki to move with him, but his old room was the biggest so Minki and Minhyun had decided to make it work, at least for now. Jonghyun had some doubts about how successful that would be in the long-term.
Of course, if Minhyun continued spending his free time in Jonghyun’s room, maybe they wouldn’t have an issue.
“You should buy your own games instead of messing with mine."
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“You suck,” Jonghyun grumbled. He squinted at the screen when another notification popped up, only for Minhyun to save and exit the game before he could read it.
So Minhyun wasn't in here to play anything. Jonghyun wasn’t surprised.
“How was filming?”
There it was. Minhyun faced him, bare-faced and with eyebags that rivaled Jonghyun’s, a small vertical line in between his brows.
“Good,” Jonghyun said. “You didn’t have to wait here.”
“I barely saw you today,” Minhyun said. “Tell me more about it?”
“We stuck to the script.” Hani had MCed with him again, and maybe one day Jonghyun would be able to speak to her easily off-camera, but it hadn’t been today. She’d told him she was glad he recovered, then followed it up with a joke about how Nu’est should really stop following in EXID’s footsteps. “It was nice to see Dindin hyung again.”
The line was still on Minhyun’s forehead. Jonghyun pretended he didn’t see it but couldn’t take his eyes off Minhyun’s face.
He’d always liked his bare face best. There was something intimate about the small imperfections; in the past, Jonghyun had marveled how he was one of the few people who got to see them.
He was a lot less likely to wax poetic like that now, but he still liked Minhyun’s face.
When Jonghyun didn’t get a response, he laid back on his bed so his lower legs still dangled off it. He wasn’t tired enough to sleep anymore.
The filming hadn't been too strenuous; he’d just been so goddamn nervous for no real reason. Well okay, so it had been his first-time filming for a variety show in what—eight months? It was telling that he couldn’t exactly remember.
Not to mention that a few prods at him had made it into the script: first a question about his recovery, which was all well and good, but then also a couple jokes about how easy it was to fall in love.
Jun Hyunmoo had called him ‘Love at first sight Kim Jonghyun’ and while it was thankfully too long of a nickname to stick, it certainly cemented what the public thought of him. Being so misunderstood made his entire chest ache.
“You’re getting your bed wet.”
Jonghyun had barely rubbed at his hair, but that didn’t mean he had to admit it. “I’m not.”
The floor creaked as Minhyun stood, and Jonghyun opened one eye to watch him. He sat near Jonghyun’s head, and a second later, Minhyun’s fingers threaded through his damp hair.
“You sure about that?” He tugged out a snag.
“Stop it,” Jonghyun grumbled. He opened his other eye and turned his head back and forth until Minhyun moved his hand.
“You should get some rest,” Minhyun said.
“Watch something with me?” Jonghyun asked. He rolled into a sitting position, and their thighs pressed together.
“One episode.”
Jonghyun pulled out his phone. He still had a tab open to a streaming site. “By one you mean at least three, right?” It wasn’t even eleven.
“You’ll be asleep before the second,” Minhyun said. “How long was filming?” Jonghyun got the impression that wasn’t the question he really wanted to ask.
“Few hours.” He shrugged. “It was normal.” Jonghyun laid down on his stomach, chin on one hand and the other holding his phone. Minhyun remained sitting up.
“Did they ask you a lot of questions?” It was vague, but Jonghyun knew what he meant.
“A couple.” When he’d gotten the script, he’d gone to Aaron, who was always Jonghyun's go-to for advice like that. “Hyung was right, though. They dropped it.”
At the end of the day, it was still a controversial topic. Variety shows liked to nudge those, to be slightly edgy, but they’d never go into too much detail about them, especially in a case like Jonghyun’s.
The ‘scandal’ had died down with only a few burn scars. There were some fansites that had closed and some fans who’d avoided him at fansigns, but Pledis was dead set on supporting him through it.
Jonghyun was grateful.
(He also wasn’t stupid. With their old contracts’ deadline and his growing personal popularity, he had had more control within the company than he’d ever had before. Pledis supported him because he was valuable.)
“You’re not even watching,” Minhyun said.
Jonghyun’s phone had finished loading the episode and started playing it. He hadn’t turned the volume up.
“Maybe I am tired,” he said. He laid the phone face down onto the bed and stretched his arms straight out with a loud groan, then sat up beside Minhyun.
“Told you so.” Minhyun crossed his ice-cold foot behind Jonghyun’s and pressed it against his calf. Jonghyun twitched.
“You should get your blood circulation checked sometime. That can’t be normal.”
“Shut up. You’re warm.”
Jonghyun yawned, cutting off his retort. He didn’t bother to say it again afterwards.
“I can leave if you want to sleep.”
“It’s too early. I’d wake up in the middle of the night.”
Minhyun frowned, and Jonghyun regretted his wording. For a while, he’d swung between perpetual unrest that kept him awake past dawn and exhaustion that kept him asleep for most of the day. It had scared his members and rightfully so.
Getting back on a schedule had helped. As soon as he had places to go and activities that took the edge off, he’d started to find a rhythm.
“I’ll go to bed in an hour or so,” Jonghyun said. “It won’t be too late.”
That was enough for Minhyun’s expression to lighten. “You better,” he said. “We’ve got practice in the morning.”
A flash of excitement buzzed through Jonghyun. They were preparing new stages for their album and solos and remixes of old songs. His own anticipation made him smile. It hadn’t been like that a couple months ago.
There’d been moments where he’d failed to complete things that used to be simple warm-ups. There’d been times before that where his physical therapist had to remind him that all improvement, no matter how small, was a step forward.
Sometimes he wondered what the hell he was doing, chasing a career he’d spent the past year doing his best to ruin.
But that never lasted long. If Jonghyun knew anything, it was that he wanted to continue as Nu’est. He’d fought so hard for this. Jonghyun wasn’t letting it go.
“What are you thinking about?” Minhyun asked, and Jonghyun considered brushing it off, but there wasn’t any reason to.
“How much better things have gotten,” Jonghyun said. It was like the end of his hiatus had finally forced everything to become normal again. There were differences, but Jonghyun didn’t mind them. “For you too, yeah?”
Sometimes entire days passed where what had happened didn’t even cross his mind.
“It feels right with you back,” Minhyun said, and Jonghyun knew what he meant.
“Finally.” Their next comeback would be their first one as five in three years. That was over a third of their careers.
Three years ago, Jonghyun had begged the world, over and over, just for someone to notice them. Two years ago, the world had. Last year he’d done his damned best to hide a disease from everyone and anyone, and now he was here.
A glance at Minhyun was enough to determine how much they’d done had also struck him.
“We’re going to Japan soon,” Minhyun said. A smile broke onto Jonghyun’s face. They had a mini tour in only a few weeks, not long before their new album would come out. “We should have some free time there. Do you want to go somewhere with me? When we can?”
Jonghyun wasn’t totally sure why Minhyun would ask that now, but there was no reason to not agree. “Sure, it’ll be fun. I miss Japan sometimes.”
They hadn’t had the easiest time there, but they'd called it home for a while. It would be fun and exciting and strange to be back again for a tour under such different circumstances.
“Maybe we can meet up with some people,” Jonghyun said. They hadn’t seen any of their Japanese friends in the past couple years.
Minhyun didn't say anything.
Had Jonghyun misunderstood? He frowned. “Is something—"
“I meant, can I take you out?” Minhyun’s voice was quiet, more serious than Jonghyun had realized the conversation warranted.
“Oh?” Then it hit him. “Oh. Minhyun…”
“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Minhyun said. “We can pretend I never asked.”
Minhyun’s foot was still pressed against Jonghyun’s leg, and he had a feeling Minhyun had forgotten about it. He had done nothing but give Jonghyun space, when asked and without being asked, for the past few months. Jonghyun had done the same for him, though Minhyun’s lingering frustration had faded quickly.
They’d started an accidental cold war between them at one point, where Jonghyun had decided to wait until Minhyun initiated small touches and Minhyun had done the same with him. It had taken Jonghyun breaking down and asking about it, scared he’d never really get his friend back, for them to realize how stupid they’d been. Minhyun had grown clingier since, and Jonghyun fell back into a pattern of complaining and enjoying it.
There hadn’t been any switch that had flipped during that moment, but that was when Jonghyun started to see something other than the past every time he looked at Minhyun.
“You know I don’t love you like that." He wanted Minhyun to be happy. He wanted Minhyun to have the world. Jonghyun couldn’t lie to him.
“I don’t love you either,” Minhyun said.
Jonghyun’s heart dropped, but he didn’t take the time to question that. Minhyun’s gaze was softer than his words suggested, and there was pink on his ears.
Jonghyun wetted his lips before speaking. “Then why—"
“Most people don’t on the first date,” Minhyun said. He nudged Jonghyun, and Jonghyun released a sharp exhale, like he’d been punched. “They say you shouldn’t bring up love ‘till at least the fifth.”
That pulled a smile out of Jonghyun. He pressed his lips together to hide it. “So you’re saying we already made it weird?”
Minhyun laughed, directly in Jonghyun’s ear. “Definitely, but I expected that.”
“Yeah you did. Where’d you get the fifth-date thing? Naver?”
“I did some research.”
“You’re so dumb,” Jonghyun said.
“Is that a yes?”
Was it?
He had a list of reasons to refuse. Jonghyun wasn’t in love with Minhyun; he knew those feelings, and if he was honest, he didn’t want them back now. The idea of falling in love at all was enough to set him on edge.
They had only begun to figure things out, and Jonghyun had only just reached a point in his recovery where he could masquerade as though he was entirely better.
But maybe Minhyun was right. There was no rush, no forcing things to happen. Maybe they could be two people who enjoyed each other’s company and found each other attractive and together would make things way too weird on a date because they were long, long past that awkward get-to-know-you stage.
Jonghyun's heart raced in his chest. Maybe it could be nice. Maybe.
“Are you sure it’s worth it?” Jonghyun asked. “It might be better just to move past all this.” He didn’t want Minhyun to get hurt again.
“It was bad because of other reasons. Not because it was us,” Minhyun said, and Jonghyun could tell this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment proposal. “And it’s worth a shot. I’m not asking you to marry me. Just—let’s go out.”
Things still weren’t perfect between them. Sometimes Minhyun’s nagging pushed him past the line of fond exasperation and into annoyance. Sometimes Jonghyun’s perpetual guilt flared up stronger than ever, and Minhyun had called him out for avoiding him during those times more than once.
But if they waited for perfection, then they’d never do anything at all. There’d never been a magical time for Minhyun to transfer back from Wanna One to Nu’est that protected them entirely from negative comments. There'd been no way for Jonghyun to return that would’ve erased his Hanahaki from people’s minds.
“You better not take me somewhere stupid,” Jonghyun said. “Or anywhere too crowded. Maybe like a coffee shop or something.”
Minhyun still had all the qualities that Jonghyun had once loved him for. He still did the stupid, endearing things—like look up a dumb clickbait article just to pull a fact seemingly out of thin air.
Like letting Jonghyun raise any concerns he had, despite being able to predict what Jonghyun would say so well that he’d already prepared an answer.
“No fair, I don’t like coffee.” Minhyun’s smile was infectious, and Jonghyun caught it. He’d always loved the way Minhyun’s smile took over his entire face.
“You know what I mean.”
“Leave it all to me. When have I ever let you down?”
“You’re right,” Jonghyun said softly.
In the past two years, Jonghyun had learned that no matter if three hundred or three million people knew his name, few would ever truly know him. Minhyun had always been one of them, and that was one of the reasons he was so special.
Minhyun’s smile flickered, and Jonghyun almost regretted the serious answer. The feeling faded at the sight of Minhyun’s bright eyes.
“This time, we’ll fall in love together,” Minhyun promised, and there was so much Jonghyun could say to that, the words swirling around in his head.
They didn’t come, not yet, and Jonghyun didn’t force them out. He’d rather wait and do it correctly.
“What happened to not talking about love until the fifth date?” Jonghyun asked instead.
“Don’t believe everything on the internet,” Minhyun said. “The article also told me to ‘go get him, girl,’ so.”
Jonghyun laughed. “Don’t tell me you kept reading after that.”
“Besides,” Minhyun said, and this time he was the one whose tone was a little softer, a little more somber than expected. “When have we ever played things by the book?”
He was right. Maybe at some point they’d tried to keep a roadmap to lead them through everything, but Jonghyun was certain they’d long since burned it.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s try it.” His cheeks ached, and Jonghyun realized he must’ve been smiling for a while.
They had a month until they went to Japan, and then even more time together after that, though with a full album coming out in the summer, it was likely they’d have hardly any substantial free time until the fall.
But that didn’t matter. With their new contracts, they’d work together for at least another seven years.
Somewhere along the way, they’d figure out who they could be together. There wasn’t any rush.
Minhyun was still staring.
“What is it?” Jonghyun asked.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” he admitted. “I didn’t think we’d get a second chance.”
There were a lot of things that could’ve meant: the two of them going out together or the five of them being Nu’est, or maybe that they still had careers in the music industry at all. Jonghyun didn’t know which one it was, but that didn’t matter. Minhyun was right. This was their second chance, and they weren’t even living on borrowed time.
“Guess what’s the best thing about that,” Jonghyun said.
“What?” Minhyun asked, and Jonghyun almost expected him to put the dots together himself. When he only tilted his head to the side, such a classic, endearing sign of his confusion, Jonghyun cupped Minhyun’s cheek. Warmth seeped into his palm.
Minhyun’s eyes widened, just enough to let Jonghyun know that was more than he expected. Jonghyun’s thumb ran over his cheek bone. He didn’t try to hide his smile.
This was almost nothing compared to before. Back then, they’d showered together; they’d kissed each other’s cheeks. There was a time where it hadn't been uncommon for them to share a bed.
It was stupid that this small touch held more promise than any of that, but Jonghyun couldn’t imagine complaining.
“What is it?” Minhyun repeated, voice low and almost hoarse, and Jonghyun realized he hadn’t answered. He pulled back and took in Minhyun’s unsure yet hopeful expression, the way he didn’t try to hide how much this mattered to him.
“We’re really good at second chances.”