⛓️

It was just after 5PM, but the air felt as cold and as crisp as Antarctica. Seonghwa slung his bag over his shoulder, hands digging into his jean pockets as soon as he left Treasure cafe with Mingi at his side.

The brown haired male had arrived at Seonghwa's workplace as soon as he could earlier that morning, waiting at a table and talking with Seonghwa whenever he had the time to. They even shared that lunchbox Hongjoong had prepared, Seonghwa wisely choosing not to mention anything about who made it since Mingi could get pretty invasive due to his questioning nature at times.

However, Mingi seemed okay for the most part which should've calmed Seonghwa, but something in him told him the taller had other things on his mind he wasn't speaking of.

Whenever those doubts arrived though, Seonghwa would shut them out. After all, Mingi was just being his usual worried self, and now that they could talk things would return back to normal, right?

"Oh, I forgot to mention this," Mingi spoke up, both boys walking past a lit lamppost. He kicked at a tiny pebble, raking his hand through his hair.

"Mention what?" Seonghwa casually asked, dropping his gaze from the cantaloupe orange sky.

"Your hoodie," Mingi said, "it's new."

Nervous chuckles escaped Seonghwa's lips as he lightly pulled at that same pink hoodie Hongjoong had gifted to him earlier. "Ah, yeah... What about it?"

"It's cute." Mingi flashed a small, lighthearted smile, his eyes alternating between Seonghwa's face and the sky. "Pink looks cute on you."

Seonghwa nodded. "Thanks." He didn't know why there suddenly was this tense, awkward atmosphere surrounding them, and it didn't sit right with him. He quickly wanted to get rid of it. "Your clothes look good on you too."

"Really?" Mingi laughed, a twinge of disbelief marring his tone. "I just put together whatever I saw first in my closet. I mean, I'm no Kim Hongjoong, but..."

Seonghwa stopped walking. The skies were now tangerine in colour, the descending sun shining a peachy hue over Mingi's face and highlighting the heaviness in his eyes.

"You're no Kim Hongjoong? What do you mean by that?" Seonghwa didn't have a clue where Mingi was getting at, and it didn't help that the taller's expression remained overwhelmingly obscure.

"He's the one who bought you that hoodie, right?" Mingi concluded, kicking at something else on the ground.

"Mingi."

"You guys seem to be hanging out a lot more now. I guess that's nice," the taller boy continued, confusing Seonghwa even more.

Fortunately, they were both located close to one of those old convenience stores that only attracted a niche amount of customers. That gave Seonghwa the bravery to further query his friend about his extremely odd words.

"Mingi," he questioned, "what's going on? What are you talking about?"

Throughout the many years Seonghwa had known Mingi, he's never seen the other stay mad or displeased for long. He'd always added fun and joy to whatever he put his mind to, finding ways to cheer others up whenever they felt sad, specifically Seonghwa.

But as Seonghwa continued to stare at Mingi, he noticed the dull look that had overtaken the taller's features. He no longer seemed like himself.

"Nothing's wrong." Mingi played with the sleeves of his sweater, all tight smiles and dimming eyes. "I'm fine."

But Seonghwa wasn't fine. How could he be alright when something was obviously bothering his closest friend that he had no idea of? It made him feel like a shit human being, and he hated it. He hated it a lot.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Seonghwa said, telling himself everything was fine and that whatever Mingi was feeling right now would fade away soon enough. "I won't judge you for it, Mings. I'm always here."

Mingi wasn't looking at him. "We should probably hurry up to get to the bus stop on time."

Seonghwa didn't know what prompted him to do it, but he reached out and grabbed his friend's arm, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

Mingi stiffened, and then watched the area where Seonghwa held him without saying anything.

Seonghwa let him go, clearing his throat in the process. "I'm sorry. I just -- "

"No..." Mingi muttered, facing the shorter. He stepped closer. "It's okay, Hwa. You shouldn't apologize for holding me."

He stared at Seonghwa with nothing but unfamiliar intensity swimming in his irises, like he was trying to find an answer to something Seonghwa didn't even know the question to.

Mingi's lips parted, about to say his next words when something up ahead captured Seonghwa's attention.

It was dark and averagely tall, with long, deformed limbs and a slow but purposeful gait.

Seonghwa's eyes enlarged at the sight. It was a Mon.

He looked around, dread spiking once he realized the only people around right then were him and Mingi. The Mon continued crawl forward, the orange sunset bouncing off its opaque and unsettling frame.

Mingi quickly picked up on his friend's expression, his own falling. "What?" He stared behind him, narrowed eyes searching the vicinity. "Is...something there?"

As if it'd heard Mingi, the large Mon began advancing at a faster pace, eerily wailing down the street.

Seonghwa knew then he didn't have time to waste; he had to get Mingi out of there.

"Seonghwa -- " Mingi stopped talking as soon as Seonghwa grabbed his hand and rushed them both into the dimly lit convenience store. They couldn't have gone anywhere else without that thing pouncing on them with those extended claws it had.

The Mon didn't have eyes, only a gaping hole on the lower half of its face which meant it probably relied more on hearing than anything else, so Seonghwa had to make sure he and Mingi made the least noise as possible.

Mingi's hand grabbed his wrist then, and suddenly Seonghwa was aware of his hand covering the taller's mouth.

Seonghwa quickly dropped his hand, while Mingi crouched to his knees, steadying himself by inhaling a few breaths.

"I'm sorry," Seonghwa apologized, but his eyes kept darting out of those closed glass doors of the store. The silence outside was alarming, and what made things worse was that there weren't any working staff present at the store.

Mingi stayed in his position, peering at Seonghwa under the flickering fluorescent lightbulbs with wide eyes.

"Hwa," he whispered, his voice still a bit breathless, "why -- why did we suddenly run in here? What's going on?"

The Mon was slowly nearing the store.

Panicked, Seonghwa knelt beside his friend, taking in his worried and confused gaze. "I need you to go hide at the back aisle. Please. Like right now."

Mingi's face scrunched with scepticism, but sparks of fear lit his eyes. "W-Why? What's going on outside?"

"Just do as I say," Seonghwa pleaded.

"But I don't know what's going on," Mingi whisper-yelled. "What the fuck are we hiding from? I need to know."

Seonghwa's phone vibrated then, preventing him from lashing out at his friend. His clammy fingers hurriedly switched on the phone, his anxiety haywire.

It was then he saw Hongjoong's contact name, the one the shorter had sneakily added when they'd finally exchanged numbers that morning.

- joong🐣✨
get mingi somewhere
he can't see us.
yunho and i are heading in now

Seonghwa didn't even hesitate. He snatched Mingi's hand with his and led them into the storage room, pitch black darkness soon encircling them.

Mingi's face was drenched in shadows, but his eyes were wider then ever, gazing at Seonghwa with nothing but alarm. His chest rapidly rose and fell, his body immensely tense under the shorter's grip.

"Seonghwa..." Mingi gulped, seeming to be the only one of the two that noticed how close they'd gotten. "I -- "

Seonghwa's phone vibrated again and the shorter quickly stepped back and took the device, completely missing the way Mingi stared at his lips.

- joong🐣✨
we're done

A relieved sigh left Seonghwa's lips, but then the door to the storage room slammed shut. Mingi wasn't there anymore.

"Mingi, wait," Seonghwa immediately left as well, stopping only when he was met with lights of the store irritated his eyes. The bulbs weren't flickering anymore, but were bright and functioning, the area seeming like a brand new place altogether.

And in the middle of it all was Yunho, donned in a long grey coat, a white turtleneck and black jeans as he nonchalantly searched through the snack aisle like he was just a regular customer.

His eyes lit up as soon as he spotted Seonghwa, but he quickly hid it. "Uh, hello. Does anybody work here? I wanted to buy some snacks."

Despite the way Mingi's hands clenched, he didn't look at Yunho with any hostility. But he was momentarily stunned by the taller's deep blue eyes. He kept avoiding Seonghwa's gaze, though. "No one really comes here anymore. And those snacks have probably expired already."

"...Oh." Yunho unceremoniously dropped the one he held, before quickly picking it up and pushing it back into its place, trying to look as chill as possible.

Mingi looked amused, but his eyes were sad. Without sparing Seonghwa another glance, he rushed out of the store, disappearing before Seonghwa could even attempt following after him.

"Shit!" Seonghwa cursed, raking his hands through his hair frustratedly. It was as clear as day he'd managed to piss Mingi off, and now he didn't know what to do.

"Something happen between you and Mingi?" Yunho asked, his expression showcasing concern.

"I took him into the storage room to hide from that Mon like Hongjoong had suggested," Seonghwa stated, "but now he's confused -- and rightfully so. I can't even tell him what's happening."

It felt like his world had begun tilting off its axis, like he'd already lost control of everything. He took in deep breaths, his heartbeat firing away in his chest.

Yunho placed his hand on Seonghwa's shaking shoulders. "Hey, it's okay. Everything's okay."

"Nothing's okay. Nothing's ever okay," Seonghwa shook his head, glaring hard at the chipping walls of the convenience store.

"No, Seonghwa. Everything is fine," Yunho argued, hugging him close. And normally, Seonghwa would've stepped away because hugs only reminded him of the past and he disliked anything and everything that reminded him of it, but Yunho's bear-like hug was comforting. Needed, even.

In only a few seconds, Seonghwa's worries seemed to lessen, and he had to wonder if calming hugs were a part of Yunho's variant abilities.

The taller passed him a lollipop, but this time instead of red, it was yellow.

Seonghwa took it, puzzled. "What's this for?"

Yunho smiled, his blue eyes as tender as always. "It's your choice. Either tell Mingi it was just a prank to scare him, or give him this lollipop to erase his memories of the last twenty-four hours. We never usually use this method, but Hongjoong told me to give it to you in case you wanted it."

Seonghwa shook his head, dropping the lollipop back into Yunho's hand. Even if he acted like a dick a lot of the time, there was still no way he could do something like that without Mingi's permission. "I can't use it on him."

Yunho grinned, nodding approvingly. "Good choice. Then you just tell him you were playing a prank, then take him out for food or something to earn his trust back. I hate seeing you sad."

Seonghwa bit his lip, pondering over the taller's words. "...I might do that. Thanks."

Yunho opened the door for Seonghwa and then him to step out, and instantly the store's lightbulbs resumed their previous pathetic states.

As both boys walked down the quiet streets, each consecutive lamppost bursted with light.

"I'm also kind of a whiz with electricity," Yunho chuckled, his hair appearing almost white under the canopy of the pale, artificial lighting.

Seonghwa smiled a little, but the ache in his chest was still present. Right now, he knew Mingi needed his space and any attempt to contact him would end up with futile results, so he planned on reaching out to him later and doing what Yunho had so kindly suggested.

"...Where's Hongjoong?" he found himself asking after some time.

Yunho looked up in thought. "He went away after we killed off the Mon. Didn't tell me where." Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Speaking of Hongjoong: did you like that lunchbox he prepared? Because for the first time forever, he made a meal without my help. Multiple meals, technically."

Seonghwa's neck burned. He adjusted his collar. "It was okay."

"I'm glad he didn't poison you or anything."

Seonghwa sputtered out a laugh, shielding his grin from view. "Nah."

Yunho was nice, and funny. Two things Mingi definitely were. They were like different variations of the same character, and that fact alone shoved Seonghwa further into his guilt.

He could only hope things would turn out okay between them.

⛓️

- hwa
san, hey
have you heard from mingi?

- sanshine
uh, yeah
he just called me a few mins ago

- hwa
oh
is he okay??

- sanshine
he told me smth happened between u guys

- hwa
yes, but i'm gonna fix it

- sanshine
how?

- hwa
i'll take him out and not make him mad at me anymore

- sanshine
don't do that

Seonghwa's worry spiked and he rubbed his forehead, trying not to scream.

- hwa
why??

- sanshine
he'll think its a date

- hwa
but its not a date
i just want to make it up to him

- sanshine
dont do it

- hwa
what should i do then?
san, he was there this evening when a mon appeared, and i had to hide him so he wouldn't see hongjoong and yunho.
i can't tell him what's happening

- sanshine
no you can't
but you CAN talk to him and do what he likes with him, like play video games.
just convince him it was a joke or something, thats what i tried telling him too

- hwa
ok, sure
thanks

- sanshine
you're welcome 😊

Seonghwa dropped his phone then just laid there, staring blankly at his patterned ceiling. Everywhere was silent since his father wasn't home and he had no one to talk to now, and slowly but surely, loneliness started carving itself into his brain.

"Knock knock. Your order from Kiki's Delivery Service is hereee!" A new voice chirped right outside his window, tapping it.

Seonghwa sat up and pulled open his window, not even shocked once he saw Hongjoong floating outside his window, a steaming box of pizza in hand.

"You look mad," Hongjoong observed. Just like Yunho he wore a turtleneck, but his was black and short-sleeved, revealing his toned arms. The thick and bejewelled choker around his neck was black as well, and his eyes were even framed with winged liner, putting more dimension to them. "Should I come another time?"

Seonghwa cleared his throat and looked away. "You weren't in the store with Yunho tonight."

"I don't think your friend likes me too much," Hongjoong said with a laugh, but Seonghwa only frowned at that.

"What?"

Hongjoong looked exasperated. "Let me in, Seonggie. I don't wanna barge in all uninvited like last time. It wasn't cool."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. "Sure. Whatever."

Hongjoong grinned, before flying in and plopping himself on Seonghwa's bed, the pizza box still intact. He spent some seconds just watching Seonghwa, before remarking, "Trouble in paradise?"

Seonghwa sat next to him, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Mingi's mad at me."

Hongjoong just hummed, and then he was eating a pizza slice which didn't fail to irritate Seonghwa.

"How can you be eating pizza when Mingi and I's friendship is at stake because of those stupid Mons?" Seonghwa gaped.

"Chill," Hongjoong said, taking another bite. "Nothing is being at stake here. Mingi likes you too much to stay angry at you for long, and besides, who doesn't like pizza? Just relax and eat with me, I'll even save the bigger slices for you."

"The slices are the exact same size."

"It's the thought that counts."

Seonghwa scoffed, hugging his pillow close.

"Stop being stubborn." Hongjoong smirked and picked up a new pizza slice. "I can even feed you one if you'd like. Just say 'aaah'."

"No thanks."

"Aaaah," Hongjoong scooted next to him, his smile wide and his eyes glowing.

He was attractive.

Seonghwa blinked at the thought, which Hongjoong used as the chance to slip the pizza slice into his mouth. "Honjoof -- "

"Chew, fool."

And that Seonghwa did. He didn't really have much of a choice anyway, the Margherita pizza was already in his mouth. It tasted heavenly in all the right places, so Seonghwa really couldn't stay angry anymore.

"You know, sometimes I feel the only reason you're get mad so easily is because you're hangry," Hongjoong joked, twisting open a soft drink he brought out of nowhere. He handed it to Seonghwa. "Sprite, not alcohol."

Seonghwa took a sip, admittedly feeling better. "Thanks."

"Welcome," Hongjoong grinned. It seemed the more Seonghwa stared at him, the better he looked.

The shorter's face was nearly androgynous and it was especially prevalent whenever he had on makeup, like right now. But he also had high cheekbones and a chiselled jawline, as well as lean, muscled limbs.

"What?" Hongjoong questioned.

"Nothing." Seonghwa downed his drink as fast as he could, but it turned out to be too fast because the next thing he knew, he burped.

"Did you just -- Oh my god." Hongjoong watched him with big eyes, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Seonghwa tried holding it in, but soon enough he was giggling as well, half amused and half embarrassed. "Shut up."

Hongjoong was still laughing, his body shaking over Seonghwa's bed. He looked like he was getting electrocuted, which resulted in Seonghwa laughing harder.

So in the end they both laughed a lot, and Seonghwa really liked it.

⛓️

a/n: thoughts?