Chapter Text
Seokmin kept walking along the pavement, not knowing where it led. His head stayed low, tears burning his eyes. He let them fall. No one was around. He could cry here, cry properly, so later he could pretend nothing had happened.
Not that it was even close to the truth.
Just an hour ago, he was happy. Laughing, dancing with Soonyoung at the club. Music loud, lights flashing, his body loose in a way it hadn’t been for weeks.
Then he saw it.
He saw him.
Kim Seyeon, his boyfriend, with someone else. A girl he did not know. His arm around her waist, his mouth on hers, like it was normal, like Seokmin did not exist at all.
His vision blurred before he realized he had stopped moving. The music kept going around him, people dancing, laughing, unaware. Soonyoung, already drunk, glanced at him, brows knitting together, but Seokmin didn’t wait for him to notice properly. His head felt heavy as he muttered something about the washroom and pushed his way out of the club.
The cool night air hit him all at once, sharp against his skin, but it did nothing to clear his head. It had only been two weeks since they started dating, two weeks that already felt foolish now. Was he really that boring, that easy to replace? The thought sat heavy in his chest as the realization settled in, slow and cruel. Cheated on in two weeks. Again. The second time in just two months.
His head spun as he walked down the road, steps uneven, thoughts worse. The streetlights blurred above him, stretching and shrinking as his eyes struggled to focus. A sob tore out of him when his phone lit up in his hand.
Soonyoung.
What was he supposed to say? That he had broken up again? That he was supposed to introduce his boyfriend to Soonyoung that very weekend, but now everything had fallen apart before he even got the chance?
Soonyoung would have stormed back into the club and punched that asshole without thinking twice. Maybe Seokmin would have done the same if he wasn’t so tired. Tired of explaining. Tired of hearing the same worried voices, the same careful questions.
Seungkwan was in his hometown with Hansol.
Seungcheol was about to propose to Jeonghan.
Soonyoung was already stressed about preparing choreography for their college festival next month.
Everyone had something good happening. Something important. If he told them now, all of it would pause. All eyes would turn to him, just like last time.
He didn’t want that.
So he didn’t pick up the call. He slipped the phone back into his pocket and kept walking, the night swallowing him whole.
Then he heard it.
A horn, sharp and too close.
Seokmin turned around, confusion flickering through him before fear could catch up. The road was right beneath his feet, white lines blurred, headlights rushing straight toward him.
When did I start crossing the road?
His mind screamed at his body to move. Step back. Run. Anything. But his legs felt heavy, rooted, like the ground had decided to keep him there.
The light grew brighter, swallowing everything else. Sound rushed in all at once, the horn again, tires screeching, his own breath stuck somewhere in his chest.
For a second, absurdly, he thought about Soonyoung calling him again. About how he still hadn’t picked up.
Then the world tipped.
The pavement rose too fast, the light shattered, and the noise collapsed into silence as darkness folded over him.
Seokmin’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and sore. His head throbbed like a drumline in a marching band, and everything around him was a blur of blue walls.
A face suddenly popped into view, sharp against the haze. The guy was leaning over him, eyes wide and bright, like someone who had just found a winning lottery ticket.
So I’m not dead yet, Seokmin thought, relief and confusion tangled together.
The man’s smile widened, almost painfully eager, like a puppy who’d been given treats for a job well done. Seokmin squinted at him through the pain. "Who… are you?", he croaked. His voice sounded weirdly high-pitched in his own ears.
The man froze for a second, looking like he’d been caught sneaking cookies. “I’m… Kim Mingyu. I, uh… I hit you with my car. I’m really sorry,” he said, words tumbling out awkwardly.
Seokmin blinked, trying to piece it together through the pounding in his head. “…You hit me with your car… and you’re smiling like that?”
Mingyu’s grin faltered, replaced by a sheepish, “Well, I mean… not smiling at the hitting part. Just… glad you’re awake?”
Seokmin rubbed his temple and groaned. “Right. I start crossing the road suddenly, Makes sense.”
Mingyu nodded furiously. “Do you… want me to call the doctor? If it hurts—”
Seokmin waved him off, wincing. “Nah. Just tell me honestly… how long before I die?” His voice was half serious, half teasing.
Mingyu’s face drained of color, horror replacing the puppy-like excitement. “Don’t talk like that, Seokmin-ssi! You’re not going to die. You’ve got a fractured foot and a few scratches, but you’re fine. Totally fine. Please don’t say that again.”
“Okay, okay,” Seokmin said weakly.
Before he could add anything else, the door to the room burst open with a loud bang.
“Seokmin!”
Soonyoung came rushing in, Jihoon right behind him. Seokmin barely had time to process what was happening before Soonyoung was suddenly on him, pulling him into a half hug and immediately breaking down, sobbing straight into his shoulder.
“Hyung—” Seokmin winced.
Jihoon noticed it instantly and grabbed Soonyoung by the collar, yanking him back. “Yah! He just had an accident and you’re squishing the life out of him.”
Soonyoung pouted, arms crossed. “I was just worried!” Then he leaned forward again, eyes glossy. “Seokmin-ah, are you okay?”
Seokmin nodded, offering a small smile.
Jihoon stepped closer and gave him a gentler hug. “That’s a relief,” he said quietly. Then he frowned. “But seriously, where did you disappear without telling us? I was losing my mind.”
Before Seokmin could answer, the nurse walked in, clipboard in hand. She glanced around the room and asked, “Who is the patient’s boyfriend here?”
Seokmin froze.
The nurse paused, taking in his confused expression. “Ah, sorry. I meant the patient’s guardian. Kim Mingyu?”
Mingyu, who had been standing awkwardly near the wall, raised his hand halfway. “Me… I’m his guardian.”
“Okay, Mingyu-ssi,” the nurse said. “He’s awake now, so you’ll need to bring these medicines.” She handed him a list.
Mingyu glanced at Seokmin, eyes wide and earnest. “I’ll go get the medicines, then. Seo...Seokmin-ah.”
And before Seokmin could even respond, he hurried out of the room like he was being chased.
Seokmin stared at the door, wide-eyed.
As the nurse checked his vitals, Seokmin could practically see the gears turning in Soonyoung’s head. The grin spreading across his face was anything but innocent.
Jihoon slapped the back of his head lightly. “Don’t.”
The moment the nurse left, Soonyoung smirked. “So,” he said slowly, “he’s your boyfriend, huh? I knew you had a size kink, Seokm—”
“Yah!” Jihoon hit him again. “We’re in a hospital!”
Soonyoung pouted dramatically. “I know! But no one’s here. His big, rich boyfriend literally booked a whole room just for him.”
Seokmin opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
He probably looked like a fish struggling to explain itself.
And of course, Soonyoung kept talking.
Exhausted, Seokmin finally gave up. What was the harm if Soonyoung believed it? At least it saved him from answering a million questions while stuck in a hospital bed.
He closed his eyes and let sleep wash over him.
A few hours later, Seokmin woke to the soft sound of sniffling.
He cracked his eyes open to see Jeonghan hovering over him, eyes red and glossy, with Minghao standing beside him like emotional support.
“Seokmin-ah… are you okay?” Jeonghan asked, voice already trembling again.
Seokmin smiled weakly. “I’m okay, hyung.”
Jeonghan promptly teared up anyway.
Minghao sighed and handed him a tissue from the table. “Hyung, he’s fine. Please stop crying before he starts feeling worse.”
Seokmin let out a quiet laugh before asking, “Where are Soonyoung and Jihoon hyung?”
“Soonyoung got a call and they stepped out for a bit,” Jeonghan said, dabbing his eyes. “They said they’ll come back by evening.”
“There’s no need,” Seokmin said quickly. “They're busy. Tell them to rest.”
Jeonghan nodded, understanding easily.
Minghao tilted his head. “Did you call your eomma, Seokmin-ah?”
Seokmin hesitated, then noticed Mingyu sitting stiffly at the corner table, hands folded, looking painfully nervous. Their eyes met.
“I didn’t call anyone,” Mingyu said quickly, almost apologetic.
Seokmin let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Jeonghan reached for his wrist gently. “You’re not planning to tell her, are you?”
Seokmin shook his head. “No, hyung. She's busy. I don’t want her to worry.”
Jeonghan didn’t argue. He never did when it came to this. He remembered too clearly the day Seokmin had packed his bags, saying his mother was leaving for a two-month project in the States. Two months that had quietly turned into two years. Money arrived every month. Calls never did.
“Shua made porridge,” Jeonghan said softly, changing the subject. “I told him not to come because of his exams, but he threatened to show up himself if I didn’t make sure you ate it while it was hot.”
Seokmin smiled, warmth spreading through his chest.
They helped him sit up, and Jeonghan carefully fed him the porridge. It was still warm, soothing going down, though his throat burned a little as he swallowed.
Jeonghan followed his gaze — straight to Mingyu.
“So,” Jeonghan said lightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “this is your boyfriend?”
Seokmin choked. “Hyung!”
“You’re very obvious,” Minghao added, smirking. “I knew you were into big men, but wow—”
“Yah!” Seokmin whined. “Stop teasing me!”
They laughed but backed off. Mingyu, meanwhile, had gone completely wide-eyed.
“I—I’ll wait outside,” he said quickly, already halfway to the door.
Seokmin nodded, still flustered.
After he finished eating, Jeonghan insisted on staying, but Seokmin shook his head. “It’s okay, hyung. You can go.”
Mingyu returned then, handing him water and the prescribed medicines. “I’ll take care of him,” he said quietly to Jeonghan.
After a moment, Jeonghan and Minghao finally agreed to leave.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Seokmin cleared his throat. “Why did you say that?”
Mingyu looked up. “Say what?”
Seokmin stared at him. “That you’re my boyfriend.”
Mingyu froze. He fiddled with his fingers, eyes dropping to the floor. “You were unconscious,” he said after a moment. “They asked who your guardian was, and I… I didn’t know what else to say. So I told them I was your boyfriend. And your guardian.” He rushed the words out. “I didn’t want things to get delayed.”
Seokmin exhaled slowly. “And did you call Soonyoung?”
“Uh—no,” Mingyu said. “He called you first. Asked where you were. I just… told him you were here.”
Seokmin looked at him for a long second.
“It’s okay,” he said.
It wasn’t. But he said it anyway.
“You can go now,” Seokmin added quietly. “Thank you for taking care of me all this time.”
Mingyu opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. Instead, he picked up Seokmin’s phone from the bedside table.
“What’s your password?” he asked.
Seokmin blinked, confused, but told him.
Mingyu typed something quickly, then handed the phone back. “I saved my number,” he said. “If you need anything… please call me. I’m really sorry about all of this.”
He paused, then added, “I paid the hospital bills. And I hired a caretaker — she’ll be here by tomorrow morning.”
Seokmin looked at him, startled. “You didn’t have to—”
“It’s okay,” Mingyu said softly. “Good night.”
He smiled, small and sad, before turning toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back and gave a brief wave.
The door closed gently behind him.
The room fell silent once again.
Seokmin stared up at the ugly hospital ceiling, the fluorescent light buzzing faintly above him. His chest tightened, and before he could stop it, tears welled up in his eyes and slipped quietly down his temples.
Seokmin woke up feeling a little better.
The pain was still there — dull and persistent, but it no longer felt like it was swallowing him whole. His body ached in places he hadn’t noticed before, soreness settling deep into his bones. The room was quiet, too quiet, and for a moment the loneliness hit harder than the pain.
A knock came at the door before it opened gently.
The caretaker stepped in, introducing herself softly before setting a tray of food from the canteen on the table beside his bed. The smell made his stomach twist , he hadn’t realized how hungry he was.
“I can eat by myself,” Seokmin said, reaching for the spoon.
He tried. Really tried.
But his hand shook, the spoon tipping awkwardly, porridge spilling onto the bedsheet instead of making it to his mouth. After the third attempt, he let out a frustrated breath.
The caretaker didn’t comment. She simply picked up the spoon and held it out. “Let me help you for now,” she said kindly.
Seokmin hesitated, then nodded.
The door opened again.
Jihoon paused when he saw the scene — Seokmin sitting stiffly, the caretaker feeding him carefully. His expression shifted, something unreadable passing over his face.
“It’s okay,” Jihoon said to her gently. “I’ll take over now. Can you give us a moment?”
She nodded, setting the tray down before leaving quietly.
Jihoon took the spoon and sat beside him.
“Who’s she?”
“A caretaker,” Seokmin said.
Jihoon hummed. “Why did you hire one when you have us, huh?” His voice wasn’t sharp, just confused. “You should’ve called me, Seokmin-ah.”
Seokmin looked away. He didn’t know what to say. Shame crept up his throat, heavy and familiar.
Jihoon followed his gaze, then asked carefully, “Is this because of Mingyu?”
Seokmin stayed quiet for a moment. Then, without looking back, he said, “He had something urgent to take care of, so… he called the caretaker.”
He tried to smile. The muscles in his face didn’t listen. The tears came instead.
“Again?” Jihoon said softly, not accusing — just sad. He set the spoon down.
Seokmin laughed weakly through it. Of course Jihoon could see through him. He always could.
“So,” Jihoon said after a moment, “he’s not your boyfriend, right?” He chuckled lightly. “I kind of figured that out yesterday.”
Seokmin sniffed.
Jihoon reached up and gently ran his fingers through Seokmin’s hair. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to lie to me. I won’t say anything.”
Seokmin nodded, his voice small. “Hyung… can you please keep it a secret? And not ask me anything about it?”
Jihoon smiled softly and nodded, hand still in his hair.
“Of course,” Jihoon said, smiling softly. “But remember, I’m here for you because I want to take care of you, not because I have to. Okay?”
Seokmin nodded, smiling softly.