Minho rose from the bed, his movements a flurry of nervous energy as he began to strip the sheets. His thoughts, however, were far from the mundane task at hand. A blush burnt on his cheeks, a telltale sign of the turmoil raging within. "I can't believe it!" he muttered under his breath, the words a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment. "I've had wet dreams before, but never... never this intense."
He sat heavily on the edge of the bed, his hands flying up to cover his face, seeking a moment of respite from the storm of his thoughts. The cool metal of the ring on his index finger pressed against his skin, a grounding sensation that brought him back to the present. He looked at the ring, his thumb gently tracing its smooth surface. "You idiot…" he whispered, the words laced with a mixture of fondness and frustration. "You better take this thing away from me when you don't have this kind of feeling for me… or I'll keep it forever with me..."
With a sigh, he rose again, gathering the dirty sheets in his arms. The mess, a stark reminder of the night's events, was a burden he needed to dispose of. He turned toward the bathroom, the weight of his thoughts settling heavily upon him.
The morning arrived with a swiftness that mirrored Minho's restless night. He lay sprawled on his bed, the lines of exhaustion etched deep into his features. A low, irritated growl escaped his lips, "I didn't sleep a wink because of this bastard..." he muttered, the words barely audible. He pushed himself up, the movement slow and deliberate, and glanced at the time. 6:30 a.m. A sigh, heavy with resignation, escaped him. "Well, since I won't be able to fall asleep, let's do something useful."
With that, he rose and made his way to the kitchen, the promise of breakfast for himself and Lily the only solace in the early hour. He moved with a practiced ease, the clatter of pans and the sizzle of food filling the otherwise quiet apartment. Half an hour later, Lily appeared, her hair tousled, a yawn escaping her. "You're up early." she observed, her voice thick with sleep. Minho chuckled, a sound that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, couldn't sleep very well."
Lily settled at the table, watching him with a knowing gaze. "Oh? Why? You looked quite exhausted yesterday after the shopping." Minho forced a smile, the effort evident. "Nah, I wasn't tired at all." he lied, the words hanging in the air between them. Lily giggled, her gaze unwavering. She thought to herself, a silent observation that painted a vivid picture of their shared predicament. "When will those two stop being delusional and clear things out? They can't even sleep peacefully without each other at this point. They are pathetic but cute..." she giggled again.
Minho placed the breakfast on the table, the aroma of the food filling the air. He sat beside her, a casual air masking the turmoil within. "Oh, tonight I'll be going to the racetrack with Jun. He has some errands to run there." Lily's eyebrows lifted in surprise, a spark of amusement in her eyes. She thought, a silent plan taking shape in her mind. "Oh, I thought it would take them more time to see each other face-to-face. But this is great, perfect actually." She smiled, a genuine expression that belied the thoughts swirling within her. "Great! Go with him, I will probably go out with some of my friends tonight anyway, so it's all good."
Minho's smile was a subtle curve of his lips, barely there, but it softened the sharp angles of his face. "That's good to hear." he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate in the quiet room. "I was worried that you might be bored all alone here."
Lily's smirk was a different beast altogether. It was a playful flash, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Oh, don't worry about me at all!" she retorted, her voice laced with amusement. "Go to your lover and clear things out because it started becoming pathetic."
The blush that crept up Minho's neck was a slow burn, a fiery tide that reached his cheeks. He flinched, a visible recoil, and his voice rose a fraction in his protest. "He is not my lover!" Lily chuckled, a light, melodic sound that filled the space between them. "Fine, fine.
Minho looked at her, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration warring on his features. His thoughts, unbidden, formed a silent echo in his mind: "They are just the same..." With that unspoken sentiment hanging in the air, they both turned their attention back to their breakfast, the clinking of forks against plates the only sound.
Later that day, Minho found himself alone at the racetrack, arriving earlier than even Seo-Jun. He greeted the team members with a nod and a brief word, then made his way to the team's tent. The canvas walls offered a small degree of privacy, a sanctuary for his racing thoughts. He sat at the table, the cool metal a grounding presence beneath his hands.
Anxiety gnawed at him. The meeting with Seo-Jun loomed, heavy with unspoken expectations. The dream, the ring, the offer he had to make, and Seo-Jun's sudden, unexplained disappearance—all these things tangled together in a knot of apprehension. "I have to offer him to work with us." He knew the stakes were high, and he knew he had to tread carefully. "But I have to be careful when doing that. He needs to be in a good mood and far away from the kitchen where all the knives are and far away from the wardrobe in his bedroom where his guns are... AGH! He is practically a walking assassin!" The thought, vivid and absurd, brought a wave of frustration. He slammed his head onto the table, the dull thud echoing in the otherwise empty tent.
Minho slowly lifted his head, the weight of his thoughts etched onto his face. He stared at his hand, the silver band of the ring glinting in the dim light. "We also need to talk about his ring..." The thought, a sharp pang of reality, cut through the fog of his worries. "And why am I even still wearing it? I should pull it out and give it to him when he comes here... after all, it's important to him...
As he waited, the minutes stretched, each one a heavy weight on his shoulders. He fidgeted, his gaze darting from the ring to the entrance of the tent and back again. The anticipation was a physical ache, a knot of nerves tightening in his stomach. He looked again at the ring, the smooth surface of the metal blurring slightly as his eyes filled with the myriad of emotions swirling inside him. "What will be the right thing to say to start the conversation?" He touched the cool surface, a silent plea for guidance, as he rehearsed the words in his mind, searching for the perfect way to broach the subject.
Lost in his own world, Minho didn't notice that Sam, who slipped into the tent unnoticed, was approaching him. He was a shadow, moving silently, until his eyes fell upon the ring. Recognition flashed in his eyes.
"HE ALREADY GAVE YOU HIS RING?!" Sam's shout ripped through the quiet, shattering Minho's concentration. Minho jumped, startled, his heart leaping into his throat. "Jeez! You scared the shit out of me, man!" he retorted, his voice a mix of surprise and annoyance.
At that very moment, Seo-Jun arrived. He'd been searching for Minho, his steps quickening as he approached the tent. He heard the shouting and paused, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. He gently lifted a corner of the canvas, peering inside, his senses on high alert.
Sam, still reeling from the shock, stared at Minho, disbelief etched on his features. "When did that happen?!" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Minho, confused and slightly annoyed by the sudden intrusion, shrugged. "A few days ago." he replied, heavy with unspoken implications.
The words hung in the air, thick with disbelief. "Oh my god, so you two are finally a couple-" Sam began, his voice laced with a mixture of surprise and excitement. But before he could finish, Minho's exasperated voice cut through the air like a sharp knife. "You too?! Why is everyone assuming we are together just because he gave me his ring?! Stop with this already! We. Are. Not. Together. How am I supposed to say it so that everyone can stop asking about it?!" Frustration radiated from him, his voice rising with each word.
Outside the tent, Seo-Jun, who had been eavesdropping, let out a soft giggle. "Adorable but such a dummy..." he thought to himself, a fond smile playing on his lips.
Sam, taken aback by Minho's outburst, retorted with a defensive edge, "HEY, DON'T YELL AT ME! I am just trying to help here! Besides, he is crazy about this ring! The first and the last time I touched it , I almost ended up getting a broken arm." The words hung in the air, a testament to the ring's significance. Minho's eyes widened in shock, his face paling slightly at the memory.
Seo-Jun, outside the tent, rolled his eyes. "He is overreacting. I didn't hurt him that badly." he mused, though he knew he was being dishonest. He had, in fact, come close to breaking Sam's hand that day.
Sam, sensing the tension, attempted to lighten the mood. "Sooo, if Seo didn't give you the ring as a couple ring then, maybe he is trying to give you a sign that he likes you."
Seo-Jun, surprised by Sam's astute observation, raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Minho, still reeling from the revelation, blushed slightly, his voice barely a whisper, "Not in this universe! He doesn't have any feelings for me-"
As if on cue, Seo-Jun strolled into the tent, his presence filling the small space. "What if I do?" he asked, his voice calm and steady, the words hanging in the air.