"But… I don't think I want to let go of you."
The words hung in the air, thick and heavy, causing Minho to freeze mid-step. He slowly pivoted, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated shock. "W... what?" he stammered, the sound barely audible above the rustle of the tent fabric.
Seo-Jun's gaze locked onto his, a silent battle playing out in their eyes. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on their faces, exaggerating the lines of worry etched around Seo-Jun's eyes. In Seo-Jun's depths, Minho saw a flicker of hesitation, a quiet acceptance of the difficult path he was choosing. Minho's mind struggled to process the unspoken confession. He replayed the words in his head, each syllable a punch to his gut.
Sensing the tension, Sam awkwardly interjected, "I think it's time for me to go now... Bye!" With a hasty farewell, he vanished, his footsteps fading into the night. The sudden silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the crackling fire outside. Minho remained rooted, his gaze fixed on Seo-Jun, his thoughts a whirlwind of disbelief. "What did he just say? It can't be true... He... he wouldn't... He's toying with me!" His hands trembled, his cheeks flushed with a confusing mix of emotions. Was it anger? Hope? Or something else entirely, something he couldn't name, something that made his heart ache?
After a moment of stunned silence, Minho whispered, his voice laced with confusion and frustration, "What... did you just say...?" Seo-Jun met his gaze, his expression resolute. The firelight illuminated the sharp angles of his face, the intensity of his stare. He closed the distance between them, his voice low and commanding, "Come with me." He reached out, his fingers closing around Minho's wrist, and led him out of the tent. The wind whipped around them, carrying with it the scent of rain and the promise of a storm.
Minho, his face a mask of disbelief, struggled against Seo-Jun's iron grip. "Where are you taking me?!" he yelled, his voice cracking with a mixture of anger and confusion. "Explain what you just said! You can't just end things in the middle!" He tugged, trying to break free, but Seo-Jun's hold was unyielding.
Seo-Jun, his expression unreadable, continued to drag Minho towards his car. His voice was low and calm, a stark contrast to Minho's frantic shouts. "Stop yelling," he said, each word measured. "I will tell you everything once we get there."
"Get where?!" Minho demanded, his voice laced with a desperate plea for answers. Seo-Jun remained silent, his jaw set, as they approached his sleek, black car. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face as he thought, "Ha, I tried to be subtle, to give us both more time, but you turned out to be utterly clueless when it comes to love signals." A slight smile played on his lips, hidden from Minho's view. "Fine, if that's how it is, I'll be direct."
They reached the car, and Seo-Jun finally released Minho. He stood at the car door, a picture of fury. "Are you going to talk to me, or what?!" he yelled, his voice raw with emotion. Seo-Jun smirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "That," he said, his gaze unwavering, "is entirely up to you. Get in the car, or go back to the racetrack."
Minho hesitated, his face a storm of conflicting emotions: anger, confusion, and a hint of… something else. He sighed, a sound of utter frustration, and with a final, defeated glance, he climbed into the car. Seo-Jun's smirk widened, unseen by Minho.
The last rays of the sun bled across the sky, painting the world in shades of orange and purple as Minho and Seo-Jun sat in the car, the engine still silent. The air inside was thick with unspoken tension, a palpable contrast to the serene beauty outside. Minho, his jaw clenched, finally broke the silence, his voice a low growl that seemed to vibrate through the car, "Here. I am in the car, now talk." His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of his seat.
Seo-Jun let out a soft chuckle as he reached for the keys, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He loved the way Minho's face contorted in annoyance, the way his brow furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line. "You are indeed an impatient guy," Seo-Jun said, his tone laced with amusement as he turned the key, the engine purring to life. "Haven't you heard of 'good things happen to those who wait'?"
Minho's eyes narrowed, his gaze a cold stone as he turned towards Seo-Jun, his voice a dangerous whisper, "Are you trying to get on my nerves?" The space between them seemed to shrink as Seo-Jun leaned closer, invading Minho's personal space until their faces were mere inches apart. Minho could feel Seo-Jun's breath on his cheek, and the scent of his cologne filled the car, the air crackling with unspoken emotions. A blush crept up Minho's neck, his mind racing, a whirlwind of anticipation and confusion. But instead of the kiss he half-expected, Seo-Jun's hand reached over, deftly fastening the seatbelt Minho had forgotten in his agitated state. Pulling back, Seo-Jun chuckled, the sound teasing and playful, "Your face is adorable when you get angry. I do fancy teasing you about it." With a final glance, Seo-Jun put the car in drive, and the car began to move, carrying them past the blur of buildings. Minho, speechless, could only turn away, his cheeks flushed, a single, angry "Ha" escaping his lips as he stared out the window, attempting to regain his composure. The city lights began to blur as they drove further away.
After a few minutes in silence, the sudden screech of tires against the pavement ripped through the tense silence of the car, jolting Minho from his simmering anger. Seo-Jun, without a word, had brought the car to a halt on the side of the road, the glow of streetlights painting his face in an enigmatic light. Then, with a swiftness that mirrored his abrupt decision, Seo-Jun was gone, the car door slamming shut, leaving Minho alone in the deepening twilight.
"What the hell?!" Minho spat, the words laced with a mixture of shock and irritation. "Why did he stop in the middle of nowhere and walk out just like that?!" He leaned back in his seat, the initial burst of anger slowly receding, replaced by a hesitant curiosity. "Should I... follow him?" he muttered, the question hanging in the air. With a heavy sigh, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car, the cool night air washing over him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk, a few paces behind Seo-Jun, who moved with a languid grace, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Are we taking a walk now?" Minho asked, his voice sharp, the question aimed at Seo-Jun's back. But Seo-Jun remained unresponsive, as if lost in a world of his own, the sounds of the city fading as they turned into a narrow, quiet alley. After a minute, they emerged onto a small, secluded beach, the last vestiges of the sunset painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Empty benches lined the alley, and Seo-Jun chose one, sitting down and staring out at the horizon, lost in thought. Minho stood a few feet away, a mixture of confusion and annoyance swirling within him.
Then, as if summoned by the magic of the moment, a tiny black kitten, no bigger than his hand, leaped onto the bench, rubbing its soft fur against Seo-Jun's hand and meowing with a high-pitched sweetness. Seo-Jun's face softened, a genuine smile gracing his lips as he murmured, "Hi, Tiny. What are you doing here all alone?" The kitten responded with a series of adorable meows and purrs, and Seo-Jun found himself lost in a moment of pure tenderness. He looked at the kitten and couldn't help but imagine Minho as the kitten. He then murmured while petting the kitty, "Adorable."
Minho, however, remained frozen, a statue of mounting frustration beside Seo-Jun. The question, "Is this guy nuts?! Is he here to talk to me or play with this kitten?" a storm raging within him. The silence, thick with unspoken words, was broken by a plaintive meow. This one, a deep rumble, echoed from another black cat, larger than the tiny furball curled on Seo-Jun's lap. The kitten, a miniature replica, responded with a chirp of its own, attempting a clumsy descent from the bench. But the distance proved too great, the kitten teetering at the edge, its tiny paws scrabbling for purchase. Seo-Jun chuckled, a warm sound that cut through Minho's internal turmoil. He scooped up the kitten, cradling it gently. "Here you go, Tiny. Go to your mom now." The kitten, in response, rubbed against his leg one last time before scampering towards its mother. Minho's anger, a volatile thing moments before, dissipated, replaced by a flicker of surprise at Seo-Jun's tenderness.
Seo-Jun, his gaze now fixed on the expanse of the beach, smirked, finally addressing Minho, "You can sit down, you know?" A soft blush crept up Minho's neck as he settled beside him. The world narrowed to this moment, the two of them and the canvas of the sky. The colours were shifting, the pink melting into hues of purple, eventually giving way to a deep, velvety blue. Seo-Jun sighed, his gaze still fixed on the sky. "The sky is beautiful... don't you think..." Minho, still bewildered by the turn of events, could only manage a hesitant, "Yeah..." The vastness of the sky, the silence between them, and the gentle rhythm of the waves created a moment of unexpected peace.
Seo-Jun turned, his gaze meeting Minho's, a soft question gracing his lips, "What's with the surprised look? I have feelings too, you know. I can love, adore, and be happy... or be sad and miserable... I am human, and I feel everything… The reason I gave you my ring echoes Lily and Sam's words." Then, as if the answer was already known, he turned his attention back to the endless expanse of the beach, the horizon swallowing his thoughts. "You see, Minho…" he murmured, his voice barely audible above the gentle lapping of the waves, "My upbringing wasn't filled with love. My parents abandoned Lily and me, deeming us worthless. She was just ten, and I wasn't even an adult. We were alone in a foreign country (UK), with no relatives. I vowed to protect her at all costs, even though I was still in high school. The social services intervened, wanting to take her away because I couldn't provide the living conditions a child deserved. I was working a part-time job at a local supermarket, trying to make ends meet. But, somehow, they let her stay. Maybe they saw the love we shared, and they didn't want to tear us apart. During those hard years, our parents never looked for us. I eventually secured a stable job, working for a big shot back then, and with that, I paid for Lily's education and everything we needed. Even now, I can still see her tears, hear her begging me not to let her go...ha..."
Minho watched him, every line of Seo-Jun's face etched with a weariness that belied his usual composed facade. Seo-Jun's jaw clenched, and he squeezed his hand, the knuckles turning white with the force of his emotion, and Minho, though his heart ached with worry, remained silent, knowing that words would only cheapen the moment.
"It's a burden," he continued, his voice laced with a frustration that was impossible to ignore. "A burden I never asked for. That moment, Minho, shaped me. It taught me the depth of love… The closest thing to love I've known was protecting and caring for Lily." Seo-Jun's frustration began to fade, replaced by a strange sort of acceptance. "But," he continued, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, a fragile shield against the vulnerability he was about to expose, "with it came sadness, loneliness, and constant fear. I don't complain, though; as long as she's safe and happy, I am too. I built a strong wall around my heart, afraid of letting anyone in so that they can just suddenly leave and abandon me. But… then... you showed up. I don't know what changed, but there's something about you that makes me soften, makes me want to know you more…"
Minho felt a pang of empathy, a deep understanding of the pain that Seo-Jun carried, the shadows of the past clinging to him like a second skin. He saw the weight of responsibility, the price of power, the loneliness that came with the territory, and his title of the fearless mafia boss.
"Even in the darkest of nights, there's always a flicker of hope, isn't there?" His voice softened with each word, the carefully constructed walls of his stoicism crumbling. Finally, he turned, his eyes meeting Minho's, and he whispered, "You... you make me feel like I can breathe again, Minho… The point of me telling you all of this is that even though I have feelings for you… I fear… I fear I'm not good enough to protect and care for you... I don't deserve this kind of love. And I'm afraid you'll be taken away from me too, and that would completely ruin me-"
Tears welled in Minho's eyes, the dam of his own emotions breaking. He finally understood the man before him, the complexities, the vulnerabilities, the hidden heart of the fearsome mafia boss. Unable to contain himself, he surged forward, wrapping his arms around Seo-Jun in a tight embrace, his sobs barely audible above the sound of the sea. He held on, refusing to let go, as Seo-Jun finished, "But… I don't think I want to let go of you."