And from late March, after the fireworks festival, Jeong Minha’s behavior began to become more intimate.
He showed more expressions of avoiding him subtly and acting embarrassed. Seo Sihan recalled the situation at that time.
—I’ll never leave. At least until Minha wants me to… I can keep making Minha happy.
It was truly sincere. All the words he said then were nothing but sincere. In the first place, Seo Sihan had always been honest with Jeong Minha. When Jeong Minha confided his hardships to him at that time, his heart ached but he was also happy. It seemed to mean that he had become that comfortable with him.
—Wow, how did someone like hyung become my fan? Isn’t this too lucky for me?
When he heard these words, he almost blurted out something without knowing it. That’s what I should say. From the very first moment you helped me, it was already luck for me…. But he saved his words since the other person didn’t remember.
After that, he thought the reason Jeong Minha approached him more was because he felt more comfortable with him thanks to their sincere conversation.
Seo Sihan was truly a fan of Jeong Minha. All everyday moments were good, but as expected, he liked his athlete appearance when shooting the most. Every time he went to watch him train, his heart pounded like 4 years ago.
So there was a problem. In daily life, whenever he saw the same appearance as when he was an athlete, he couldn’t control his emotions without realizing it.
Even when he swept his bangs back claiming to follow a drama, even when he looked with a serious expression saying his exam studies were difficult, even when he held his right hand saying he’d put on a band-aid…. Especially when he walked around the living room without clothes on, he was really surprised. He almost blurted out his unfiltered sincere feelings without knowing it.
He liked cool Jeong Minha so much. So this was definitely fan feelings.
“I’m happy when I’m with you too, hyung….”
“……”
It was the day drunk Jeong Minha kissed his cheek. He had barely pulled himself together, but he became confused again. He was flustered, but just as happy. At the sudden skinship, other thoughts even came to him without knowing it.
But he organized his feelings again. Right now, he was satisfied just living together.
“Even though you watched it directly until the end… am I cool?”
“……”
It was when he picked up Jeong Minha after school and was returning home in the car. These were the words Jeong Minha said after encountering his own appearance from 4 years ago in his phone’s wallpaper.
“I… totally messed up that day in the second half….”
Seo Sihan’s stomach hurt at the words denying the past with an unconfident voice.
“…It wasn’t Minha’s fault. It was because of that coach.”
It really wasn’t Jeong Minha’s fault. If not for that problem, Jeong Minha would have confidently taken first place. Even if not, in the end he was the athlete who worked hard until the last moment and pulled it up to a 1-point difference.
Jeong Minha considered his past embarrassing, but Seo Sihan was someone who had become like this now thanks to that past.
He thought he was maintaining a good relationship and spending peaceful days, but one day Jeong Minha ran away from home.
As soon as Seo Sihan realized this fact, he went out to find Jeong Minha. His heart became urgent. The situation was different from the old days when he would just leave because it was burdensome. Seeing him leave at this timing, he began to feel anxious wondering if he was doing this because he had come to dislike him.
He wanted to continue staying together by Jeong Minha’s side. If there was anything he didn’t like, he wanted to fix anything. So he went to ask him to please not leave, but….
“What do I do if hyung marries someone else?”
“…Huh?”
Jeong Minha said it wasn’t because he disliked Seo Sihan, but rather that he wanted to continue living together. Hearing the unexpected sincere feelings, Seo Sihan couldn’t suppress the trembling of his heart. He hugged Jeong Minha as he was.
“Minha too… wants to keep being with me?”
“Yes, yes….”
“……”
He loved Jeong Minha being held in his arms so much. The sound of a heartbeat, whose owner was unknown, could be heard loudly. Now there was no point in distinguishing whether it was fan feelings or anything else. The purpose was the same anyway.
From the beginning until now, and going forward. He just thought he hoped Jeong Minha would be happy.
“Thank you for liking me, Minha-ya….”
If he could be included among the reasons for that happiness, he thought he’d be even happier.
* * *
Already over 2 weeks had passed since Jeong Minha left for the training camp.
Seo Sihan only worked all day, going between home and the company. In the midst of that, he only thought of Jeong Minha. Was he eating well? Was he sick anywhere? Does training mean continuously shooting? I want to see him too….
Swallowing his regret, he watched the old Olympic videos he had already seen countless times again. As expected, he was cool no matter when he watched. He also looked at the everyday photos in his phone gallery. These were so cute. How can a person be both cool and cute? In his view, Jeong Minha was too perfect a person.
‘I miss Minha….’
He had cleanly quit the cigarettes he smoked during his new employee days, but it was difficult to quit Jeong Minha. If it were the old days it would be one thing, but in a situation where they were already living together, trying to become distant again was too hard.
He went home alone while recalling memories of Jeong Minha from his athlete days. Still, tomorrow would finally be the day Jeong Minha returned. This time too, he should apply for remote work in advance and go to meet him. Then he should ask what time he arrives….
It was when he was making plans and opening the front door. A familiar silhouette could be seen in the living room ahead in the hallway.
“…Huh?”
Jeong Minha was sitting on the living room sofa. But it was a far too familiar appearance.
Neatly swept-back hair, bare eyes without glasses, properly worn athletic uniform.
Athlete Jeong Minha, looking exactly the same as 4 years ago, was sitting there.
Seo Sihan’s thoughts stopped for a moment.
He had been thinking about the old days so much, was he seeing a hallucination now? There was no way Minha would be here at this time, and there was no reason for him to be in athlete attire at home like this…….
However, athlete Jeong Minha, whom he thought was imaginary, stood up from his seat.
“Hyung.”
It wasn’t a hallucination. Jeong Minha walked toward Seo Sihan who was standing blankly. Seo Sihan moved his feet backward without realizing it. His back touched the wall. He held his breath for a moment while looking at Jeong Minha who had come right up to his nose.
“Mi, Minha-ya…?”
Jeong Minha looked up at Seo Sihan. It was a serious gaze no different from when looking at a target.
It was when Seo Sihan was flustered and trying to step aside.
“……!”
Jeong Minha took out his gun, stretched out his arm, and struck the wall with it.
Because he was blocked by Jeong Minha’s arm, Seo Sihan stopped in place again. He was so surprised he couldn’t speak.
A voice lower than usual flowed from the mouth of the athlete before his eyes.
“I can’t stand it anymore. I have something to say to you, hyung.”
Because of the athlete who suddenly appeared, Seo Sihan froze in confusion.
He was the very Jeong Minha he had been waiting for, and since he was even in the appearance he liked the most, his heart began to beat even faster. It was somewhat eerie since he even had a gun pointed right next to his face, but Seo Sihan’s fan feelings overcame fear.
Jeong Minha looked at Seo Sihan, then turned his head and let out a small sigh.
“I told you, didn’t I? That I would win a gold medal no matter what this time.”
“U, uh….”
“So I reluctantly participated in the training I didn’t want to go to….”
Jeong Minha, who seemed to be recalling memories of the 2 weeks of training, gritted his teeth with an expression of dying from frustration.
“I couldn’t concentrate at all. I failed. Wow, I’m really embarrassed…!”
“Minha…?”
Seo Sihan blinked in surprise. Minha failed? That can’t be….
When Seo Sihan asked back with an expression of incomprehension, Jeong Minha said even more angrily:
“I really messed up! And for the entire 2 weeks, I kept making mistakes! Because someone kept bothering me!”
“Why….”
Seo Sihan thought while in shock. Was he still having a hard time because of memories with the coach? But when training at home, that never happened…. He also resolved the mother problem…. Could there be someone else? He didn’t hear such information.
Soon Seo Sihan spoke with a determined expression:
“I understand. If you tell me who it is, I’ll solve it for you. Minha, don’t worry and comfortably….”
As soon as he answered that way, Jeong Minha let out a hollow laugh and brushed his hair back hard. Huk, he’s really cool just now…. Around the time Seo Sihan was feeling his pounding fan feelings, Jeong Minha shouted:
“It’s because of you, hyung!”
“…What?”
Seo Sihan looked at Jeong Minha blankly. Jeong Minha squeezed his eyes shut and then slowly opened them. He briefly avoided eye contact, then immediately looked properly at Seo Sihan again and opened his mouth.
“…I said it’s because of you.”
“……”
“Hyung, do you like me?”
