The warmth of the afternoon sun followed Minho and Lily as they made their way from the mall, their arms laden with bags. Their destination was home, a brief stop to deposit their purchases before embarking on their next adventure: grocery shopping.
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket hummed overhead as they navigated the aisles. Lily, a whirlwind of purpose, gathered items while Minho pushed the shopping cart, his gaze scanning the shelves. It was then that his eyes landed on a jar of pickles, their vinegary scent a familiar comfort. A chuckle escaped him, and he reached for a jar, his fingers tracing the smooth glass.
Lily, her keen eyes missing nothing, turned and caught his gaze. A teasing smirk played on her lips. "Thinking about Jun again?"
Minho flinched, a blush creeping up his neck. He quickly placed the jar back on the shelf, his voice a touch defensive. "No! I just thought about the fact that he really likes to eat pickles with almost every meal."
Lily giggled, the sound light and airy. "Yeah, when I was little I found it a very strange habit. And I even hated eating them at some point because of him." She laughed, the memory clearly a vivid one, and reached for the jar, placing it in the cart.
Minho chuckled, the tension easing. "Well, it's not a very strange thing. I like eating them too." Lily's smirk returned, a playful glint in her eyes. "Then, we should take more to have them in stock at home." She reached for another jar, her hand already moving towards a third. Minho laughed, stopping her before she could add the third jar to their collection. "Two are enough! Stop!"
Their laughter mingled, a shared moment of lightheartedness in the mundane task of grocery shopping. Lily, her mischievous grin still in place, returned the third jar to its place.
The fluorescent lights of the kitchen hummed, casting a sterile glow over Minho as he methodically unpacked the grocery bags. Each item found its place with practiced ease, a silent symphony of routine. Meanwhile, in the sanctuary of her room, Lily sought solace in the cleansing rush of the shower. Water cascaded over her, washing away the day's remnants, and as she emerged, she reached for her phone, the cool metal a contrast to her flushed skin.
The call connected, and Seo-Jun's voice, a terse "Yes?" crackled through the speaker. Lily's voice, laced with a careful lightness, greeted him, "Hey, how are you doing?" A sigh, heavy with the weight of the day, was his only response. "Busy." he admitted, the word a curt dismissal. Disappointment flickered across Lily's features, quickly masked by a playful smirk. "When are you planning to come home?" she enquired, the question hanging in the air. "I don't know yet." Seo-Jun replied, his voice devoid of inflection. Lily rose from the bed, her posture straightening with a sudden resolve. "Well, you better come back soon because someone is missing you quite a lot."
A frown tugged at Seo-Jun's lips, quickly replaced by a slow, knowing smirk. "You missed me. About time to hear that." Lily's giggle was a delicate sound, a prelude to the revelation. "It is not just me this time..." Seo-Jun's eyes widened, his posture shifting, a subtle signal of his mounting interest. "He can't stop thinking and talking about you. It's getting annoying you butting in our conversation all the time." Seo-Jun's smile broadened, and a low chuckle escaped his lips. "I can't believe it." Lily pressed on, her tone softening. "Why? Is it a crime for him to have feelings for you?"
The laughter ceased, and Seo-Jun averted his gaze, a silent battle raging within him. "So it's not only me then... he can't stop thinking about me as well. And here I was thinking he doesn't care about me that much." His thoughts swirled, a chaotic mix of joy and disbelief. Lily's voice, clear and direct, cut through the silence. "You should make it clear. You know, the thing with him."
"No, it's too early. On top of that, I am still not sure how I feel…" he'd said, the words a shield against the emotions swirling within him.
Across the line, Lily's voice dripped with a familiar blend of sarcasm and exasperation. "Oh, please. Quit the act already. I know why you are not home now, you don't want to face him. He is confusing you- well, not confusing you but giving you signals that he likes you too- but your stupidity gets in the way." Her words, sharp and pointed, were a mirror reflecting his own hesitation.
Seo-Jun remained silent, the weight of her accusation pressing down on him. He knew she was right, in a way that only a sister could be. "She is smart. Well, of course, she is my sister." The thought, a fleeting moment of affection, was quickly overshadowed by the turmoil within. "I need time." he finally managed, the words a plea for respite.
The response was immediate, laced with a hint of anger. "Well, this time is not good either for you or him. Being apart makes Minho sad." She suddenly caring about Minho sent a fresh wave of confusion through Seo-Jun. Annoyance flickered across his features. "Since when is she so obsessed with Minho?" The question, unasked, hung in the air between them. "And don't deny that you don't feel sad as well."
A heavy sigh, a sound of defeat, filled the silence. "Fine. Take your time. All I am saying is that you have someone waiting for you here at home. Don't make him wait for so long that he might feel the need to leave." The finality in her voice was a stark warning, a threat disguised as concern.
The line went dead, the abrupt silence a sudden, crushing weight. Seo-Jun lowered the phone, the city lights blurring through a film of unshed tears. The words, the accusations, the unspoken truths – all swirled within him, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty.
Seo-Jun, unable to focus on the illuminated screen before him, found himself adrift in the echoes of his recent conversation with Lily. The words, like persistent shadows, clung to him, disrupting the calm of the evening. With a sigh of resignation, he pushed back from his desk and rose, the familiar weight of his thoughts pulling him towards his room. "As much as I hate admitting it... she is right... Being apart only deepened my desire to be with him."
The realisation, a sharp pang of truth, resonated within him. The distance had not diminished the yearning; it had only intensified it. "But if she is telling the truth... and he really misses me... that means he cares about me more than before." A fresh wave of confusion washed over him, the possibilities both exhilarating and daunting. "This is giving me headaches. I will think about it tomorrow." he muttered, the words a futile attempt to find solace.
His gaze fell upon his bed, the simple frame now a canvas for his imagination. A vision, unbidden and vivid, materialised before him – Minho, lying there, the two of them having sex. A warm, pleasurable feeling spread through him, a blush creeping up his neck, as his body responded to the imagined closeness, making his dick twitch from excitement. He recoiled, the sudden surge of emotion both surprising and unsettling. "Why am I thinking about this all of a sudden?!" he whispered, the question a desperate plea for control. With a decisive turn, he headed towards the bathroom, the promise of a cold shower the only reprieve from the swirling thoughts that threatened to consume him.