SMS | Chapter 3.6

Somehow, time, which usually dragged by and suffocated Mino, seemed to have malfunctioned. When he opened his eyes, it was already Thursday. On Monday evening, he had been praying for Friday to come quickly, but now that it was nearly here, he wanted to die.

Mino hadn’t been able to visit Dohoon’s clinic. He was worried about Chaesu and wanted to see Dohoon, but the relentless overtime and stress kept piling up. As a result, his destructive habit of self-comforting had spiraled out of control.

Which meant, of course, that his wounds still hadn’t healed.

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“Sunbae, what’s that on your neck?”

“Got scratched somehow.”

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While no one could see the injury on his knee, the scratch on his neck was another matter. After Junhyuk noticed it, Mino had taken to wearing turtlenecks under his clothes to work. Even so, Junhyuk’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze felt intrusive, but Mino decided not to care.

Each morning, he woke up, screamed internally at his miserable reality, shoved toast into his mouth, showered chaotically, dressed, and went to work. He’d have lunch with Junhyuk, who was oddly friendly lately, then stay late working overtime. Fearing someone might notice his unhealed wound, he even took a 30-minute detour to avoid running into anyone on his way home.

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During this time, Dohoon’s messages had been arriving regularly. He sent photos of Chaesu and asked about Mino’s knee. His messages always ended with a suggestion to visit the clinic if he wasn’t too busy, but Mino had declined for three days straight, citing overtime and his… other distractions.

He started to question the point of agreeing to meet Dohoon on Friday at all, but guilt over what he had already received wouldn’t let him ghost completely.

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Just yesterday, he’d picked at his wound again, leaving his knee throbbing.

“Sunbae, want to grab dinner?”

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Junhyuk suddenly approached him. Mino glanced at the tall junior standing before him, then turned his head back to the monitor. It was already 6:50 PM. Time had slipped by, leaving him dazed. Everyone else had already gone home.

“No, I don’t have much of an appetite.”

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“You barely ate lunch. Want me to treat you?”

Mino chewed on his lower lip. He felt full enough, so it seemed like he’d eaten properly.

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“It’s just… I don’t have anyone else to eat with.”

Junhyuk even added a pitiful look as he persistently hovered, but Mino thought to himself:

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“It’s not like you have to eat with someone.”

At least, that’s how it seemed to him. Eating alone was more comfortable.

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“Why haven’t you left yet? I’m working late tonight.”

“Then I’ll help you.”

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Junhyuk’s suggestion didn’t sound sincere. He probably just wanted an excuse to linger. Mino was already stressed enough, intending to slather his wound in ointment and hope for a miraculous recovery.

Having Junhyuk around only piled on more frustration, leaving him less likely to resist his urges later.

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“You don’t need to help. Just go home.”

“…No.”

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It was nearly 7 PM. Despite Mino’s firm refusal, Junhyuk stubbornly shook his head. Frowning at the monitor, Mino finally sighed.

“You’ve been acting cold to me since that day. I’m sorry. Please don’t stay mad.”

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“What? When?”

“You barely talk to me unless it’s work-related, and you won’t even look me in the eye. I misunderstood and acted rudely back then.”

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Had he? Mino didn’t really remember. He had been so out of it lately that denying it seemed pointless. Still, since Junhyuk had brought it up, Mino decided to ask something that had been on his mind.

“Fine. Since you brought it up, let’s talk. What exactly did you misunderstand?”

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The empty office fell silent. Junhyuk hesitated, his lips moving without sound, seemingly unable to confess what he had misunderstood.

“You said you came to bring me an umbrella, but your attitude was weird. You admit that, right?”

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“Yes, but…”

“But?”

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“That man.”

Junhyuk’s face stiffened as he briefly uttered those words. His response was difficult for Mino to process.

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He misunderstood something, acted rudely, and… “that man.”

The cast of this scenario included only three men, making it hard to discern what Junhyuk was talking about—especially given Mino’s fatigue. Seeing no reaction from Mino, Junhyuk scowled, clearly frustrated.

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“How do you know him?”

He was asking about Dohoon. It was an impossible question, especially since Mino spent every night recently fantasizing about the man. To hide his expression, he turned his head away.

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“Shouldn’t you be asking why you were rude first? Isn’t that my question?”

“It is, but I’m not sure. That’s why I’m asking. I’m taking a gamble here.”

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The unfamiliar tone in Junhyuk’s voice made Mino glance at him. His usual bright smile had given way to something unfamiliar, a strange intensity. Anxiety crawled up from Mino’s feet, though he had no intention of indulging Junhyuk with an answer.

“I… found a cat.”

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“A cat?”

The cold intensity in Junhyuk’s gaze evaporated, replaced by confusion. His face looked almost dumbfounded.

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“Yeah, outside that clinic. The cat was in bad shape, so I took it in. Look, I don’t know why I’m explaining all this to you, but I’m busy. Could you leave now?”

Explaining everything in detail was exhausting, especially since it meant thinking about Dohoon. It annoyed him further. Mino waved Junhyuk off and turned back to his monitor.

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“So, you’re saying you two aren’t close?”

“Right.”

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Mino’s expression dimmed.

“Not close.”

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The phrase felt oddly disappointing. It was true, but not entirely. Still, he couldn’t admit to his junior that he harbored inappropriate thoughts about the man.

And just then, as if on cue, a message arrived.

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[Dr. Lee Dohoon]: Even if it’s late, come over.

The message popped up briefly in the corner of Mino’s monitor, short and firm. He had no time to think about Junhyuk’s cryptic misunderstanding anymore.

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