SMS | Chapter 3.6

Somehow, time, which usually e3b1771b63 dragged by and suffocated 698c3ada2f Mino, seemed to have b99c50b76c malfunctioned. When he opened 37a5617639 his eyes, it b1c57b8134 was already Thursday. On Monday evening, 967a4370c6 he had been cbeddeb9cb praying for Friday 026ce16bd7 to come quickly, b2b49df71c but now that 789eeb254f it was nearly 7f2258e416 here, he wanted e0ccd652df to die.eb67fab3202f1b3f

Mino hadn’t been able 67004854df to visit Dohoon’s clinic. He was worried about d113cbdfd1 Chaesu and wanted to 0c6fcb7299 see Dohoon, but the f06774991f relentless overtime and stress f43c4fdcc7 kept piling up. As a result, b755f6fa58 his destructive habit efd8779da3 of self-comforting had fc2d1cdda7 spiraled out of 748e32eb1c control.36f7ff6569072fd1

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Which meant, of 18d98e1719 course, that his f81f101941 wounds still hadn’t e49eafc88e healed.54f03788b248dd59

“Sunbae, what’s that on your neck?”16271fee1c350df5

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“Got scratched somehow.”95fc863d32b6fff3

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.5f7006f562e53f1b

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Each morning, he woke fbed97a72e up, screamed internally at 7355e65937 his miserable reality, shoved 61a8627dfd toast into his mouth, 74916edc4d showered chaotically, dressed, and 1e27dfd5a0 went to work. He’d have lunch with 29f9e98dbd Junhyuk, who was oddly 0734aaaad5 friendly lately, then stay 0f2693a91e late working overtime. Fearing someone might notice eddae7d041 his unhealed wound, he 9dbb941777 even took a 30-minute e9273a0765 detour to avoid running 604e06918f into anyone on his 963535df39 way home.65b1bbf965c8c08a

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.adc732b4df8cc590

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He started 7d7a8768e4 to question 1283c798ca the point e3ae00ad31 of agreeing 61518c32b5 to meet de086871ff Dohoon on 982f357f8e Friday at 15b75901ac all, but fc88c49bb8 guilt over 14c53bf06e what he 59f29baacc had already f5a08a21a1 received wouldn’t d439c81278 let him 890e2d38b4 ghost completely.3a69a1a50964fb76

Just yesterday, he’d picked at his wound again, leaving his knee throbbing.a78d892192c2f305

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“Sunbae, want to grab dinner?”53905ffefc6a7c86

Junhyuk suddenly approached f1ef4ff241 him. Mino glanced f71615d248 at the 579eddd18f tall junior 23f8a8e734 standing before 68aeb1c5d3 him, then 4a6d3b60cf turned his 34ccdf7546 head back 6bad02c527 to the 04a3c31155 monitor. It was 497c040ce3 already 6:50 60a1c84f26 PM. Time had 6acfd869d0 slipped by, 6a536ac5c6 leaving him 90336f393c dazed. Everyone else had already 0517b9dc68 gone home.2ba61015ce3b50f1

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“No, I don’t have much of an appetite.”a807efa51cf79542

“You barely ate lunch. Want me to treat you?”7c5cef55e566698d

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Mino chewed on his lower lip. He felt full enough, so it seemed like he’d eaten properly.a3b1f67f57c926db

“It’s just… I don’t have anyone else to eat with.”2783af686d8dbabe

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Junhyuk even fbc33a07ae added a a68bf7cdb5 pitiful look 038882a919 as he 58c075b412 persistently hovered, 1c9cac6795 but Mino 59ca60c202 thought to a99d14d9b4 himself:f83bed0e692e0e29

“It’s not like 1ed78606c0 you have to ceae1b114a eat with someone.”a46b2854885168ca

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At least, that’s how 726fad541e it seemed to him. Eating alone was more 3f50b5009f comfortable.531cdc2723c7d4c9

“Why haven’t you left yet? I’m working late tonight.”d164f46b69f10d04

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“Then I’ll help you.”1c8f78cb49926758

Junhyuk’s suggestion didn’t ec1bc24ad4 sound sincere. He probably just 51f2fe4471 wanted an excuse e691ff34f6 to linger. Mino was already 6e3631b883 stressed enough, intending a1f12ef12a to slather his 9daf341ac2 wound in ointment 93129ced97 and hope for b894948d39 a miraculous recovery.534f06af6d213014

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Having Junhyuk 78825b9fc1 around only 676c7466e3 piled on c61a6cf36a more frustration, d6177c9ba6 leaving him da62e2ed17 less likely b5a926c19c to resist 4911943fbd his urges 8ecc6147a0 later.61efc9fe6e0a450a

“You don’t need to help. Just go home.”9e821e63b6c400f0

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“…No.”e79eee7fef9d9b75

It was nearly 7 187628b408 PM. Despite Mino’s 678efc970a firm refusal, 3ded2e56cd Junhyuk stubbornly 2cd5818e18 shook his 195c1438cd head. Frowning at 9cac23896a the monitor, 7e4b12cc35 Mino finally 8ea2a3c785 sighed.81d2cfcfb7e248fa

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“You’ve been acting cold to me since that day. I’m sorry. Please don’t stay mad.”c81b8d18df47faee

“What? When?”2e5a48d7ac1b0537

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“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.”093b9a60ce808074

Had he? Mino didn’t really 1a46d87fe4 remember. He had been ec84710774 so out of bd07c747a5 it lately that e8257bb081 denying it seemed be3218b40b pointless. Still, since Junhyuk 0a5f5ae243 had brought it b4f4a0c4bd up, Mino decided 58d3a5550b to ask something cfbd4f79a0 that had been ae22e6b8c7 on his mind.f0f032810f0a2c80

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“Fine. Since you brought it up, let’s talk. What exactly did you misunderstand?”6900130d442136df

The empty office 988b66e0bc fell silent. Junhyuk hesitated, his cbe942379d lips moving without 329ed37552 sound, seemingly unable d17036cc02 to confess what 2f0172fcc3 he had misunderstood.45b95f9c8eeeb1a5

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“You said you came to bring me an umbrella, but your attitude was weird. You admit that, right?”dcee0bb48899a0a5

“Yes, but…”194afbe75229074c

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“But?”0a773077f1024f3e

“That man.”566d72657de1a20a

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Junhyuk’s face stiffened 37270842c7 as he briefly 867625349c uttered those words. His response was b07abe4e4f difficult for Mino 49ef1c7e89 to process.93eb1e678bd2223e

He misunderstood something, acted rudely, and… “that man.”2157ccc88ad24223

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The cast of this 4187ee62d5 scenario included only three 381fb3a9d3 men, making it hard 4e2afe288f to discern what Junhyuk 5d9a0ab642 was talking about—especially given fa561045c5 Mino’s fatigue. Seeing no reaction 85dee4ef99 from Mino, Junhyuk 3b4305b295 scowled, clearly frustrated.3747e237b18fb0db

“How do you know him?”3f355644fb02e6de

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He was 72f0cad6b7 asking about 6d2f486600 Dohoon. It was an eaf62402c8 impossible question, especially 7c337e4225 since Mino spent 5d2a5a8935 every night recently 0a66df2f97 fantasizing about the b336e90761 man. To hide his 35c674eaf3 expression, he turned 672f1b1312 his head away.f22b6beee5a47618

“Shouldn’t you be asking why you were rude first? Isn’t that my question?”8e8c675c14075217

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“It is, but I’m not sure. That’s why I’m asking. I’m taking a gamble here.”ed43c247b6c01747

The unfamiliar tone in 776c202d98 Junhyuk’s voice made Mino 1acf33a583 glance at him. His usual af8c6989ce bright smile a6607e7823 had given 61e11d51e0 way to 540376fe47 something unfamiliar, 7188b51343 a strange c4b10f697e intensity. Anxiety crawled up 75a587af7f from Mino’s feet, 9e2bb5eb44 though he had 2f12d5a1c8 no intention of 0c95cd1d4f indulging Junhyuk with 08b0d539fb an answer.f5758fe3bd847fdd

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“I… found a cat.”331a271538b8430c

“A cat?”04616bdf763a721a

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The cold intensity 2161a60967 in Junhyuk’s gaze d96187eb40 evaporated, replaced by 46a8ef7340 confusion. His face looked bbcaf0c0ce almost dumbfounded.ed1603ae2e535e05

“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?”3f865b6c3ac9b990

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Explaining everything 02b6c274f5 in detail 4c63ab1f9b was exhausting, bf0cac5af4 especially since d696eca3cf it meant 59b487237d thinking about 8c841fc046 Dohoon. It annoyed him 9f37828694 further. Mino waved Junhyuk 49db5b3747 off and turned 23304e29de back to his 3fdb30d7dd monitor.e169fec5a7ed8fb1

“So, you’re saying you two aren’t close?”1c91a6c134374a3c

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“Right.”83e63c1b9a3555f6

Mino’s expression dimmed.b3f1def9b3c2efa2

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“Not close.”beb146a202ef93aa

The phrase 8251c1d18c felt oddly 26d84bbd42 disappointing. It was true, 41ca6d4570 but not entirely. Still, he ac87184b5e couldn’t admit 948536408f to his 86c5baf077 junior that 2db1a86d59 he harbored 0fa184af07 inappropriate thoughts 16643f26b1 about the a0fb658376 man.b714eb4f7c214061

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And just then, as e1269d16ca if on cue, a 4420973fe4 message arrived.ef5116b3654c6ca1

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

The message popped up 2631338b64 briefly in the corner e001f44f75 of Mino’s monitor, short 0f1505653f and firm. He had no 84dd8063f9 time to think 81fd9c766b about Junhyuk’s cryptic 2437b941c2 misunderstanding anymore.7dae186cb42950a4