FALSE HALO Chapter 9
564 Words
Chapter 9 – Stay With Me
Practice ended close to sunset.
Everyone collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.
Youngjae let out a dramatic sigh.
"If we practice one more hour, I'm becoming part of this floor."
Jihoon laughed.
"You say that every day."
"And every day it's true."
Dohoon grabbed his water bottle.
"You're still alive."
"Barely."
Kyungmin suddenly looked at his phone.
"Oh!"
"What?" Youngjae asked.
"A new action movie comes out this Friday."
Dohoon immediately looked up.
"I've been waiting for that."
"You want to watch it too?" Jihoon asked.
"Yeah."
Before Dohoon could say anything else, Jihoon smiled.
"Then let's all go together."
"I was thinking the same thing," Kyungmin said.
"It'll be fun."
Youngjae raised his hand.
"I'm in."
Everyone naturally looked toward Hanjin.
"What about you?"
Hanjin smiled warmly.
"If everyone is going, I'd like to go too."
"Perfect," Jihoon said.
"We'll ask the manager."
Dohoon quietly looked at Hanjin for a second.
He had wanted to ask Hanjin first.
Just the two of them.
...Why?
He couldn't answer his own question.
He simply looked away.
---
Across the room, Shinyu wasn't paying attention to the conversation anymore.
His eyes had drifted toward Hanjin again.
Hanjin was smiling while talking to the others.
Why do I keep watching him...?
He looked away.
A few seconds later...
His eyes found Hanjin again.
His heartbeat became noticeably faster.
Stop.
This doesn't make any sense.
He clenched his hands together.
The more he tried not to look...
The more aware he became whenever Hanjin moved.
---
Later that evening, the practice room was almost empty.
The others had already gone outside.
Shinyu remained behind, pretending to organize a few things.
He wasn't really thinking.
Or perhaps...
He was thinking too much.
"...Hyung?"
Shinyu turned.
Hanjin was standing a few steps away.
"You haven't left yet?"
Shinyu forced a small smile.
"I was just checking everything."
Hanjin tilted his head.
"You seem nervous."
"...Do I?"
"A little."
He walked closer.
"Did something happen?"
Shinyu opened his mouth.
No words came out.
Hanjin gently reached out and held his hand.
"Hyung?"
The warmth of Hanjin's hand spread through Shinyu's fingers.
For a moment...
Everything else disappeared.
The practice room.
The music.
The schedules.
Even his own thoughts.
All he could feel...
Was the warmth of that hand.
His heartbeat grew louder.
...Why...?
He couldn't understand it.
He only knew he didn't want Hanjin to let go.
Without thinking further, Shinyu stepped forward and gave Hanjin a brief, gentle hug.
Hanjin froze in surprise.
Shinyu quietly said,
"...Hanjin."
"Hm?"
"Stay by my side... okay?"
There was a long silence.
Then Hanjin smiled softly.
"Of course, hyung."
Shinyu slowly let go.
His expression was filled with confusion.
He wasn't embarrassed because of the hug.
He was frightened by how natural it had felt.
---
As they walked back toward the dorm, Hanjin glanced at Shinyu from the corner of his eye.
That reaction...
Interesting.
He's acting differently.
Much differently than before.
Shinyu walked beside him without saying a word.
His thoughts were in complete disarray.
What was that...?
Why did I want to hold onto him?
Why did it feel... comforting?
He had no answers.
And that uncertainty made his heart beat even faster.
Hanjin looked ahead, his usual gentle smile returning.
Something has definitely changed in Shinyu.
I'll keep watching.
I want to know exactly why.
- Writer
