Chapter Eleven: The Waiting Game

[ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴘᴏᴠ ]

Seungmin sat on his bed, phone in hand, staring at the screen like it had personally wronged him. His thumb hovered over her contact, but the four words beneath it taunted him-- 'You blocked this contact.' He had done it in a fit of irritation, convinced that cutting off her ability to send him yet another story about a brooding, moody prince (who totally wasn't based on him) would bring him peace.

But now, an unsettling itch crawled beneath his skin.

Unblocking her was a risky move. It would be obvious. Too obvious. She'd know he had thought about her, and that was unacceptable. He had to play this right.

With a sharp inhale, he tapped Unblock.

And then he did nothing.

No message. No petty complaint. No sarcastic remark. He wanted her to notice-- to realize, to agonize over the fact that he had unblocked her. That was the game now. The waiting game.

The next morning, Seungmin was composed. Or so he told himself. But as he sat in the practice room, tying his laces, his eyes flickered to his phone. Still no message.

He shrugged it off. Obviously, she was trying to act like she didn't care. It was predictable. But soon enough, she'd cave.

During rehearsals, his phone stayed inches away, resting beside his water bottle, screen dark. He stretched, ran through choreography, wiped sweat from his forehead-- and between every move, his gaze shifted to that screen.

"Waiting for a text from your secret girlfriend?" Chan teased when he caught him staring at his phone for the fifth time.

Seungmin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "As if."

"Suspicious," Felix added, grinning. "You look like a guy waiting for a certain someone to notice him."

Seungmin's foot almost slipped mid-step. "Shut up."

But as the day went on, and his phone remained tragically silent, irritation settled in his chest.

Lunch. No message.Vocal practice. No message.Dinner. No message.

By the time he was in bed, phone clutched in his hand, he was almost ready to accept defeat. Maybe she hadn't noticed. Maybe she didn't care.

And then-- his screen lit up.

Seungmin bolted upright, heart lurching. He grabbed his phone, swiping it open with unnecessary speed.

Only to see:

Jisung: Bro, if you had to fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck, which would you pick?

Seungmin squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled through his nose. Breathe. Do not commit a crime.

With a deadpan expression, he typed back: 'Get out.'

He sank back into his pillows, already accepting that tonight would end in disappointment. But then-- his phone lit up again.

He ignored it. If it was Jisung again, he might actually throw his phone across the room.

Another buzz.

Seungmin hesitated, then sighed and checked.

Minnie_: What's good, fam?

A slow smirk tugged at his lips.

Finally.

------------• ° -🤍- ° •------------

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your kind words-- they truly made me happy.

Seeing your support and enthusiasm means so much, and it's a big reason why I'm bringing this book back.

It's been gaining a lot of attention, and I couldn't ignore how much love it's been receiving!

So, let's keep the energy going-- don't hesitate to comment, vote, and share your thoughts. Your interactions make this journey even more exciting!

Round #5's answer Han Jisung

Round #6You look hot when you're angry

I wanted to let you know that updates will be sporadic, meaning I'll post whenever I can rather than on a set schedule. But don't worry, I'm still dedicated to the story! Just keep an eye out for new chapters,