unsaid

⋆ 𐙚 ̊.CHAPTER 19✶⋆.˚

🇽​​🇴​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇾​​🇳

Minho let out a quiet sigh before sliding off the chair and onto the floor.

The dorm was dimly lit, the glow from the TV screen casting soft shadows over Evelyn's sleeping figure.

She lay curled up, her breathing slow and steady.

Minho leaned his head against the couch, letting his eyes roam over her face.

This was the only time he could really look at her without her rolling her eyes, without some sarcastic comment breaking the moment.

She looked... different when she was asleep.

Softer. Vulnerable.

And that made something twist inside his chest.

Hundreds of thoughts ran through his head, each one louder than the last.

Why did she always look so distant, like she was carrying a weight she refused to share?

And why—why did it bother him so much?

Minho exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

But it wasn't like he could ask her.

Not when their entire dynamic consisted of him pushing her buttons and her snapping back.

Not when she'd just dragged him away from Madison earlier, and he still didn't know why.

Would he ever have the courage to actually ask?

...Probably not.

A few minutes passed in silence.

Then, Evelyn shifted slightly, a quiet sigh escaping her lips as she turned onto her side.

Minho tensed.

He watched as her eyebrows furrowed, her fingers twitching slightly—like she was dreaming.

For a moment, he thought she might wake up.

But then she stilled again, breathing evening out.

Minho blinked, then shook his head, snapping himself out of whatever stupid trance he had fallen into.

"Get a grip, man," he muttered to himself.

He turned, grabbing the remote and switching off the TV.

The room was completely silent now.

Standing up, he stretched his arms before walking toward the small dorm kitchen.

His eyes instinctively went to the fridge, and he pulled it open, reaching for the familiar bottle—

His collagen water.

Because obviously, staring at Evelyn like an idiot wasn't going to keep his skin looking this good.

He twisted the cap open and took a sip, leaning against the counter.

But even as he did, his mind wandered back to her.

What the hell was he supposed to do with all these thoughts?

Maybe he should just stop thinking altogether.

Maybe he should stop caring.

But that was the problem, wasn't it?

Somewhere along the way, he already had.

Evelyn stirred, her eyelashes fluttering slightly before her eyes slowly opened.

Her head pounded.

A groggy groan left her lips as she turned, blinking against the dim light of the dorm.

The first thing she noticed?

A tall figure leaning against the kitchen counter.

Minho.

He was taking slow sips from a bottle—probably his collagen water. His hair was a little messy, his usual perfectly styled look slightly undone. She shifted slightly, trying to push herself up—and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot through her skull.

She must've groaned out loud because Minho's head snapped toward her. He stared at her for a second before walking over.

"Wow. You're alive."

Evelyn scowled. "Barely."

Minho just hummed, setting his drink down on the coffee table before sitting on the couch's armrest.

"You look awful," he commented.

"Wow, Minho."

"You've been knocked out for like... three hours."

Evelyn groaned again, rubbing her temple.

"Why are you still here, then? Shouldn't you be off somewhere annoying Madison?"

Minho stiffened for a fraction of a second. But instead of responding with one of his usual cocky, sarcastic remarks— He just sighed.

A long, deep exhale.

Evelyn frowned, caught off guard. Minho never sighed like that. He never looked like this. His usual arrogance was gone.

Instead, he looked... tired.

Then, before she could say anything— His voice came, softer than she expected.

"Raven, whatever it is, you don't need to hide it from me. You can talk to me, you know. I'll listen."

Silence.

Evelyn's breath caught. For a second, she forgot how to speak. She just stared at him, eyes slightly wide. Did he just—?

Minho, of all people, was telling her she could talk to him?

What was she supposed to do with that? Because the way he was looking at her— Not with amusement. Not with mockery. But with something else entirely.

And that made her heart feel too tight in her chest.

Evelyn swallowed hard, trying to push down the unexpected warmth rising in her chest. Minho wasn't smirking. He wasn't teasing. He was just... waiting.

Waiting for her to say something, to trust him.

But what was she supposed to say? That she felt lonely?

That sometimes, even when she was surrounded by people, she still felt like she had no one?

That coming back to Korea didn't feel like a fresh start, but more like a constant reminder of what she'd lost?

She gripped the edge of her sweatshirt, staring down at the fabric, clutching it like it could somehow keep her from unraveling.

Minho sighed again. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, fingers loosely intertwined.

"I get it," he said finally.

Evelyn's head snapped up.

"What?"

Minho tilted his head slightly, watching her. "You think no one notices, but I do."

Evelyn blinked. This was weird.

Too weird.

Minho wasn't supposed to be this perceptive. He was supposed to mock her, throw a sarcastic remark, call her dramatic—anything but this.

So why was he looking at her like he actually cared? She cleared her throat, forcing a small laugh.

"Wow. Minho caring about my well-being? The world must be ending."

But her voice wasn't as sharp as she wanted it to be. Minho didn't take the bait.

He just raised an eyebrow. "Nice deflection. Try again."

Evelyn clenched her jaw.

She hated this.

Hated how easily he was seeing through her.

So she did what she always did—she pushed.

"Why do you care?" she muttered, crossing her arms.

Minho blinked, taken aback.

For a second, he just stared at her. Then, after a moment— He let out a small, almost bitter laugh.

"Why do I care?" he repeated, shaking his head.

Then he turned his gaze back to her, and something about it made her breath hitch.

"You really think I wouldn't?"

Evelyn opened her mouth—

But no words came out.

Evelyn's throat felt tight. She wasn't sure why.

Minho's gaze was steady, too steady, and it made her feel like he could see right through her. She swallowed, tearing her eyes away.

"Look, it's not—" she started, but even she didn't know how to finish that sentence.

Minho leaned back against the couch, exhaling sharply.

"Raven," he said, voice softer than she expected. "You don't have to tell me, but don't act like I don't see it."

Evelyn's fingers curled against her sleeves. "See what?"

Minho scoffed, shaking his head. "Come on, Evelyn. I know you. You're not just tired. You're exhausted. You're not just annoyed. You're hurting. And no matter how much you try to hide it behind all that attitude—" he met her eyes, "—I notice."

Her breath caught in her throat. Minho wasn't teasing. He wasn't smirking. There was no cocky remark waiting at the edge of his lips.

Just this.

This unsettling, honest concern that she wasn't used to from him. And it made her chest ache.

Evelyn looked away, biting the inside of her cheek.

"It's nothing," she muttered, but it sounded weak, even to her own ears.

Minho sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible."

Evelyn let out a breathless laugh. "Tell me something I don't know."

Minho studied her for a moment, then exhaled through his nose, almost like he was giving up.

"Fine," he said, standing up. "Be stubborn. But just so you know—" he glanced at her over his shoulder, "—you don't have to do it alone."

Evelyn's fingers froze against her sleeves.

Minho turned away, heading towards the kitchen like the conversation never happened.

And Evelyn?

She sat there, staring at the floor, trying to ignore the way her heart was beating too fast.

The school courtyard buzzed with excitement as students gathered around the neatly lined buses, their luggage piled beside them. The air smelled like morning dew and fresh anticipation, a contrast to the groggy faces of those who still weren't fully awake.

Evelyn stood beside Kitty, adjusting the strap of her backpack while scanning the crowd.

"Packed and ready?" Kitty grinned, hugging her own small duffel bag to her chest.

"Yeah, I didn't bring much," Evelyn replied, shifting her weight onto one foot.

A scoff sounded from beside them.

"Didn't bring much? That's cute."

Evelyn turned to see Minho standing there, arms crossed over his chest, several suitcases stacked behind him.

Kitty blinked at his luggage before sighing dramatically.

"Minho, it's literally a two-day trip."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Exactly. That's why I packed light, duh."

Kitty shook her head, muttering something under her breath. Evelyn, however, said nothing. She hadn't spoken to Minho since yesterday's conversation.

And she wasn't planning to.

"Alright, everyone, let's move!" one of the teachers called out.

The students started piling into their assigned buses.

Evelyn and Kitty were separated, much to Kitty's disappointment.

"You better not have too much fun without me!" Kitty pouted before disappearing into the crowd.

Evelyn sighed and climbed onto her own bus, scanning for an empty seat.

Minho was already there, sitting by the window.

For a moment, their eyes met.

But Evelyn quickly turned away, walking further down the aisle.

She wasn't ready to deal with him yet.

Just as she slid into an empty seat, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Evelyn looked up.

A boy stood there, smiling down at her.

He had soft, neatly styled hair, charming features, and a pair of rimmed glasses that gave him a bookish yet effortlessly cool look.

Something about him felt easygoing, as if talking to people came naturally to him.

Evelyn hesitated but then shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

He grinned, plopping down beside her. "Awesome. I'm Kavin, by the way."

"Evelyn."

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn."

And just like that, conversation flowed effortlessly.

Kavin talked about his favorite books, movies, and music.

Evelyn was surprised at how much their tastes matched.

"Wait, you love that band too?" she asked, eyes lighting up.

"Are you kidding? Their lyrics are insane," Kavin laughed. "Like, every song feels like poetry."

Evelyn nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! Most people don't get that."

"Well, most people have bad taste," Kavin smirked.

Evelyn chuckled, shaking her head. She hadn't laughed like this in a while.

Meanwhile, a few rows ahead, Minho sat stiffly in his seat.

He wasn't even pretending to scroll through his phone anymore.

Instead, his gaze flickered toward the back of the bus, where Evelyn and Kavin were deep in conversation.

Laughing. Smiling. Enjoying each other's company.

Minho clenched his jaw.

He told himself he didn't care.

The buses rolled to a stop in front of a scenic lodge nestled between lush green hills. The crisp mountain air filled Evelyn's lungs as she stepped off, stretching her legs after the long ride. Students chattered excitedly, some already pulling out their phones to snap pictures of the breathtaking view.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Professor Lee's voice rang out, silencing the crowd. He held up a clipboard, glancing over the list. "You'll be staying in shared rooms, two per room. I'll be calling out names now. No swapping rooms. Understood?"

A collective groan rippled through the group.

Evelyn glanced around, searching for Kitty. As long as they were roomed together, this trip would be bearable.

She turned, ready to grab Kitty's arm—

But before she could, Yuri looped an arm around Kitty's shoulders and pulled her away.

"Kitty, you're with me."

Evelyn blinked. What?

Kitty looked over her shoulder, a bit apologetically, but didn't argue. "Uh... I guess I'm with Yuri!" she called out before disappearing into the crowd.

Evelyn deflated. Great. Now she had to room with someone else.

"Next," Professor Lee continued, "Evelyn and Madison."

Evelyn froze.

Madison Miller. Of all people.

She glanced toward Minho, who was standing nearby.

He arched an eyebrow at her, then smirked. "Karma," he mouthed.

Madison, meanwhile, sauntered up beside her, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Try not to snore too loud, Raven," she said sweetly.

Evelyn inhaled sharply through her nose. This was going to be hell.

But her surname coming from someone who is not Minho, did feel unfamiliar and strange.

ruka:

im so sorry everyone. i know this chapter is boring cus this was very rush. i wrote whatever. im VERY tired these days and I get sleepy easily idk why TT mum keeps scolding me for always being so lazy but can I help?

anyway, enjoy ig?