♡︎|4

chapter four—✧♡︎✧—

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Felix was buzzing with excitement as he stood in front of the mall with his friends. The sun was bright, and the air had that fresh, crisp feel that made everything seem a little more exciting than usual. A grin plastered across his face as he checked his phone for the millionth time.

"Are you really that excited to watch a movie?" Seungmin teased, adjusting his glasses as he stood beside Felix. "It's just some superhero movie, relax."

Felix scoffed, glancing at Seungmin with a fake glare. "Just wait until you see the villain. You'll understand my excitement."

Jisung, who had been quietly browsing his phone, rolled his eyes. "You're literally only excited because Hyunjin's going," he teased with a mischievous smile.

Felix froze, his face flushing a bit. "What? No. I'm excited because the movie looks awesome."

"Sure," Jisung said, not buying it for a second. "I'm not judging. Hyunjin's your favorite friend. We know." He gave Felix a wink, causing Felix to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck.

Felix was about to respond, but he was interrupted when he saw Hyunjin coming from the parking lot. His face lit up when he saw his best friend, but then he noticed Hyunjin wasn't alone—he was with Haeri, his girlfriend.

Felix's stomach dropped for a second, but he immediately pushed it away, not wanting to ruin the vibe. Haeri was pretty, and though Felix didn't like how she sometimes treated Hyunjin, he could always pretend to be civil around her. He plastered a smile on his face, trying to act normal.

"Hey, you guys ready to go?" Hyunjin called out, grinning as he approached, his arm casually draped around Haeri's shoulders. Felix tried to ignore the pang of jealousy that went straight to his chest when he saw their closeness. It was fine. Hyunjin was happy, and that's all that mattered. Right?

"Yeah!" Felix said a little too quickly, his voice a bit higher-pitched than usual. "Let's go. This is going to be so much fun!"

The group of friends filed into the mall, buying their tickets and grabbing some snacks before heading into the theater. They sat down, and Felix tried his best to relax, leaning back in his seat. He could feel Hyunjin sitting next to him, and the presence of his warmth beside him felt like an anchor in the storm of his thoughts. Felix tried not to look at him too much—didn't want to seem like a complete mess—but it was hard to ignore the way Hyunjin's arm brushed against his now and then.

The lights dimmed, and the opening credits started. Felix's heart was still pounding, but he was trying his hardest to focus on the movie.

Until it happened.

A scene came up—a teenager sitting nervously across from their parents at the dinner table, clearly about to say something important. The teenager stuttered at first, looking down at their hands before finally whispering, "I'm... I'm into men." There was a long silence, and then their parents' faces turned from confusion to surprise.

Felix's breath hitched, and suddenly, his chest felt tight. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from falling. It was just a movie. A movie.

But it wasn't.

Not for Felix.

Because he'd been hiding his feelings for so long, so deep, that the weight of it all hit him like a truck in that moment. Felix had never told anyone. The truth was, Felix had been in love with Hyunjin for as long as he could remember, but he knew Hyunjin would never think of him the same. Hyunjin was with Haeri and most importantly, straight. And Felix didn't want to risk ruining their friendship by being honest. He'd buried those feelings so far down, telling himself that it was fine, that he would never act on it. That he would just—pretend.

But the scene, the honesty of it all, it just broke something inside him. Felix's throat tightened, and the tears began to spill, slow at first, then faster as the weight of the emotions he'd suppressed for so long came crashing down. His vision blurred as he wiped at his eyes, trying to stifle the sobs that were threatening to escape.

He couldn't help it. It hurt. It hurt so much.

He felt a shift next to him, and in a moment of clarity, Felix realized Hyunjin was watching him. Hyunjin's arm was suddenly around his shoulders, pulling him into his side. Felix flinched slightly, but Hyunjin didn't let go.

"Hey," Hyunjin whispered softly, voice low and comforting, "Are you okay?"

Felix just nodded, though his breath hitched again. He tried to force a laugh, but it came out shaky. "I'm fine, just... allergies."

But Hyunjin wasn't fooled. Felix could feel his friend's warm hand on his, fingers intertwining with his own in a simple, but gentle way. Felix's heart skipped a beat. He quickly wiped his face with his sleeve, trying to pull himself together, but Hyunjin wasn't letting go. Felix felt the weight of Hyunjin's hand holding his, steady and sure, and it made him feel so fragile in a way he wasn't used to.

Felix didn't want to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone. Not when he had to pretend.

But Hyunjin wouldn't let him pull away. Felix glanced at him, and Hyunjin just smiled softly, not asking questions, just offering comfort in the simplest way possible. It was like Hyunjin understood, even without words. He just kept his hand wrapped around Felix's, the warmth of it grounding him in a way that Felix desperately needed.

Felix didn't dare look at their friends, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jisung and Seungmin sharing a glance. They said nothing, but Felix knew they saw. They were his best friends—nothing needed to be said out loud. They'd always known something was different with Felix, but they respected his boundaries. If Felix wasn't ready to talk, they wouldn't press him.