Chapter Text
Red was how Kim Seungmin felt about Minho. He hated him. He hated the black-haired boy with all his heart. He hated his carelessness and his aloofness and the way he’d dance past all the defenses Seungmin had put up and get under his skin so easily. But when Felix asked him to hang out with the rest of their friends, he couldn’t, in good conscience, say no, even though it meant putting up with Minho for a few hours.
They all met up at Chan’s house. It was the biggest and actually had a working TV unlike the rest of their apartments.
“Hey guys, Minnie’s here,” Jisung yelled the second he walked in. The announcement was met with cheers and an excited Felix passing him a box of homemade brownies.
Everyone was sprawled out across the living room, chatting and passing around snacks. Minho was sitting at the far corner between Jisung and Felix. Seungmin found a seat as far away from him as he possibly could, wedging himself between Hyunjin and Jeongin.
They talked, played video games, finished Felix’s brownies, then talked some more. He pretended not to notice Minho’s narrow-eyed glances at him throughout the evening. After a few hours, Seungmin decided to head back to his apartment. He said his goodbyes and stepped outside. He was walking to the elevator when he heard the door open and close behind him. He turned around to see Minho standing in front of the door.
Great. “What do you want?” Seungmin asked.
“We need to talk.”
No we don’t. “About what? We barely even know each other, hyung.”
“Yeah, I’d like that to change,” Minho said in a rush, spitting them out as if the words hurt to say.
Seungmin stood stunned for a few seconds. “What?”
“This isn’t for me, this is for our friends,” Minho explained, still sporting a grimace. “Jisung and Felix are my best friends. Our fighting hurts them. We both know it. So could we please try to be civil around each other?”
“Wow, so the cold Lee Minho has a soft side after all,” Seungmin mocked. “Who could have guessed.”
“Seungmin,” Minho said with a glare. “They’re our friends. I just want them to be happy. Do we have a deal?”
Seungmin sighed, pretending to think about it, even though he knew that Minho was right (not that he’d ever tell him that). “Alright. Deal.”
The tension in Minho’s frame rushed away and his shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you.”
Seungmin blinked at him. “I still hate you Lee Minho. No heartfelt speech is gonna change that.” But there was no bite in his words.
Minho let out a bark of laughter. “Likewise, Kim Seungmin.”
Seungmin turned around and started walking away, still processing the conversation he had just had.
At the last moment, just before he heard the door close, he turned around and said, “Thank you too, hyung.” He half hoped Minho hadn’t heard.
It was strange, the game the two had started playing that day, but Jisung’s blinding smile when Seungmin had greeted Minho the next day almost made it worth it.