With Seo-Jun's departure for work, the house felt vast and empty, leaving Minho and Lily alone on the couch. The silence between them was thick, heavy with unspoken words, and Minho felt a familiar unease creep into his bones. Lily's gaze, intense and unwavering, bore into him, making him shift uncomfortably. Finally, Lily broke the stillness, her voice a soft melody that nonetheless held a probing quality, "So tell me, Minho... who really are you?"
Confusion clouded Minho's features, his dark eyes widening slightly. He ran a hand through his neatly styled hair, a nervous habit. "What do you mean? I already told you who I am." He gestured vaguely, as if the simple act of speaking should have been enough.
Lily crossed her arms. Her tone sharpened, the gentle melody replaced with a steelier edge. "Seo-Jun said you were once in a mafia gang as well."
Minho flinched, the muscles in his jaw tightening. Surprise, quickly masked, flickered across his face. "He did?" A wave of annoyance washed over him, directed at Seo-Jun for his loose tongue. "Yes, I was in a gang, but they kicked me out because I..." The words caught in his throat, a knot forming in his stomach. He stared at the ground, searching for the right words, the right way to phrase the truth. "How should I say this to her?! 'They kicked me out because I've been having sex with your brother'?! That sounds terrible!" The thought of revealing the full story, of potentially damaging the conversation he had with Lily, filled him with dread.
Seeing his struggle, Lily offered a comforting smile, her eyes softening with understanding. "You don't have to tell me the reason if you're not comfortable sharing." She leaned back slightly, creating a small distance, giving him space. Minho looked at her, truly saw her, and offered a small bow of apology, a gesture of respect and acknowledgement. "I am sorry."
Lily smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "It's okay." The tension began to dissipate, the heavy silence lifting. Minho found himself smiling in return, a sense of relief washing over him.
The air in the apartment, once thick with unspoken tension, now crackled with a different energy, a playful undercurrent that chased away the shadows. Lily, her earlier intensity softened, leaned forward, a smirk playing on her lips. "Does my brother give you a hard time?"
Minho, caught off guard, chuckled, his gaze darting away as if the question itself was a physical thing he needed to evade. The simple act of giggling, a sound he hadn't realised he'd suppressed for so long, felt like a release. Lily, sensing his discomfort, pressed on with a teasing tone. "Just tell me, and I will deal with him! I promise!" The offer, laced with a hint of playful menace, hung in the air, a promise of alliance.
Minho, still smiling, shook his head, reassuring her. "It's okay. I already got used to it." The words, though simple, carried a weight of understanding. Lily sighed dramatically, a gesture of exasperated affection. "This guy! He is so annoying and always in a bad mood!" The words, though a playful jab, spoke volumes about the relationship between siblings. Minho's giggle deepened, morphing into a genuine laugh, a sound that echoed through the spacious living room. "Is it okay to talk about him like that?" he managed to say, his voice still laced with amusement.
Lily straightened her back, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and pride. "I am only telling the truth! Besides, he can't do anything to me, he loves me way too much." The words, spoken with unwavering confidence, were a testament to the bond between them.
Minho's giggles transformed into a laugh, a pure, unadulterated sound that filled the room. He hadn't realised how much he had missed this feeling, this freedom of expression, in Seo-Jun's house.
Lily, witnessing his joy, smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "How about you? What do you think of him?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. Minho paused, the laughter subsiding, a thoughtful expression settling on his face. "Me?" he asked, the question a mixture of surprise and introspection. Lily giggled, leaning back against the plush cushions of the couch. "Yes, you! And be honest! Even though he is my brother, it doesn't mean I have to tell him everything." The words, spoken with a conspiratorial air, invited him into a shared secret, a space of trust and honesty.
The room, once bathed in the soft glow of twilight, now seemed to hold its breath, the shadows deepening as Minho leaned in, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "You promise you won't tell him?" The question hung in the air, a delicate thread woven between them, a promise to keep a secret. Lily's quick affirmation was the nod that sealed their pact. A smile played on Minho's lips, a prelude to the words that followed, a careful dance around the truth. "He's always angry, you know? In a bad mood, like you said. Rude, aggressive, always wanting things his way..." The words were a familiar refrain, the frustrations of their shared world laid bare. But then, a shift...
A softening in his gaze, a smile that threatened to break free, tugging at the corners of his mouth. He paused, considering, the image forming in his mind. "He's like... an angry cat." he finally said, the words laced with a surprising tenderness. The laughter that followed was a release, a shared understanding of a familiar frustration and affection. It bubbled up from within, a shared acknowledgement of Seo-Jun's complex nature. "But not like the small ones." he amended, giggling, "The big ones, you know? Like a lion or something." Lily's observation, "Cute... I've never seen a person talking badly about someone while smiling." hung in the air, a gentle reminder of the complex emotions at play. The words were a gentle nudge, a recognition of the unspoken affection that lay beneath the surface. The jovial atmosphere of the room shattered as Minho's laughter abruptly ceased, the sound swallowed by the sudden quiet following Lily's words. Sensing the shift, Lily crossed her legs, the movement fluid and graceful, and leaned back against the couch. "I'm just kidding." she offered, her voice a playful lilt, "But, seriously, he's like a big, grumpy cat. A lion, maybe, with that huge ego and the confidence? Just like a lion." A genuine laugh, bright and melodic, escaped her lips, an attempt to mend the abrupt silence that had fallen. Minho offered a smile, which quickly blossomed into a genuine giggle, the tension easing from his shoulders.
"So…" Lily began again, the playful tone returning, "about his birthday... Did you get him anything?" The change in Minho's expression was immediate and stark. The light that had danced in his eyes moments before now dimmed, replaced by a shadow of distance with him and Seo-Jun. His shoulders slumped slightly. "No. I know it's today, but... what can you even give someone like him? He has everything." The words hung in the air, laced with a mixture of frustration and a hint of resignation.
Lily pondered, her brow furrowing in thought, a soft "Hmm" escaping her lips as she considered the dilemma. "He appreciates the small things. The gifts that feel... personal. The ones that show you actually put thought into it."
Minho's gaze dropped to his hands, clasped loosely in his lap. "I'm... not close with him enough to give him something like that." His voice was barely above a whisper, the words tinged with a hint of regret. "Why not make something?" Lily suggested, the words tumbling out in a rush, her eyes sparkling with sudden inspiration. "I doubt he'd just toss it aside. It would be more meaningful." Minho looked up, a flicker of confusion crossing his features. "Make what?" he asked, the question hanging in the air, a new possibility, and a new set of challenges, now looming before him.
"Hmm... that's a good question…" she murmured, her brow furrowing in thought. But then, a spark ignited in her eyes, a smile blooming across her face. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with sudden inspiration, "When we were kids, I was bored all the time and didn't go out much, so he was always looking up things to do. He found one thing that was very fun to do together! We were making origami! If you've heard of these before..."
In that moment, Minho paused, the words hanging in the air, unsaid. His eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his features. He remembered the time they'd attempted origami, a memory surfacing from the depths of his mind, of Seo-Jun's focused brow, his gentle touch and smile, and nimble fingers.
Lily continued, her voice animated, "He was very good at making them, and I was so jealous. He made it look so easy. And he actually enjoyed the process of making them, but he never admitted it." A giggle escaped her lips, the sound light and airy. Minho remained silent, a mixture of surprise and something akin to shock etched on his face, the memory of Seo-Jun's hidden talent now vividly painted in the air between them.
Lily, her brow furrowed in a mix of curiosity and amusement, noticed the surprise that flickered across Minho's face. "What? You don't know what origami is?" she asked, her voice laced with a playful challenge. Minho blinked, as if jolted from a private reverie, and shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. "No, no. I know, I was just... thinking..." He paused, his gaze drifting towards the window, lost in some unseen scene. "So, he actually enjoyed it..." A faint smile, barely there, curved his lips, followed by a soft giggle that he seemed unaware of having made.
Lily's smile broadened, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. "Try and make one! It would be a perfect gift! I'll help you if you want. We still have plenty of time before he gets home. And I've already prepared his gift, so I'm free to help!" Minho's smile deepened, reflecting her own joy. "Thank you, Lily, for the help and the idea."
"Oh, don't mention it! I'm happy to help. Let's get started then! Does he have any paper here?" With a sudden surge of energy, she sprang to her feet, her movements quick and eager. Minho chuckled, rising to join her. "Yes, I'll go get them."
"Are you any good at origami? I mean, have you ever tried making one before?" Lily enquired, her voice bubbling with curiosity. Minho let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, and I'm terrible at it." Lily's laughter joined his, the sound of their shared mirth filling the room. The anticipation of their idea hung in the air, a promise of shared moments and a gift crafted with care.