Minhyun: “i’m here to stay, eunho-yah.” he refuses to look away from his brother, lest he thinks minhyun is lying. “i know it must hard for you to believe me, but that’s the truth. i’m not going anywhere.”
It’s surprising to say the least when the words he had been bracing himself for never come. Eunho doesn’t reply, studying Minhyun’s expression for a moment as he tries to make sense of the situation. He had heard from their sister that his older brother's stay at Seomri was meant to be temporary, that’s part of the reason Eunho had kept his distance, he didn’t want to go through the pain of losing him again. The trauma shared between them was too deep to be fixed with just one conversation, but maybe, just maybe this could be a starting point. So, he followed Minhyun inside, quietly. “Eunho-yah” No one had called him that in a long time. The use of his childhood nickname brought back memories instantly. Hiding his face on his brother’s chest, little hands holding him tightly, as they stayed hidden in an old closet. Minhyun told Eunho they had to be quiet in a serious tone, so he obeyed. It was scary and dark but he still felt safe. Eunho, having just turned five years old, after they sang happy birthday and ate his cake, being asked by an aunt who he loved more, his mom or dad, and leaving everyone in awe when he replied, proudly, without hesitation: “hyungie.” with a grin. It made him miss Minhyun even when he was standing right there. But he is right, it is hard to trust him when his whole life Eunho was made to believe he was not worth staying for. “I’m stuck here because of you.” He could hear his mother’s words replaying in his mind. "Why would you want that?" Eunho couldn’t help but wonder, how could Seomri compete with Seoul? Their broken family compete with the real friends Minhyun must’ve made during his stay in the city? “I know you must think you came back to save us somehow and while I appreciate the thought, I’m old enough to fight my own battles now. We've both changed a lot. And I missed having you around, but I can't be the reason someone else's life gets ruined." The last part in a hushed tone, almost like whisper. Eunho knows Minhyun will understand he's talking about their mother.
